German eventer Julia Krajewski’s five-star winner Samourai Du Thot has been retired from competition after losing an eye.
The 15-year-old gelding’s phenomenal eventing career boasts 18 international wins from 56 starts, two national championship titles and Olympic team silver.
“He got struck by a very severe infection and battled it tremendously, but sadly wasn’t able to completely beat it. To save his life, his left eye had to be removed,” she said.
“He has shown me many times how much of a fighter he is, but seeing how he always kept his spirits and never gave up during the hardest of times for him, leaves me even more in awe of my little pocket rocket.”
Julia added they achieved “more than could ever be hoped for” when she first got him as a “cheeky” five-year-old.
Julia Krajewski and Samourai du Thot during the first trot-up at the Rio Olympics. Picture by Peter Nixon
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
The combination finished in the top five 40 times at international events, including claiming third at Luhmühlen CCI5* the year before their win, and won back-to-back German national championships in 2018 and 2019. They won six CCI4*-L/S together, including multiple Luhmühlens, where they secured their national titles, Chatsworth, Strzegom, Arville and Boekelo.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
With the Event Rider Masters first leg of 2019, plus two other CCI4*-S sections, the Dodson & Horrell Chatsworth Horse
“I would have loved to cruise round some more cross-country courses with him and hoped for a happy ending to the very last, but it wasn’t meant to be. Thank you, Sam, for everything you gave for me,” Julia added.
“Despite everything he is in fairly good spirits now and we will make sure that he gets the sort of retirement life that suits him.”
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
