Retired Olympic Horse, FLIM FLAM, Euthanized Following Complications

Wellington, FL—

The retired Olympic horse Flim Flam passed away in Florida last week, following a brief, but irreparable illness. The 17-year-old Hanoverian gelding, owned by Fritz Kundrun and ridden by Sue Blinks, was humanely euthanized on the operating table after discovery of a ruptured stomach on Thursday, October 28, 2004. Flim Flam was only ill for a few hours and seemingly experienced very little pain.

“Flim was the horse of a lifetime for me,” Blinks said. “I am an incredibly lucky person to have shared a career with a horse of such talent and personality. He was extremely happy during his short and well-deserved retirement; it is so very sad that he didn’t get to enjoy it longer.”

Blinks and Flim Flam were part of several international team competitions, including the 1998 World Equestrian Games in Rome, Italy, the 2000 Sydney, Australia Olympics and the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain.

“Over the years, Flim Flam and Sue were such an important part of our growing success in international dressage,” said Bonnie Jenkins, USEF Executive Director of High Performance. “We will all miss him and send our condolences to Sue and Fritz in the loss of a great friend.”

Career Highlights

2002        Team Silver—World Dressage Championship, World Equestrian Games, Jerez, Spain
3rd—USET Grand Prix Championship at the Bayer/USET Festival of Champions, Gladstone, NJ
1st—Grand Prix, WEF Dressage Classic CDI ***, Wellington, FL
                1st—Grand Prix, Zada Enterprises Florida Dressage Classic, Bradenton, FL

2001        1st—FEI Grand Prix Special, Dressage at Devon CDI***, Devon, PA
                2nd—FEI Grand Prix, Dressage at Devon CDI***, Devon, PA

2000        Team Bronze—Olympic Games, Sydney, Australia
8th—Olympic Games, Sydney, Australia
1st—State Line Tack/USET Dressage Championship, Loxahatchee, FL
1st—Grand Prix, WEF Dressage Classic CDI***-W, Wellington, FL
1st—Grand Prix Special, WEF Dressage Classic CDI***-W, Wellington, FL

1999        Member, USET Senior Dressage Tour
1st—Grand Prix, Palm Beach Dressage Derby, Loxahatchee, FL
                1st—Grand Prix Freestyle, Palm Beach Dressage Derby, Loxahatchee, FL
                1st—Grand Prix, Southern Comfort Dressage, Clarcona, FL
                1st—Grand Prix Special, Southern Comfort Dressage, Clarcona, FL
                3rd—Grand Prix, WEF Dressage Classic CDI, Wellington, FL

1998        Team—World Dressage Championship, World Equestrian Games, Rome, Italy 
                12th—World Dressage Championship, World Equestrian Games, Rome, Italy
USOC Female Equestrian Athlete of the Year
1st—Grand Prix qualifier, Norfields Florida Dressage Classic, Wellington, FL
1st—Grand Prix Special, Norfields Florida Dressage Classic, Wellington, FL
5th—USET Grand Prix Championship, Gladstone, NJ

1997        Team Gold Medal, CDIO Hickstead, England
1st—Grand Prix Special, CDIO Hickstead, England
1st—Grand Prix, Wellington Dressage, Wellington, FL
1st—Grand Prix Special, Wellington Dressage, FL
1st—Grand Prix qualifier, WEF Dressage Classic, Wellington, FL
1st—Grand Prix Freestyle, WEF Dressage Classic, Wellington, FL
1st—Grand Prix, Gold Coast Opener, Loxahatchee, FL
1st—Intermediaire II, Gold Coast Opener, Loxahatchee, FL
1st—Grand Prix Special, Florida Dressage Classic, Wellington, FL
2nd—USET Grand Prix Championship, Bayer/USET Festival of Champions, Gladstone, NJ
3rd—USDF Grand Prix Horse of the Year Award
4th—Grand Prix Special, CDI Donaueschingen, Germany

1996        1st—Grand Prix Special, CDI-W New England Dressage Association, Halifax, MA
1st—USET Grand Prix Special qualifier, Royal Dressage Festival, Port Jervis, NY
1st—Intermediaire II, Royal Dressage Festival, Port Jervis, NY
1st—Grand Prix, CDI-W Raleigh, NC
3rd—Grand Prix, Royal Dressage Festival, Port Jervis, NY
3rd—Grand Prix Special, CDI-W Tampa, FL
4th—Grand Prix, CDI-W New England Dressage Association, Halifax, MA
 

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The United States Equestrian Federation Inc.(USEF), as the National Equestrian Federation of the U.S., is the regulatory body for the Olympic and World Championship sports of dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, reining, show jumping, and vaulting, as well as 19 other breeds and disciplines of equestrian competition. As the country’s largest multi-breed organization, the Federation has over 80,000 members and recognizes more than 2,800 competitions nationwide each year. It governs all aspects of competition, including educating and licensing all judges, stewards, and technical delegates who officiate at these shows.

VISION STATEMENT

The vision of the United States Equestrian Federation is to provide leadership for equestrian sport in the United States of America, promoting the pursuit of excellence from the grass roots to the Olympic Games, based on a foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare of its horses, and embracing this vision, to be the best national equestrian federation in the world.