Retirement Ceremony for Dressage Star Brentina Announcement

US Equestrian Team star Brentina and rider Debbie McDonald

The United States Equestrian Federation just announced the official timing for the retirement ceremony honoring the great dressage mare Brentina. Her final public appearance will take place on Friday afternoon, April 17 at the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Finals. The World Cup will be April 15-19, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Along with Brentina's rider Debbie McDonald, owners Peggy and Parry Thomas, for whom The Thomas & Mack Center is named, will be honored.

Brentina and McDonald represented the United States at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, they led the U.S. to the Bronze medal. In 1999, McDonald and Brentina put in an amazing performance at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, winning both the Individual and Team Gold medals.

Brentina recently recovered from colic surgery, as reported in January on The Jurga Report.

Champion Dressage Horse Brentina Treated for Colic

by Fran Jurga | 11 February 2009 | The Jurga Report

Debbie McDonald and Brentina, from the USET Athlete Portrait Campaign Project fundraiser

Yes, the Internet reports are true: America's sweetheart dressage champion Brentina was treated for colic yesterday. Equisearch.com's Nancy Jaffer has an exclusive report on the surgery and its outcome; click here to read all the details.

The 16-year-old Hanoverian mare, ridden in the Pan Am Games, World Cup, World Equestrian Games, and Olympics by Idaho's Debbie McDonald, will be formally retired from competition on April 17 in a special ceremony at the World Cup Finals in Las Vegas. Brentina is owned by Peggy and Parry Thomas.

Aim a prayer at Hailey, Idaho tonight, as Brentina begins her recovery.

USA Team Vet Reports on Horse's Condition, Health

Everyone in the USA who follows dressage was shocked yesterday when US dressage rider and Olympic veteran Debbie McDonald and her veteran horse Brentina scored the lowest grand prix test of their career in the arena at Sha Tin. The horse was uneasy and difficult to ride, so a thorough vet check was performed. This morning, Joanie Morris of the US Equestrian Federation released a statement on the 17-year-old Hanoverian mare.

A thorough examination by US team veterinarian Dr. Rick Mitchell of Fairfield Equine Associates in Connecticut proved that Brentina is sound and well, further reiterating McDonald's comments immediately following her ride.

“Brentina was thoroughly examined by a panel of three veterinarians per our selection process prior to entering quarantine in Germany,” said Dr. Mitchell. “Furthermore we had the opportunity to observe this mare training twice daily for six weeks, and we evaluated the soundness of all the team horses on a daily basis. There was never any question during that time or now about any aspect of her soundness.”

Dr. Mitchell also explained that per the IOC rules, he evaluated each of the three horses one hour before their dressage test because a replacement was available up until that time. Brentina never demonstrated any evidence of soreness and lameness, and passed the horse inspection prior to the competition without any question.

The plan has always been that Brentina would be retired after these Olympic Games. The veteran medalist from 2006 World Equestrian Games and the 2004 Olympic Games has had her typical phenomenal performances all spring building up to these Games. Her performance in the ring here is unexplainable but everyone connected to Brentina is happy that the mare is fit and sound and will live out her retirement at River Grove Farm in Hailey, Idaho, with her owners Parry and Peggy Thomas.

A comment was published in the international press allegedly attributed to an official who criticized McDonald and said that Brentina did not belong in Hong Kong, implying that the horse was somehow obviously unfit.

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