European medallist and five-star horse dies: ‘He was a gentleman and learnt to jump corners for carrots’

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Vittoria Panizzon and Chequers Play The Game pictured at the 2017 European Championships.
Vittoria Panizzon pictured at the 2017 European Championships with Chequers Play The Game.
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Chequers Play The Game, who picked up a European team bronze medal and won at four-star with Italian event rider Vittoria Panizzon, has been put down aged 19.

“He was the sort of gentleman you want to marry – very polite, very charming, with a sense of humour and good fun,” Vittoria told H&H. “He liked to have fun and have a buck and to play with stuff lying around, but he never let you down when it mattered.”

Pippa Roome
Pippa Roome
Magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.