Photo by Lesley Ward |
After an illustrious career that included three victories at the Rolex Kentucky CCI****, a team gold medal at the 2002 World Equestrian Games, team bronze and individual silver medals at the 2004 Olympics, a third place finish at the Badminton CCI**** in 2007, wins at the 2000 Radnor CCI** and the 2001 Blenheim CCI***, and countless horse trials victories, Winsome Adante, a 14-year-old English Thoroughbred ridden by Kim Severson, has been retired due to a suspensory ligament injury in a hind leg.
Winsome Adante’s owner, Linda Wachtmeister of Plain Dealing Farm in Scottsville, Va., along with his vets and Severson, made the difficult decision together.
”Dan,” as Winsome Adante is known to his friends, has a nearly flawless record. Incredibly consistent in all three phases of eventing, he and Severson won the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** every time they contested it. Victories in 2002, 2004 and 2005 proved that Dan was invincible at Rolex and lead him to the U.S. Eventing Association’s Horse of the Year title following each of the victories.
“It was a hard decision but it was also an easy decision,” Wachtmeister says. “He had been in a stall for a long time because of a previous injury and he wouldn’t have been ready for the Olympics. He needed to go out in the field and live the rest of his life. We had always hoped he would go to the Olympics again, but I’m so proud of what he has accomplished. I never dreamed that my family would get to go to the Olympics because of him.”
After Dan sustained the suspensory injury, Severson and Wachtmeister determined that after all he has given them, the best thing would be to let him live in the field at Plain Dealing Farm.
“He’s been so sound and done so much for us,” Severson says. “It was a difficult decision but we don’t want to hurt him and he’s happy now living out in the field.”