Philip Spivey riding Kasparov in The Suffolk Speed Stakes during the Suffolk Show held at Trinity Park in Ipswich in Suffolk in the UK on 31st May 2017
Showjumper Philip Spivey has paid tribute to his talented home-bred gelding Kasparov, who suffered “a massive heart attack” in his stable on Sunday (2 July).
The eight-year-old son of Romanov, who Philip owned with Tracy Forrest, was one of the most exciting young horses in the country.
The “superstar in the making” won his first one-star grand prix in Palaiseau, France, at the beginning of May and had recently stepped up to three-star level, being placed in a rankings class. They had also been making an impact on the county circuit with plenty of good placings.
“He was a bit eccentric, shall we say, in his own way, but when he got to the fence, he did everything perfectly,” Philip told H&H.
“The girls went out to do the night check on the yard and found him in his stable. He’d had a massive heart attack. Apparently it happened instantly, if that’s any consolation, but he’d had no history [of heart problems] so it was just one of those things, unfortunately.”
Kasparov was a full brother to one of Philip’s top horses, the 11-year-old Smirnov, both being out of the Kannan mare Betuna Van Het Lindehof.
Their shared sire was the great stallion Romanov, who Philip rode to victory in the Foxhunter final in 2005 and whom Tracy Forrest also owned, before Billy Twomey took over the reins and then his fellow Irishman Bertram Allen, who competed the chestnut son of Heartbreaker until his retirement this year.
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“Kasparov was just starting to do really well, jumping so consistently at 1.40m level,” said Philip, who also said the gelding’s “star was about to shine”.
“We’re taking a bit of time to regroup right now. After a great start to the season, the train has slightly derailed, but will be full steam ahead soon.”
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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
