Catherine Haddad and Cadillac 35 at the Marianske Lazne (CZE) CDI-W in 2007 winning the Intermediaire II (68%) (Photo credit: Wiegaarden/T.B. Jensen)

American Dressage rider and trainer Catherine Haddad based in Vechta, Germany and Califon, New Jersey lost her grand prix partner and one of her Olympic hopefuls for the US Dressage Team, Cadillac 35 Saturday, November 12. The 14-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Solos Carex x Miss Ragtimes Minuett x Ragtime) was euthanized at her husband Dr. Greg Staller’s clinic in New Jersey. “I have seen my husband, Dr. Greg Staller, save horses that other people have given up for lost.” Haddad-Staller reported on her blog on the Chronicle of the Horse. “Sadly, even the strongest will and the greatest skill could not save this horse, this time.”Cadillac 35 and Haddad-Staller garnered multiple victories in the four years of their partnership in Europe and most recently in England at Hickstead and in the United States at the Saugerties CDI.

“In the very end, the decision to take Cadillac’s life was inevitable.” Catherine explained. “He was a special horse, something that I tried to honor by letting him leave this life without extended pain and suffering.”

Haddad-Staller has been USA Dressage team reserve rider for the US team at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen with Maximus JSS and in 2010 was also the reserve rider with Winyamaro at the 2010 Alltech/FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.

“Many thanks to the photographers who left me with such a lovely record of our time together: Julie Wentscher, Patricia Powers, Kian Bullock, Colin Nicholas and Rui Pedro Godinho—and especially to Anna Sylvan Jaffe who photographed some of our best training days at Gladstone and Cadillac’s last horse show at Saugerties.”