Dutch rider Anky van Grunsven’s Olympic gold medal winning partner Bonfire has passed away at the grand age of 30. The bay Oldenburg gelding, with whom Anky won Olympic gold at Sydney 2000, had been suffering from Cushings disease and was put to sleep on Monday (28 Oct).
Anky and Bonfire (Welt As x Praefectus xx) formed a legendary partnership and were one of the combinations who dominated the sport throughout the 1990s, famously going head-to-head on many occasions with German stars of the era, Isabell Werth and Gigolo.
Anky and Bonfire were team silver medallists at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, individual and team silver medallists in Atlanta in 1996, going one better for team silver and individual gold at Sydney 2000. They also achieved team and individual silver at the 1994 World Equestrian Games, team and individual silver at the 1998 World Equestrian Games; team and individual silver at the 1997 European Championships and team silver and individual gold at the 1999 Europeans.
Their flair for freestyle earned them the FEI World Cup title four times (1995, 1997, 1999 & 2000). Bonfire’s sensitivity and keen ability combined with Queen of the Kür Anky’s innate sense of musicality, resulted in some of the most iconic freestyles ever. They triggered a reaction in people unseen before and brought emotion to the sport. Bonfire’s world famous routines including ‘Bonfire’s Symphony’ and ‘Westside Story’ captured the imagination of audiences worldwide and will never be forgotten.
Anky retired Bonfire in 2002 at ‘s-Hertogenbosch CDI-W and he enjoyed a long, happy retirement at Anky’s base in Erp, The Netherlands.
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Farewell Bonfire
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