[QUOTE=Kenike;3446091]
Point being that SOMETHING wasn’t right with the mare. Debbie knows it, judges knew it, vet knows it, all of us know it. And it sucks, but it happens.[/QUOTE]
According to the Dressage Daily article linked above, the horse passed every vet inspection, was examined routinely by three vets, and was cleared as sound an hour before the event (when they could still substitute another horse). She then passed the all vet tests again, after the poor performance.
Clearly, this was not the Brentina we’ve grown to love, but at this point, the vets are saying there is nothing physically wrong with her. Now, I love conspiracy theories as much as the next person, but every single horse can and does have bad days. Big Brown, anyone?
I know that Brentina has had soundness issues in the past. She most likely should have exited the world stage the first time they talked about it a few years ago. I do want to note, though, that Bob and Debbie were my trainers way back when – when they were big into hunters – and I can say with complete certianty that didn’t matter how cheap (and mine was, relatively speaking) or how expensive the horse, each one was treated with fanatically good care and was incredibly well looked after. I know people change, I know that the lure of a big prize can make one do things that one would not normally do. But the Bob and Debbie I knew (and still see on occasion) would not knowingly or willingly risk a horse.
