© Dirk Caremans

The KWPN-stallion Envoy has passed away. The talented Numero Uno-son was euthanized because of severe ataxia caused by a tumor in the neck.

Gaby Maarse reveals to KWPN: “Envoy was in excellent condition until last Sunday. We found him in the stables, he was ataxic and could barely walk. Of course we called the veterinarian immediately, however he could not find anything. It was such a strange eyesight. We gave him anti-inflammatory drugs, but he did not improve. The veterinarians wanted to get him to a good clinic as soon as possible so that they could make a scan, but transporting him in this condition was not even possible. He kept eating and drinking the entire time and he did not seem to be in pain, until Thursday at the end of the afternoon when I found him laying down in his stable. He was no longer able to get back up and that was when we, together with his breeder and co-owner Tom Reuzenaar, had to decide to euthanize him. Incredibly sad,” says the wife of Envoys rider Dave Maarse. “Afterwards we got him taken to a clinic for examination and we got the results on Friday afternoon already. Apparently he had a tumor located near his second cervical vertebra, which pressured his spinal cord and caused the loss of muscle function. According to the veterinarians this hardly ever happens.”

Envoy was always a striking appearance. The bay, bred by Tom Reuzenaar from Schaijk, is a son of top inheritor Numero Uno out of the elite EPTM-spr mare Whoopie (s.Pharaon xx). After he got placed third in the championship finale of the 2012 KWPN Stallion Show, he was approved for KWPN with 78.5 points in autumn 2012. Despite his own achievements, interesting damline and excellent progeny reports, the number of offspring remained limited. Last year, his son Kynan got selected for the National Foal Championships and with a third position in his group was close to a spot in the championship round.

The passing of Envoy was a great shock for the Maarse family. Gaby: “It really is a shame. Envoy was doing so well. In January he placed second and eighth in the 1.30m class in Nieuw en St. Joostland and won the test at De Peelbergen. He developed so well and was showing more and more scope. We still have a few great children of his, but unfortunately there is no semen available anymore. There was no reason to stock any semen as the stallion was in top health. It is a great pity, we are going to miss him a lot.”

Media Release

Source: KWPN