RIP "Burli"

Asyr a pure bred Arabian born 3rd June 1985 and a family member since 26th July 1991.

He was bred by a hobby breeder married to a vet near Ingolstadt in Bavaria with some well known names in his pedigree such as Mansour, Nazeer and Sheikh el Arab. After five years the family could not cope with him, gelded him and asked a friend Klaus Horsch a well known neighbour to sell him for them from his wonderful Hellmansberg Stud.

We were looking for a horse for me as it was always a pain "only" having Angie's horse Nero and no chance to ride out together. A mare though. One day we spotted one of Klaus' newspaper ads for horses and took the drive out from Munich.

Oh Oh ... not our price category, not even the three legged one's. Klaus did mention he had a gelding living with the stallions which could be more suitable for my wallet but no exactly an easy horse. Angie fell in love with him at first sight and there followed several more visits to test him out in the countryside. I don't think any of them went well and at least one was a close call away from A&E.

So of course the female instinct to "tame" the wild one came to the fore and we were to buy him. There followed months, no years of tears, sweat, frustration, joy and happiness. However from day 1, Asyr and Nero became best buddies and that was always a great positive.

I will try to document his story more fully in back blips but for the moment this photo, taken by Angie in July 2014, serves as a memory of a great relationship. He of course turned out to be Angie's horse for most of the time but I was to be seen on him from time to time and luckily my daughter Kate and even son J spent some time riding him.

The last few years have not been easy for him with his arthritis and tendon problems and his passing or at least the events leading to have to call the vet to put him to sleep were not pleasant but in the last hour or so where I lay with him on the field waiting for the vet, he was the dignified Arab we so loved. Angie was very sadly at work and could only communicate by talking soothing words on the mobile phone loudspeaker. Asyr who was as good as gone, opened his eyes, tried lifting his head and twitched his ear when he heard her voice.

Goodbye friend, thank you and enjoy your seeing Nero again.

It was a difficult day for all as today was the planned big day of heaving up the PV panels and getting them set up. Loads of people organised for an early start when I happened to see Asyr lying in the field. Angie somehow got the strength from her Munich office to organise the vet and even the county "animal corpse removal" people to attend and almost impoosible task given tomorrow is a major bank holiday, Friday taken to be holiday by most and thus a very long weekend. All credit to her.



PS Burli was his  nickname - Bavarian/Austrian for (male) youngster.