LominAleCantina -> Hickstead Dies at World Cup

Hickstead Dies at World Cup

Track this topic | Email this topic | Print this topic

oldjedinurse

Posted: Nov 6 2011, 11:03 AM

Scrubs: Banner Artist
Group Icon

Group: Wraiths
Posts: 9,036
Member No.: 60
Joined: 14-February 06

I can't even type anything right now...

Showjumping Superstar Hickstead Dead

UPDATE:

Latest news says it was a heart attack. He dropped in the ring right after crossing the finish line. Apparently, the TV footage is playing and re-playing on European television. Stop it!!!

At least the horsemen there were incredibly respectful. They declined to finish the class, all of them paying tribute to one of the greatest show jumpers in history.

QUOTE (Horse&Hound)

Eric Lamaze�s great showjumper Hickstead has died in Verona.

The pair had been taking part in the fourth round of the World Cup and had just completed their round when the 15-year-old stallion collapsed.

The competition was halted as the horse ambulance was brought in and Canadian Eric Lamaze was led out of the arena.

As a mark of respect to the reigning Olympic champions, the riders asked that the competition be halted and all the competitors then filed into to the arena � many in tears � for a minute�s silence and for tributes to be paid.

Hickstead was one of the greatest horses the sport has ever seen - as well as taking individual gold in Beijing in 2008 and countless grands prix and Nations Cup victories, he jumped four clear rounds in the final of the World Equestrian Games in 2010.

This post has been edited by oldjedinurse on Nov 6 2011, 11:14 AM

--------------------

The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand.
"Catching Fire"

oldjedinurse	Posted: Nov 6 2011, 11:40 AM
Scrubs: Banner Artist Group: Wraiths Posts: 9,036 Member No.: 60 Joined: 14-February 06	If anyone has the stomach for it, here are Hickstead's final moments. Even the commentator pleaded with the TV producers not to show it again. Hickstead Dies in World Cup Ring "Sticks", you died quickly and that is a small comfort. Much love to you, always. -------------------- The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand. "Catching Fire"

Shinar	Posted: Nov 6 2011, 12:05 PM
Explosion Girl Group: Moderator Posts: 7,033 Member No.: 8 Joined: 19-November 05	-------------------- My heart is like an open highway.

oldjedinurse	Posted: Nov 6 2011, 12:16 PM
Scrubs: Banner Artist Group: Wraiths Posts: 9,036 Member No.: 60 Joined: 14-February 06	I am so heartbroken. Someone tweeted this link to a much happier video, set to "Stand Up for the Champions" - that's what you were, Sticks, once and always. The little horse who could and did... Hickstead: Champion This post has been edited by oldjedinurse on Nov 6 2011, 12:17 PM -------------------- The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand. "Catching Fire"

oldjedinurse	Posted: Nov 6 2011, 12:53 PM
Scrubs: Banner Artist Group: Wraiths Posts: 9,036 Member No.: 60 Joined: 14-February 06	Just discovered that it is Hickstead's groom's birthday today. I'm so terribly sorry, Delphine! Just how amazing was this horse? Pretty Darned Amazing -------------------- The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand. "Catching Fire"

T'Keira Lea	Posted: Nov 6 2011, 12:59 PM
TKL Group: Moderator Posts: 11,501 Member No.: 4 Joined: 18-November 05	I'm trying not to cry, but I am. This was one of those special horses. He literally was at the top of his game. -------------------- �Bones is heading into its 7th year & there comes a point where you put up or shut up...You can�t extend that tension that long without your fans breaking." ~ Castle's creator

oldjedinurse	Posted: Nov 6 2011, 01:14 PM
Scrubs: Banner Artist Group: Wraiths Posts: 9,036 Member No.: 60 Joined: 14-February 06	Less than a minute before... -------------------- The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand. "Catching Fire"

oldjedinurse	Posted: Nov 6 2011, 03:13 PM
Scrubs: Banner Artist Group: Wraiths Posts: 9,036 Member No.: 60 Joined: 14-February 06	There are actually people out there commenting that this horse died because he was abused. Does this look like an abused horse to you? -------------------- The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand. "Catching Fire"

T'Keira Lea	Posted: Nov 6 2011, 03:31 PM
TKL Group: Moderator Posts: 11,501 Member No.: 4 Joined: 18-November 05	I attended a lot of polo matches and other equestrian events as the tech for the on-call vet. This just happens. It's no different than say a human athlete in prime condition having a heart attack. That horse was happy and tried harder to please because he wanted to. -------------------- �Bones is heading into its 7th year & there comes a point where you put up or shut up...You can�t extend that tension that long without your fans breaking." ~ Castle's creator

oldjedinurse	Posted: Nov 6 2011, 04:20 PM
Scrubs: Banner Artist Group: Wraiths Posts: 9,036 Member No.: 60 Joined: 14-February 06	I know. I'm just sick of all the sickos out there who have to make negative comments about everything. Cynical, negative people - usually the ones who know the least about the subject at hand. Eric often said (including after their September Grand Prix win at Spruce Meadows) that it was Hickstead who wanted to jump. Eric just "tried to stay out of his way." Lovely Tribute at ProQuest. -------------------- The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand. "Catching Fire"

EmpressJainaSoloFel	Posted: Nov 6 2011, 04:41 PM
Member Group: Wraiths Posts: 1,628 Member No.: 428 Joined: 1-February 09	The RARA's are always at it. Hickstead wasn't abused, and real horse people know that. Sadly, it's not the first time they've screamed abuse over a freak accident. The RARA's frankly terrify me. -------------------- Attn DelRey: Jag doesn't sparkle. Neither do any of the other Fels.

T'Keira Lea	Posted: Nov 6 2011, 04:49 PM
TKL Group: Moderator Posts: 11,501 Member No.: 4 Joined: 18-November 05	The thing with some of the animal activists is that they use these tragedies to stop showing, racing, etc. But without those activities there would be almost no place for horses in the modern cultures. They'd protect them into extinction, literally. It's just a tragedy. Hickstead had a far better life than some people in our own country. I've seen the barn he lived in, and his condition up close at the show rings. He was a happy happy horse. -------------------- �Bones is heading into its 7th year & there comes a point where you put up or shut up...You can�t extend that tension that long without your fans breaking." ~ Castle's creator

oldjedinurse	Posted: Nov 6 2011, 06:46 PM
Scrubs: Banner Artist Group: Wraiths Posts: 9,036 Member No.: 60 Joined: 14-February 06	Yes, he lived well. And he loved to jump. I got into it with a guy who is clueless about horses on a national newspaper site here this afternoon. He kept calling me nasty names related to my apparent stupidity. I wasn't the only one who tossed his crap right back at him. One man mentioned exactly what you said, TKL, about the place of horses in culture and history. It went right over Mr. Mouth's head. (I will refrain from typing what I'm thinking right now.) On the other hand, Eric's FB page is on overload. There are hundreds (maybe more) of sympathetic posts and they just keep coming. One woman posted this, which I thought was kind of nice: The evening news here ran two stories about today's tragedy. I can't get him out of my mind. -------------------- The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand. "Catching Fire"

oldjedinurse	Posted: Nov 6 2011, 06:58 PM
Scrubs: Banner Artist Group: Wraiths Posts: 9,036 Member No.: 60 Joined: 14-February 06	You know, I just realized something. Canada is large in land mass, but small in population. We are essentially a small country. Our equestrian community is "small" compared to the U.S., although it may not always seem that way during winters in Florida... That makes Hickstead's loss personal. We all "knew" him. We'd all been close to him. We all followed his victories, and much less often, his mistakes. We all watched him perform miracles when no other horse could jump a particularly difficult fence or course. He was our pride and joy. Officially "The Best Horse in the World" at the World Equestrian Games - but Canadians already knew that. Then he and Eric grabbed the Rolex Number One world jumping status this year and never gave it up. He died Olympic Champion and #1 Ranked Showjumper. It doesn't get better than that. -------------------- The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand. "Catching Fire"

oldjedinurse

Posted: Nov 6 2011, 08:02 PM

Scrubs: Banner Artist
Group Icon

Group: Wraiths
Posts: 9,036
Member No.: 60
Joined: 14-February 06

Rider's account:

QUOTE (Eric Lamaze)

"We finished our round, I circled and was leaving the ring, and he collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack," said an emotional Lamaze. "It is the most tragic thing that has ever happened [to us]. We had him until he was 15, and we had a great time together.

He was the best horse in the world. We are all devastated."

From Equine Canada's CEO:

QUOTE

"It was an extraordinary partnership and indeed in our sport today it's a legendary partnership, Not only because individually they are such great athletes, but together there was no one in the world who could catch them."

He added that watching Lamaze ride Hickstead was a "sublime experience."

"Both Eric and Hickstead obviously trusted each other implicitly. Whereas many other riders would have approached Hickstead with a great deal of caution � and even fear � and attempted to contain and manage his power, Eric had total confidence in the horse and therefore was willing to in essence release the horse and allow him to attack the course."

All true.

--------------------

The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand.
"Catching Fire"

oldjedinurse	Posted: Nov 7 2011, 07:56 AM
Scrubs: Banner Artist Group: Wraiths Posts: 9,036 Member No.: 60 Joined: 14-February 06	Our equivalent of "Good Morning America" has done a feature about him today, with the Chef d'Equipe of our equestrian team. They believe it was a heart attack or possibly an aneurysm that killed Sticks. The constant Tweets continue. His story is trending on Twitter now. So much love for this horse. This post has been edited by oldjedinurse on Nov 7 2011, 07:57 AM -------------------- The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand. "Catching Fire"

oldjedinurse	Posted: Nov 9 2011, 12:31 PM
Scrubs: Banner Artist Group: Wraiths Posts: 9,036 Member No.: 60 Joined: 14-February 06	Hickstead died of an Acute Aortic rupture (aneurysm). In the ER, that is known as a "Triple A" (Acute Aortic Aneurysm). The survival rate is close to zero, even if a person is in the ER when the rupture occurs. I have witnessed a few dozen people die from this. It is extremely fast and unpleasant. In a way, I am glad to know this. There was certainly no saving him. He died very quickly. And this will lessen the controversy about cardiac stress in showjumpers. AAAs are usually related to a weakness in the aortic wall which would have existed - undetectable - for a very long time. This post has been edited by oldjedinurse on Nov 9 2011, 12:32 PM -------------------- The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand. "Catching Fire"

oldjedinurse

Posted: Nov 9 2011, 01:20 PM

Scrubs: Banner Artist
Group Icon

Group: Wraiths
Posts: 9,036
Member No.: 60
Joined: 14-February 06

Sad to report that Eric is "mulling retirement" after the death of his equine partner.

From The National Post newspaper:

QUOTE

By Derek Abma

Eric Lamaze says one of the last things his gold-medal winning horse Hickstead did before dying in Italy over the weekend was to check to make sure his longtime rider was OK.

An emotional Lamaze, speaking to reporters on Wednesday in Toronto, described how the horse fell down, with Lamaze still on it, after finishing a round at an event in Verona.

�At this point, he made sure that I was OK, and just sort of fell beside me,� said Lamaze recalled.

The Canadian equestrian, who�s ranked No. 1 in the world thanks to his accomplishments with Hickstead, added that the felt the horse fell in such a way that would not hurt the rider.

�He collapsed, and I was far away from him,� Lamaze said. �I think that he collapsed in a way that he made sure he did not injure me in the process.�

Lamaze held a news conference Wednesday to talk about the horse that helped him win a gold medal for Canada in individual show jumping at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

The rider was visible shaken at times as he spoke about his bond with the animal, and the despair his death has caused him.

�It�s not like breaking a hockey stick or breaking a tennis racket,� he said. �For (horse riders), we become very close to these animals and have respect for what they do for us.�

Lamaze�s lawyer, Tim Danson, said the horse was very attached to Lamaze, and its reaction when his rider came into his presence reminded him of a pet dog that sees its owner.

�If you were to see Hickstead in a stall or wherever, just alone and relatively calm, I can�t tell you how many times I saw where Eric suddenly comes on the scene and this horse goes crazy, just like the dog,� Danson said. �He starts moving his head, he moves his feet. . . . When you see (Lamaze and Hickstead) behind the scenes and you see the relationship between the two of them, it�s really a golden moment to see.�

Danson said an examination has determined that Hickstead died from heart failure because of a ruptured aortic artery near his heart.

Lamaze said medical examinations leading up to last weekend�s competition found the horse in good health, and that there were no signs during the event, until Hickstead�s collapse, to indicate anything was wrong.

The rider called Hickstead a �superstar� that was crucial to Lamaze�s success as a rider.

He said he would decide in the coming weeks if he wants to continue competitive riding without the champion horse.

Emphasis mine.

This post has been edited by oldjedinurse on Nov 9 2011, 01:27 PM

--------------------

The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand.
"Catching Fire"

EmpressJainaSoloFel	Posted: Nov 9 2011, 08:44 PM
Member Group: Wraiths Posts: 1,628 Member No.: 428 Joined: 1-February 09	I think, with all that has happened the last few days, Eric is reeling, and understandably so. Hickstead was a once-in-a-lifetime horse, and I don't blame him at all for wanting to step back. My thoughts and prayers are with him. He'll make the choice that's right for him, and I'm going to support him whatever he decides. -------------------- Attn DelRey: Jag doesn't sparkle. Neither do any of the other Fels.

oldjedinurse	Posted: Nov 9 2011, 10:24 PM
Scrubs: Banner Artist Group: Wraiths Posts: 9,036 Member No.: 60 Joined: 14-February 06	Eric has so much support, he is sincerely touched by it. Personally, I don't believe he'll retire but he was obviously devastated at the press conference today. So, so sad. The Royal Winter Fair Horse Show ring crew had black armbands made up for themselves with "Hickstead" written on them. The Winter Fair took hold of the idea, and had lots more made. All the international riders are wearing them in honor of the horse, and they are being sold with the money to go to the charity of Eric's choice. (He has a charity for disadvantaged youth - I suspect that is likely where the funds will go.) So, yeah, the support is incredible. -------------------- The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand. "Catching Fire"

« Next Oldest | Sports | Next Newest »

DealsFor.me - The best sales, coupons, and discounts for you