For many people, the most emotional moment of the Rolex FEI World Cup Dressage Final didn’t occur during the competition. When Debbie McDonald rode the legendary Brentina into the arena one last time, you could’ve heard a pin drop.
Tears streamed down McDonald’s face as she relived some of their most amazing highlights together on the Jumbotron. Even announcer Brian O’Connor had difficulty getting the words out, and his voice cracked repeatedly as he read a tribute written by McDonald from Brentina’s point of view. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house by the time McDonald and “Mama’s” longtime groom, Ruben Palomera, carefully lifted the saddle from her back.
Brentina and McDonald are national heroes to the dressage community. Their partnership began when the Hanoverian mare (Brentano II—Lieselotte) was just 3 after Parry and Peggy Thomas purchased her at the Verden auction in Germany.
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They went on to win medals at every international championship, double gold at the 1999 Pan American Games (Winnipeg), team silver at the 2002 World Equestrian Games (Spain) and team bronze at the 2004 Olympic Games (Greece) and the 2006 WEG (Germany).
Unfortunately, Brentina’s last competitive outing wasn’t representative of her career as a whole. The 17-year-old mare had uncharacteristic problems in her Grand Prix at the 2008 Olympic Games. But McDonald and Brentina were always more to their adoring fans than their results. The partnership and trust they displayed were the epitome of what dressage is supposed to be. Brentina offered McDonald everything she had and did her work joyfully.
She showed that one last time as O’Connor fired up her famous “Respect” freestyle before she exited the arena in hand. Brentina, now 18, had been standing quietly next to McDonald, but she pricked her ears when she heard Aretha Franklin and began passaging as the weeping audience roared. You could almost see her thinking, “Oh! That’s what we’re doing!” And she left the ring puffed up and proud. Everything was right in the world if the crowd was cheering for her.
