EN Today: Tribute to Icarus, Jude’s Law & VDL Ulando H

Over the weekend, a trailering accident claimed the lives of three of eventing’s brightest equine stars. Abby Gibbon compiled this tribute.

Icarus

Michael and Icarus at Rolex.  Photo by Andrea Arrandale Daguanno“I fell in love with Fly when I first saw him off of the track in Illinois,” Jennifer Stegall-Walker, who started Fly’s eventing career, wrote in the comments section of our Farewell Icarus post. “He gave me the best rides I have ever had. He never once gave up at anything he did. He was the perfect horse. He tried so hard to please you. He had a heart of gold and truly loved what he did in life. He was such a sweet and kind horse. I will never forget when Natalie saw him for the first time in KY. She had the same look as I did when I first saw him. He couldn’t have had better owners or a better team at his side with Natalie, Mike, and Katie. This sport is definitely better for having Fly a part of it. I didn’t know he had so many fans out there. It seems everyone who saw him fell in love as well.”

Rolex cross-country, 2011.

“He was everything I hoped for and more,” Michael Pollard told the Chronicle after the pair cinched the 2009 Jersey Fresh CCI*** win. [Icarus Flies to the Top at Jersey Fresh]

Travel buddies Icarus and Madison Park en route to Burghley, 2011.

Michael and Icarus, Burghley jogs. Photo by Samantha.

Burghley Dressage, 2011.

Hacking around Burghley, 2011. Photo by Samantha.

Leaving the Rolex start box, 2012.

Jude’s Law

Michael and Jude at the Jersey jogs, 2012. All Jude photos from Jersey Fresh.

Jersey XC, courtesy Holly Covey.

The Fork CIC*** 2012.

“He’s a special horse, and it’s an honor to get to ride him. Today he felt just like he did in the show jumping for a horse trials. He’s a beast. He tries really hard, and he’s a wonderful horse,” Pollard told the Chronicle of their recent second-place Jersey CCI*** finish. [COTH]

VDL Ulando H

With Karl Slezak, Ulando won his advanced debut at Rocking Horse Winter II this February. Photos by Samantha.

Rocking Horse Winter II SJ.

From the Pollard Eventing Facebook page, as mentioned in the News & Notes:

Back home and getting back to life. What a tough weekend it has been! I don’t have words for how much I appreciate the support from friends, family, and the eventing community at large. I miss these horses so much though.

Anyway, we will find a way to move on and be even stronger than before. We are having a Memorial day team BBq and the day’s name is fitting. I expect we will take time now to refocus and make a new summer plan.

Although we are licking our wounds and are deeply hurt, I also have to be thankful for what we do have. No people were hurt, and we are incredibly fortunate in so many other ways in life. Especially when you consider what today is really a memorial for, you are forced to realize that, while our pain is real and the events are tragic, our lives are blessed, and our problems are luxury problems. Thank you again for helping us through one of the darkest periods of our lives. Love to all and in memory of our buddies who we lost: Michael and Nathalie