Iron, the five-year-old breeding stallion recently bought by Britain’s Sarah Pidgley as a future ride for 18-year-old Annabella Pidgley, has died at the age of five.
The Pidgleys bought the licensed stallion, by Ibiza x Hohenstein I, from Andreas Helgstrand in October.
The stallion was based with top Danish rider and Annabella’s long-time trainer Cathrine Dufour, for training, with Cathrine referring to him at the time as “an exceptional horse for the future”, who was “already proving himself to be a stable favourite”.
However, it was revealed that Iron died on 3 December owing to “many complications” following a case of twisted testicles.
“It’s really sad; it’s heartbreaking,” Annabella told H&H. “Iron was a real superstar.”
“There was nothing they could have done to save him and I’m so thankful to the team who took care of him to the very end,” she said in a tribute to the young stallion. “Iron was simply too special for this world and he was taken far too soon.
“We will always cherish and remember our sweet, loving boy, who had the biggest heart. He was destined to be so special and we are so grateful for the little time we had with this one in a million horse.
“A huge hole has been left in all our hearts. We miss you little man.”
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The stallion was bred in Denmark by Michelle Vicki Nedergaard, who sold him to Helgstrand in 2020. He was named four-year-old champion of his licensing in 2021 and was revealed as the second most used Danish warmblood stallion of that year, with 117 coverings of registered mares.
“We will miss him so much,” added Cathrine.
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