Tina Cook has announced the retirement of Team GB stalwart Miners Frolic due to a heart problem.
Tina revealed to H&H that she noticed something was wrong with the 16-year-old — who is the only horse to have won 3 Olympic eventing medals for Britain — when he came back from a hack seeming out of sorts.
“He was definitely uncomfortable with something and the vet who knows him was only a quarter of an hour away,” Tina said.
“He came and saw him and said he’s got what Sprinter Sacre had — arterial fibrillation.
“He stopped blowing and he’s been totally fine since. But his heart needed to go back to normal within 24hr to avoid treatment. Every day we’ve checked it and it hasn’t done so.”
Miners Frolic (Henry) was taken to see specialist Celia Marr in Newmarket on Monday (3 February). After further discussion with the vets there, Tina and his owners decided to retire him.
The dark bay gelding, who is owned by Nick and Valda Embiricos and Sarah Pelham, nearly died of enterocolitis in 2011 after an adverse reaction to antibiotics. But he fought back to represent Britain at the London Olympics, finishing sixth individually.
“He has battled through 1 near-death experience and owes me nothing,” Tina said.
“I have shed a tear, but I wouldn’t want to put a horse who has done so much for me and his owners through invasive treatment at his age.”
Tina added that although she had hoped the World Equestrian Games in August might be his “swansong”, she was happy that he would retire “at the top of his game”.
His retirement plan is still to be finalised but Tina is hopeful he will be well enough to enjoy some gentle hacking.
