After A South Carolina Equestrian Tragically Died, Her Trainer Took Her Horse All The Way To The Olympics

Equestrian Annie Goodwin died doing what she loved on a horse she loved. 

Goodwin, 32, lost her life in a training accident at her South Carolina farm in July 2021. Her beloved horse Bruno was uninjured in the fall that killed her. 

Boyd Martin, Goodwin’s friend and former coach, took Bruno into his ownership after her death. Over the course of the next three years, Martin and Bruno formed a partnership that took them all the way to the pinnacle of their sport. 

Earlier this week, Bruno and Martin fulfilled Goodwin’s lifelong dream of competing for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

"I truly think that she'd be cheering us on from up above," Martin, a four-time Olympic eventing rider who competed atop Bruno at the Games, told NBC 10 Philadelphia ahead of the Paris Olympics.

Martin and Bruno weren't always in sync though. During their first six months together, Bruno would refuse jumps and they were disqualified from competitions more than once.

“It was a real mess,” Martin told USA Today.

Eventually, he said, something in Bruno clicked.

“The last 18 months, he's turned into one of the best horses in the world,” Martin said. 

Martin and Bruno finished as the Team USA’s highest placed eventing combination Monday, and secured 10th place individually.

Martin reflected on their performance on Facebook the next day. Although he admitted to being disappointed they didn’t come home with a medal, he said he realizes that competing in Paris with Bruno was about more than winning.

"Right from the moment I started riding Bruno after Annie’s passing I have felt like I am representing more than just my personal goals. It’s amazing how animals bring people together and remind us of dreams, love, and tragedy,” Martin wrote. “Throughout the Olympics, I have felt people cheering for Bruno and what he represents.”

“I am not a superstitious person, but I felt Annie’s presence through the games. I felt her cheering us on as we galloped like the wind around Versailles,” he continued. “I also felt Bruno pin his ears back, grit his teeth, dig deep over the last few fences when other horses would have quit. He gave me everything this weekend and I felt that he knew how special this moment was as well.”

Congratulations, y’all.