Tearfull farewell tour for Digby
Tears were flowing freely on Wednesday at the Grand Prix Special of the Dressage competition when Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein left the arena at D’Ornano stadium. Not that the Danish princess did not like the result of 75.406 percent but Caen is the last competition for her partner Digby, whom she knows since he was born at her barn.
“It felt like he did the best special of his life. He might have had slightly higher marks before but to me it felt like a huge 80 percent ride today.”
The 17-year old gelding Digby is a very special horse for Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. She bred him and trained him herself up to Olympic level. They have been to every major championship for Denmark, twice at the Olympics, won team bronze in Beijing 2008.
Digby had been retired from championships already but was reactivated to support the Danish team in Caen after several other horses were scratched. His “very last” farewell show should have been at the end of the current season but has been put forward to WEG 2014 in Caen. The princess, niece of Denmark’s queen Margrethe, is expecting her second child in early February.