UPDATE–Rebroff Dies from Suspected Heart Attack at Wellington’s Global Dressage Festival Day After Big Tour Win With Frederic Wandres

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Frederic Wandres on Rebroff, being held by groom Lars Ligos during the awards ceremony at the Global Dressage Festival. © 2021 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

WELLINGTON, Florida, Jan. 30, 2021–Rebroff, a 12-year-old Rhinelander gelding, died in his stall at the Global Dressage Festival Saturday a day after being ridden by Germany’s Frederic Wandres in the pair’s first Big Tour competition.

The horse, owned by Hof Kasselmann of Hagen, Germany for whom Frederic rides, was reported to have died from a suspected “cardiac event”–heart attack. The horse was being taken to a pathology laboratory at Kissimmee in central Florida, for an autopsy to determine the precise cause.

Equestrian Sport Productions management “regretfully” announced the death on the horse show grounds at Equestrian Village at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center during the third week of the Global circuit.
“The horse was found to be in need of care in its stabling at 11:30 a.m. local time (1730 CET),” ESP said in a news release. “The FEI official veterinarian for AGDF as well as the treating veterinarian were on-site immediately. The horse did not die in the course of competition.
“While the cause of death is unknown, it is a suspected cardiac event.”
ESP and everyone involved at AGDF expresses their great sympathy for the loss of Rebroff.

Frederic and Rebroff (Robespierrot x Oula Owl), bred by Yves and Verena Gielen-Burger, were scheduled to compete in their first Freestyle Sunday.

Insa Hansen of Germany competed Rebroff at Grand Prix in Hagen last July and at Oldenburg in October.

This was Frederic’s first time competing in the United States. He came with several horses from Hof Kasselmann. He did not bring with him Duke of Britain, the horse on which he is on Germany’s Olympic squad. He had been invited to the World Cup Final with Duke of Britain that was scheduled for Las Vegas last April but canceled due to coronavirus.