World's tallest horse dies in Wisconsin at age 20
Big Jake would often draw a crowd wherever he went (Jerry Gilbert)
POYNETTE, Wis. - The world’s tallest horse has died in Wisconsin.
The 20-year-old Belgian named Big Jake died several weeks ago, WMTV reported Monday. The horse lived on Smokey Hollow Farm in Poynette. Messages left Monday at the farm by The Associated Press seeking the date the horse died weren’t immediately returned.
Big Jake was 6-foot-10 (nearly 2.1 meters) and weighed 2,500 pounds (1,136 kilograms). The Guinness Book of World Records certified him as the world’s tallest living horse in 2010.
The farm’s owner, Jerry Gilbert, said Big Jake was a "superstar" and a "truly magnificent animal." He said Big Jake was born in Nebraska and weighed 240 pounds (109 kilograms) at birth, about 100 pounds (45 kilograms) heavier at birth than a typical Belgian foal.
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Gilbert said he plans to memorialize Big Jake by keeping his stall empty and inserting a brick on the outside of his stall with his picture and name.
"It's very quiet (at the farm)," Gilbert said. "The other horses know. I think they have their own grieving time because Jake was the center of attention around here. There is a huge void. It feels like he's still here, but he's not."