After winning both of his first two qualifiers, Salvino is now out of contention for the FEI Dressage World Cup Final, rider Adrienne Lyle announced Friday.

The U.S. Equestrian Federation’s 2022 International Horse of the Year, who was the highest-placed U.S. horse at the 2022 Blue Hors FEI Dressage World Championships (Denmark) and a member of the silver-medal winning 2021 Tokyo Olympic team, was set to contest his final qualifier next week when, this morning, his team found a small lump on his leg upon taking him out of his stall.

“Upon veterinary evaluation it was discovered that he had popped a small splint,” Lyle posted to social media. “Betsy [Juliano, Salvino’s owner], Debbie [McDonald, technical advisor for the U.S. dressage team] and myself conferred and all agree that of course his welfare always come first, and he will not be pushed to do next week’s competition. Although a very minor injury, it will need time to rest and recover and with only only World Cup qualifier left this season, it simply wasn’t meant to be for us.”

The Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W, taking place March 1-5 in Wellington, Florida, is the final North American League World Cup qualifier for the FEI Dressage World Cup Final, to be held April 3-8 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Salvino, 16, won the first two qualifiers of the year but was sidelined from the third by a minor colic episode.