Donatien Schauly and Cadiz. Photo courtesy of FFE/DE.
We have just learned that Cadiz, a 15-year-old Spanish-bred gelding that completed the 2012 London Olympic Games, was euthanized Sunday, two days after suffering severe injuries while falling on cross country in a French national competition at Fontainebleau on March 6. He was euthanized due to “complications related to swelling of the spinal cord,” according to Cavadeos.
His rider, Donatien Schauly, was uninjured in the fall. Cadiz, by El Mesto out of Adonna and owned by Renaud and Marie Christine de Lauriere, completed numerous three-star events in his career, and he represented France on the world stage at the London Olympics with Aurelien Khan, finishing 45th individually.
Donatien then took over the ride on the horse, and together they finished 15th at Waragem CICO3* in 2013 and 10th at Fontainebleau CICO3* in 2014, with the highlight of their partnership coming last year, when they finished second at Saumur CCI3* on their dressage score of 48.4.
After tendinitis sidelined the horse during the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy, Donatien gave the horse an extended period of time off before coming back out this year. The event at Fontainebleau was the horse’s first competition of the season.
In the horse’s entire FEI career, which stretches back to 2006, he only recorded cross country jumping penalties at one event, with a 20 on his score card from the Olympics. He will be remembered as an incredibly talented cross country horse and a stalwart competitor for France.
The accident occurred the day before Conahy’s Courage was euthanized after breaking a leg during a rotational fall in the CIC3* division at Red Hills International Horse Trials on March 7. Cadiz was euthanized the following day on March 8.
