Sönke Rothenberger and Cosmo at Rio 2016.
© Arnd Bronkhorst
By Equestrian Life
A tragic turn of events in Germany has seen several horses killed at the stable yard of elite dressage family Sven and Gonnelien Rothenberger and their children Sönke, Sanneke and Semmieke.
In the early hours of Thursday morning, Sönke and Sanneke awoke to their dog barking and discovered the blaze; the fire department were quickly called.
While many horses — including Sönke’s Olympic gold medal winning horse Cosmo — were released to safety and escaped the blaze, some were sadly unreachable. Further horses were injured, and Sanneke is in hospital due to smoke inhalation. It also been reported that two other people were injured in the fire.
Buildings lost include the indoor arena and stables. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
Our thoughts are with the Rothenbergers at this very difficult time.
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