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‘A fighter to the end’: final farewell to Olympic horse aged 29

Eleanor Jones Eleanor Jones

    • The former Olympic eventer Air Jordan, who also won world team gold with Frank Ostholt, has died aged 29, a “fighter to the end”.

    The Hanoverian gelding, who was on the German team that triumphed at the 2006 World Equestrian Games and was known as JoJo, had enjoyed a long retirement with Frank’s friend Mirko Handrick.

    “It was very difficult to let him go,” Frank said. “I owe so much to JoJo; without him I would not have become the rider and trainer I am today.”

    Air Jordan, by thoroughbred stallion Amerigo Vespucci xx, was bred by Horst Wesch, and Frank took the reins when he was six, thanks to owners the Vietor family.

    In 2003, they won the German national title at Luhmühlen, and a year later they were on the Olympic team at the Athens Olympics, where the team finished fourth. In 2005 they were on the German team that won European bronze, and they won the four-star (now five-star) at Luhmühlen in 2006, the year of their world team gold.

    Other notable achievements include twice winning at Aachen, a total of three German national titles and finishing second and third at two World Cup finals. They also finished 11th at Badminton in 2007.

    “The last success of the two together was a second place in the indoor eventing at the German Masters in Stuttgart,” a spokesman for the German equestrian federation said. “In recent years, the chestnut gelding, who was fit for a long time, enjoyed his retirement with Mirko Handrick, where he shared his daily routine, stable and pasture with championship buddy Little Paint.”

    Frank added: “He was as tough as iron throughout his life and a fighter to the end, he was a part of my life. I feel very lucky to have had such a wonderful horse for such a long time.”

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    Eleanor Jones
    Eleanor Jones

    H&H news editor
    Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
    Eleanor Jones

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