The chance to take part in an Olympics is something most athletes would give anything for; there is no greater stage to showcase their talent than at the quadrennial sporting extravaganza. Well then, if athletes do have a chance to land a medal at the Olympics, they would be excused for resorting to any means (fair ones, of course) to win one. But there are also some like Dutch dressage (Equestrian) rider Adelinde Cornelissen, who gave up her chance to win the gold medal so that her beloved horse, named Parzival could recover from illness.
The heart-warming story took place at the Rio Olympics’ Equestrian venue when Cornelissen had a change of heart after she entered the arena for her Team dressage routine with Parzival. It seems her horse was suffering from a fever and she did not want to put him through the ordeal and bowed out of the tournament, much to the shock of the fans.
The 37-year-old has already won a silver and bronze at the 2012 London Olympics and the 19-year-old Parzival (a chestnut gelding horse) was her partner-in-crime. She was one of the favourites to win the gold here as part of the Dutch team which makes her sacrifice even more touching.
Cornelissen later revealed that Parzival had fallen ill the day before the event when she found that a part of his head was swollen and the horse was running a temperature. The vets available at the venue checked him and concluded that the swelling was a result of a toxic insect bite.
Subsequently, Cornelissen put the horse on a diet of fluids. After further tests, X-rays and rest, his temperature fell and the swelling started to subside.
She then asked the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) to alter the starting positions of the Dutch team so that her horse could recover properly but it was denied. The former world champion had by then decided not to compete and spent the night at the stable with her horse, checking up on him every hour.
On the morning of the event, she was glad to see that the temperature was back to normal and the swelling was reduced. She then decided to compete again, for the sake of her team, after consulting with the vets who cleared the horse. But just as she rode into the arena, she sensed something wrong with the horse and decided not to go through with the routine and withdrew.
She explained her decision, “In the arena, he felt totally empty and I decided not to continue. He did not deserve this. In order to protect him, I gave up. the horse that has given everything for me his whole life does not deserve this ... So I saluted and left the arena.”
The horse is unlikely to be able to take part in another Olympics, as he is already 19 years old. But the affection Cornelissen showed towards the horse which helped her win many titles was stirring. Adelinde’s decision to put her horse’s need in front of her own was nothing but ‘humane’.
