Emotions ran high on Saturday afternoon in the central arena of IFEMA Madrid Horse Week. After the end of the FEI Dressage World Cup Grand Prix, where the Spanish Beatriz Ferrer-Salat had an excellent performance, the current Spanish champion performed for the last time the Kür with «Delgado», her horse and partner for many, many years.
«First of all, he is a great friend and companion of adventures. We have lived through many situations together, and we have a great spiritual connection,» told Ferrer-Salat to Ecuestre magazine a few days before the tribute. Whether the couple performed or not a Kür was up to the warm-up, but thankfully the 20-year-old Westphalian was ready for one last dance.
The highly emotional performance, full house, ended with Ferrer-Salat’s eyes tearing up, tears that had already appeared much earlier in Paloma Parga or Frank Lamontagne, the rider’s friend and the one who put the son of «De Niro» into her hands, when the Westfalian was six years old.
Since then, despite having suffered physical problems because «Delgado» was in poor health at the beginning, the patience, confidence and willpower of Ferrer-Salat, who always trusted her horse, ended up in a recovery that lead to a great path: several Spanish championships, an Olympic top ten, being in the Final Kür of the World Equestrian Games (which was not disputed) or a European bronze.
Retired from the competition more than two years ago, «Delgado» had have this well-deserved farewell tribute in the Madrid arena, a special opportunity to say goodbye to this great champion of Spanish Dressage with one last Kür, the applause of the public and a bouquet of flowers from Daniel Entrecanales, IFEMA Madrid Horse Week president.
