Czech-born Swiss Olympics dressage rider, Marcela Krinke-Susmelj is considered one of the most staunch horseback riders in the equestrian circuit. She framed a multitude of accolades on her wall of fame with her gelding Corinth by her side. However, On June 1st, the former international Grand Prix horse Corinth passed away. The 27-year-old wingless Pegasus was put to sleep due to old age.

The Oldenburg gelding Corinth was sired by Cheenook and Finesia in 1996. Hans-Peter and Silvia Brockschmidt were also responsible for his breeding. In time, the horse earned a reputation as one of the finest Grand Prix competitors. Eurodressage broke the news of the demise of the International Grand Prix horse. Following this, the story rapidly went viral on the internet.

One of the finest horses that the equestrian world ever saw

This horse and its rider, Ulrike Stahlecker-Stadelmayer, first competed in an M-level dressage test in Königsbronn-Zang, Germany, in 2002. Just one year later, they were competing at the S-level. They passed their first Grand Prix test as a team in the spring of 2004. Through the summer of 2004, the rider was mostly a focal point at regional shows and continued to compete at the national Grand Prix level with Corinth.

According to the report by Eurodressage, Marcela Krinke-Susmelj, a veterinarian by training, chose to go into equestrian activities in 2005 after forming a strong attachment with one of her horses. In international dressage, the Swiss Olympian’s career got off to a flying start when she rode Corinth to victory at the first-ever Intercontinental championships. Their first international competition was the CDI Stadl Paura in April 2006, and they went on to compete in other equestrian shows and the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, where they placed 33rd in the Grand Prix with a score of 66.458%.

At the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, the horse and Krinke-Susmelj finished 11th in the Kur Finals with a score of 75.300%, while at the 2009 European Championships in Windsor, they placed 22nd in the GPS with 67.583%.

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At the 2009 World Cup Finals in Frankfurt, they finished eighth with 73.050% of the possible points. They improved so much that they won bronze in 2006 and 2007, silver in 2008, gold in 2009 and 2010, and silver in 2011 at the Swiss Dressage Championships.

Corinth hasn’t competed internationally since the CDIO Aachen in 2011. After competing at the Westfalian Regional Championships in 2012, the horse, then 16 years old, retired with honor. After spending his retirement years with the herd on a pasture in Luhmühlen, Germany, Corinth was put to sleep today due to old age.

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