Overview
- Diallo, an 11-year-old Grand Prix dressage gelding, was admitted to a Munich equine clinic on Monday and died there on Tuesday, according to the German Equestrian Federation.
- Von Bredow-Werndl announced the loss in an emotional Instagram post, saying veterinarians suspect a Borna virus infection and that confirmatory laboratory analyses are still underway.
- Newer reporting notes preliminary blood findings that point toward Borna disease, with final results delayed by the Three Kings holiday in Bavaria.
- Diallo had emerged as a leading prospect with victories in 2025 including the Stuttgart World Cup in November and a young-horse prize shortly before Christmas, placing him in contention for the Aachen world championships.
- German dressage figures, including national coach Monica Theodorescu, praised Diallo’s international potential, as experts describe Borna disease as a rare, often fatal neurologic illness in horses with field voles identified as carriers in parts of Germany.