‘A tragedy’: top five-star horse dies of a heart attack on first run of the season

William Fox-Pitt’s five-star ride Oratorio died of a heart attack at Lincolnshire Horse Trials yesterday (19 March).

“Oratorio got the day off to a brilliant start in the dressage with a score of 23, he felt so established and relaxed, even though it was an OI [open intermediate] I was quite excited,” said a post on William’s website. “He jumped a very respectable showjumping round with one pole down.

“The cross-country turned the day into a tragedy. He flew the first part of the cross-country course, feeling amazing and making it all seamless. But then the worst happened; we were galloping towards the last fence and he collapsed and died from a heart attack.

“There is no easy way of saying this but it was out of nowhere, he was one minute feeling fantastic and next minute gone, and I have to take consolation from the fact that he did not suffer, there was no indication that anything was untoward and we all have to believe that, with any animal there is always uncertainty.

“My devastation extends to the whole Oratorio team who have supported him for so long, and believed in him. We were all very excited about Badminton 2023, and he had really felt like an established mature five-star event horse.”

William added his thanks to the event organisers and his own team, saying: “The Lincoln team dealt with the nightmare brilliantly, they were very professional and efficient and I am very grateful for all their support. My team were brilliant too.”

Lincolnshire organiser Catherine Sykes sent her condolences to all of Oratorio’s connections.

A son of William’s 2011 Pau winner Oslo, 14-year-old Oratorio was bred by milliner Cozmo Jenks, a neighbour of the Fox-Pitts’ and part of the syndicate who owned Oslo. His dam was Cozmo’s home-bred Cinnamon Brulee, by Topanoora, who the Fox-Pitts trained as a point-to-pointer.

Oratorio was owned by a syndicate and started his competition career with Laura Collett before William started competing him in 2017.

He was second at Blenheim Horse Trials CCI3* (now CCI4*-L) in 2018 and finished 13th and 14th at Badminton Horse Trials in 2019 and 2022.

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