Showjumping stallion Dallas VDL put down after accident at stallion show

showjumping stallion Dallas VDL has been put down aged 16 — Jur Vrieling and Dallas VDL at the London Global Champions Tour in 2019.

(Image credit: Lucy Merrell)

Dallas VDL, the international showjumping sire and former ride of the Netherlands’ Jur Vrieling, has been euthanised following an accident at a stallion show aged 16.

The VDL Stud’s Belgian warmblood had been at the Saint-Lo Sport Stallion Show in Normandy, France (23-25 February).

Dallas was bred by Kenis Frans and was by Douglas, and out of a Heartbreaker mare. He was produced throughout his 10-year showjumping career by Jur and competed at top level around the world, including at Hickstead, Falsterbo, Shanghai and Paris. The pair won the Falsterbo puissance in 2016, and in 2019 they enjoyed a victory at the London leg of the 2019 Global Champions Tour. They also had many top-10 places at 1.50m level.

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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.

‘Goodbye, my best friend’: tributes paid to ‘one of a kind’ stallion put down after accident

“Due to an unlucky accident at the stallion show in St Lo, we had to put our top stallion Dallas down today,” read a VDL Stud statement yesterday (25 February).

“He has been out of the sport for several years and was a popular stallion at our station. He impressed with his beautiful conformation, his jumping ability and his great offspring. We will miss this stunning superstar.”

Jur said: “Goodbye, my best friend Dallas.”

“It has been a pleasure working with a horse like him. He really was one of a kind, one of the best partners in the ring and loved by everyone at the stables, ” he said.

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