Espano Estopa: 1995-2006
By Jenni May

The sudden death of Espano Estopa* was devastating. Espano didn't have a sick day in his life and there was absolutely no warning. His family were
greatly distressed to witness his passing especially Malikah Estopa (An
Malik x Estopa); we never would have expected Malikah to outlive her son. In the week that followed, the barn felt like a crime scene; it was a time for
quiet, a time for mourning. And like his sire Om El Abadan* (Carmargue** x Bint Estopa), Espano died in his prime although the circumstances were very different.
The day Espano died began the same as any other. All the mares and Espano's half-brother went out in the morning and Espano stayed in while we cleaned. I don't know how many times I said to Steve over the previous weeks: "We are so lucky Espano is such a good guy." Espano was a sensible, highly intelligent, sensitive, well-mannered horse. He was never unreasonably demanding and was a pleasure to live with.
After his family came in from the pasture, it was his turn to go out. I
asked him to look out for the puddle, let him lose and he trundled off to
graze. Not long after, I heard him call out in panic. He was swaying, then
he stumbled and fell beside me. He was in shock and I knew he was dying. It was very fast and perhaps painless but the shock was overwhelming. Espano was a picture of health. His coat was pure white with dapples underneath. He shone like silver in the sun and showed no signs of ill health. Our vet was there at the time and the diagnosis was that the aorta had ruptured due to an anatomical fault. The heart itself was functioning normally. Steve and I stayed with him for some time and I cursed the obnoxious black clouds passing over head. The weather in August was ghastly, even for Belgium, and inevitably the heavens opened, adding to the crushing gloom.
Espano became my number one horse from the moment we met. He was with his
dam in the luxurious foaling box at Redwood Lodge Arabians in Australia. I
was greeted by an inquisitive "orange" chap with a fairly decent blaze,
happily nibbling on the stable door. He was a splendid little horse and we
were best friends from that moment on and it was a privilege to be his
personal caretaker for most of his life.
There was a quiet, regal presence about Espano. He was very sure of himself but he didn't suffer fools and from the beginning, he loathed being treated without respect and he tended to prefer woman to men. He was also an excellent judge of character - Espano had a lot of visitors over the years and if they didn't respect him as a horse, he would put on a dutiful display but he would turn it on for those who held him in high regard. In this way, he was a moody horse but he always had a valid reason and I loved him for it. He would pick out righteous people immediately and I will never forget the day Julia Lefik came to meet him. Julia is not a horsy girl but she likes horses and worked as a graphic artist for a publisher of horse
magazines. When she went up to Espano's box, he literally threw himself at the wall to get as close as possible to her as possible - and his expression was priceless; he was almost fluttering his eyelids!
Espano was rational when it came to breeding. Some of his mares were not the type to show when in heat but he always knew when to and when not to breed. He was never wrong and would refuse to breed a mare if she wasn't close to ovulation. If his mares were not in heat, it was safe to put them in the field next to him. They would all come flirting over to fence to get his attention and he would kindly acknowledge them before carrying on grazing. I only wish I had taken photos of these moments. Espano was spoilt when it came to beautiful, grey mares and his undisputed favourite mare was the bay Challon Salana (Carmargue** x Bur Sable). When Salana was present, Espano was not himself and he bent over backwards to impress her; perhaps it was true love. Salana produced arguably Espano's best son, LVA Maximus*.Espano Estopa's legacy at Redwood Lodge is five precious daughters: three full sisters from Cambriaa (El Shaklan** x Zafiraa) - Redwood Lodge Romantik*, Redwood Lodge Antiguaa and Redwood Lodge Angelikaa; Redwood Lodge Empressa from Om El Amira Estopa (Sanadik El Shaklan** x Bint Estopa); and Redwood Lodge Eskarda from Basara Saiyana M* (Mel Nebli x Mel Quelinka*). He
also has a grandson, Redwood Lodge Artique (Al Adeed Al Shaqab** x Redwood Lodge Romantik*) and a granddaughter, Redwood Lodge Saffron (WH Justice*** x Redwood Lodge Antiguaa).
There is also an heir to Espano's throne, his half-brother RL Maalik Shah
(Al Adeed Al Shaqab** x Malikah Estopa). Maalik is similar to Espano and he will grow up to be a functional, beautiful horse with correct even paces.
Maalik will be a stallion admired by horsemen and woman and not just show people. And like Espano, he will enjoy his youth and mature in a natural environment. It won't be long before Redwood Lodge moves from Belgium to Château de la Bernardière in France, where the climate is better suited to raising horses. It is an immense shame that Espano didn't live to enjoy the new farm. Nothing made Espano happier than being ridden and our new farm is the perfect location. We had planned his grand stable, surrounded by the foaling boxes which convert to weaning boxes: King Espano could wisely watch over all proceedings and let us know by his moods if there was anything of concern. He would have loved his field - it was designed especially for him so that he could see all the other horses and we could see him from the house.
We had Espano cremated - many thanks to Ann Joye and Narianna or we wouldn't have known it was possible to have a horse cremated in Belgium. As Ann said, it feels like the horse is still with you and it is a great comfort to have his ashes and shoes; we will make a memorial for him in France. Some of his ashes will go back to his place of birth in Australia with his
owner/breeders Trevor and Sue Patrick. As Sue aptly said, Espano "was the heart of Redwood Lodge."
Espano Estopa* was a well-known stallion because he won many important shows and produced excellent offspring from relatively limited coverings, many of which are successful show horses and his progeny are proving to breed on. I don't want this obituary to be the last big brag, just an insight into the nature of this very special individual; show results aren't as important.Espano was not just a show horse he was a good horse and a loving companion for us, the mares and the youngsters. There has been a colossal reaction to his death and we were comforted to know how much people from all over the world loved and admired him and were aware of how we much we loved him. We are grateful to all these kind people - it helped us through the initial grieving - but the time comes when people get on with their own lives and you are left to grieve alone. I will fondly remember Espano every day for the rest of my life because he was my soul mate and I hope all the people lucky enough to have his progeny will treasure them.