Photo: Jeanne@Genie Images.
When Darcie Grote receives her copy of US Equestrian magazine’s annual Horse of the Year issue in mid-April, she’ll have an extra reason to celebrate her horse’s year-end championship. Brenin — or Nickie, as he’s known around the barn — lost an eye in January 2018 to a cancer so rare that he’s the only horse ever documented as having it. But that didn’t stop him from having a successful season, and Grote says the experience has only strengthened their partnership and her respect for his stoicism and big heart.
© 2019 US Equestrian Federation