The trouble began as the horse reached the ground from her transport to the venue. “The ground was slippery,” said Helgstrand. It was then that the horse twisted her front left leg’s pastern. After exhibiting some “twisting,” an ultrasound was performed and it confirmed the malady.

The horse looked good on Monday and Tuesday according to Helgstrand, but in the initial jog, the horse was held for reinspection. The horse’s veterinarian said the horse might be good by competition time; however a decision had to be made prior to the draw.

“When we trotted the horse today, going up she was trotting 100%, and when we trotted her back, she was twisting again,” said Helgstrand. “So, there is no chance to compete with her.”

Such disappointment comes at times when dealing with horses and the Danish rider said, “When you work with horses, there are ups and downs. This happened at the wrong time of course…but it’s better to keep it down now and let the vets look at her and do what is best for the horse.” Helgstrand pointed out that the prognosis for the mare, according to the veterinarians, was good.

Paracco, a U.S. entry in the Las Vegas International Dressage competition, was also withdrawn by his rider Jeremy Steinberg. Steinberg cited similar reasons as not wanting to take any chances with his horse as the reason for his decision.

This news leaves fans of the sport begging a few questions. With the dynamic duo of Helgstrand and Matine out of the running, who will step up to fill a possible top-placed spot?