Hickstead, the stallion, was not Eric Lamaze’s pet.
In fact, Lamaze wasn’t even Hickstead’s owner. But he was Lamaze’s work partner and best friend.
So after a race last week in Italy, when Hickstead began to fall over with Lamaze on his back, the horse turned to make sure his rider was clear before he fell all the way down. He didn’t want to hurt his best friend.
The gold medal-winning Hickstead died instantly of heart failure, without pain.
Hickstead and Lamaze were a good match. Both came from troubled backgrounds. Horse experts said Hickstead was too small for international competition and had a temper that no one could tame. Many said he would never be a winner.