I wasn’t planning to cry at Brentina’s retirement. After all, she’s had an amazing career, and it was the right time to retire her at 18 years young. But when they started playing her phenomenal freestyle from the 2005 Budweiser FEI World Cup Final on the jumbotron, I began to mist up.

The energy and emotion in the arena as the footage played was reminiscent of the mood in 2005 when McDonald finished that test, pumped her fist in the air and danced in the saddle with glee. Anyone who saw that test will never forget it—the audience clapping in time to the music as Brentina performed her trademark piaffe, passage and extended trot to Aretha Franklin belting out “Respect.” Their cheers seemed to lift her up and encouraged her to be even more extravagant. But as the taped applause from 2005 faded, a sense of melancholy settled in.

When Debbie McDonald rode into the arena, tears already streaming from her eyes, my eyes started to overflow. And when Brian O’Connor couldn’t keep his voice from cracking as he read a tribute, I totally lost it. I definitely wasn’t the only one sobbing in the audience.

Brentina and Debbie McDonald are national heroes to the dressage community. Their partnership is legendary, begun when the Hanoverian mare (Brentano II—Lieselotte) was just 3. They broke new ground for U.S. dressage, beginning with their individual and team gold medals at the Pan American Games in 1999 (Canada).

The pair continued to lead the U.S. dressage squad by bringing home an historic team silver from the 2002 World Equestrian Games (Spain). McDonald and Brentina finished fourth individually, heartbreakingly close to a medal. Their fabled career reached a peak in 2003 when Brentina became the first U.S. horse to ever win the FEI World Cup Final (Sweden), although she only earned that accolade after Germany’s Ulla Salzgeber was eliminated because Rusty tested positive for a prohibited substance.

Brentina anchored the bronze-medal winning team at the 2004 Olympic Games (Greece) and the 2006 WEG (Germany). An injury kept her from competing in the individual competition at the WEG, but she was back in shape for another Olympic Games in 2008 (Hong Kong). Her final freestyle performance at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Selection Trials had the audience on their feet, clapping and cheering just as the had in 2005. Unfortunately, “Mama” had an uncharacteristic case of show nerves at the Olympic Games, ending her career on a disappointing note.

But McDonald and Mama 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.

As she walked into the Thomas & Mack Arena, named after her owner Parry Thomas, it was clear that Mama was a bit confused. She couldn’t understand why her groom, Ruben Palomera, was untacking her in the ring. But then “Respect” blared over the loudspeakers one last time as McDonald led her from the arena. The audience roared to their feet in thunderous applause, her ears pricked, and she began to passage. 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.

Have a fantastic retirement Brentina. We’ll miss you!