Juan Matute Guimón was airlifted to a hospital in Madrid after collapsing and falling unconscious on the evening of May 5, the website Dressage-News.com reported. Matute Guimón was reportedly in critical condition with bleeding on the brain.

“Juan was suffering headaches for the last week, but we thought it was an allergy,” his father, Juan Matute Azpitarte, told Dressage-News.com. Matute Guimón reportedly said he didn’t feel well after riding today, and then passed out.

Juan Matute Guimón competed Quantico in his first FEI World Equestrian Games in 2018. Lindsay Berreth Photo

“As a positive young man he is fighting to win the big competition of his life,” his father said. “Please pray for him.”

Matute Guimón, 22, represented Spain at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (North Carolina) and had intended to compete at his first FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas last month before they were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Read the Chronicle’s Ringside Chat with Guimón, published just last week.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.