Racing legend Kauto Star has been put down after incurring an injury in the field.
‘Horrendous’
The 15-year-old gelding was turned out as usual at eventer Laura Collett’s yard, where he has been living since he retired in 2012.
“It’s just horrendous,” said Laura. “He was out in the field, the same field he was out in every day, we don’t really know what happened, but he injured his neck and pelvis and sadly had to be put to sleep.”
Kauto fractured his pelvis in three places and also fractured his spine at the base of the neck. The gelding was taken to Valley Equine Hospital in Upper Lambourn on Wednesday (24 June) but his condition deteriorated. He was put to sleep at 3pm yesterday afternoon.
Paralysed
As Clive Smith who owned Kauto explained the main damage caused was the neck injury, at the base of the neck between C6 and T2 vertebrae.
“It affects the spinal chord and in the end it paralyses through the legs,” he said. “When I saw him yesterday afternoon, he was lying there and I fed him some grass and stroked him and tried to spend the last few minutes with him.”
True legend
Trained by Paul Nicholls, Kauto won 23 of his 41 races, accumulating well over £2m in prize money. Highlights of his career include winning the King George five times and he was the first horse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice.
“RIP my friend you were a true Legend. Once in a lifetime,” Paul tweeted.
Kautoretired from racing in the 2012,whenRuby Walsh pulled him up in Cheltenham Gold Cup,and went on to train with Laura as a dressage horse.
“It’s an honour and a privilege to have been involved with him and had him in the yard,” said Laura.