Richard, how is Amazing and how are you?
He has morals, he is cheerful. When we look at him, we cannot imagine that he is sick. He lives outside like the rest of the year. And me, it’s better. At the time, it was difficult to cash in!
When did you decide to declare Étonnant a non-starter?
He had worked well at the beginning of the week and had even recovered well. I really thought it was better and thought I would run it with a chance. The fact that he didn’t have a lot of work didn’t worry me because we do it all year round.
But on Thursday evening, at 7:15 p.m., when I saw the vet’s number displayed, I thought there was a problem. At first I was very surprised because the blood tests showed that the red blood cells had risen. But the Lyme disease* takes time to be detected, hence the late call from the veterinarian.
Even if he doesn’t seem sick, running him like that, in such a race, could have been detrimental to his health and the rest of his career. I just regret knowing it so late, especially for those around the eliminated horses!
Do you think that the stroke he had before Qualif 6 – Le Prix de Belgique (Gr.II) was linked to Lyme disease?
I thought about it at the time, but at that time, the test for the Lyme disease was negative. On the other hand, his red blood cell count was very average and finally went up gradually.
If he doesn’t show anything physically, how will you know when it’s time to get back to work?
He has an antibiotic treatment for 10 days and he is also given a probiotic for his intestinal flora for 20 days, because at 3 years old, he almost died from an allergic reaction. Then we can get back to work nicely and see how it behaves.
If all goes well, when will we be able to see him again in competition?
He could return on March 16, in the Cauvicourt PrizeTo Caen.
*Lyme diseasealso called Borreliosis, is transmissible to horses, humans, cats and dogs. When an infected tick bites a human or an animal, it transmits a bacterium to him. This sting is painless and can therefore go unnoticed. The clinical signs can appear between three days and several months later, and the symptoms vary enormously from one person to another and from one animal to another. New Aquitaine is one of the four French regions most affected by the presence of ticks (according to a study by theNational Institute of Agronomic Research).
Sources: Regional Health Agency
