By DARYL GADBOW of the Missoulian
Ovando rancher Suzanne Hayes and her horse Quincy have had to withdraw from the United States equestrian team preparing for the World Endurance Championship race in Dubai of the United Arab Emirates on Jan. 27.
Hayes and Quincy, whose official name is Tezero's Gold, went into training with the U.S. team in Florida ranked among the squad's top six horse/rider teams that qualify for the world championships. But Quincy had developed some lameness while training there.
"As I suspected some weeks ago, around the first of January," Hayes wrote Wednesday in an e-mail to the Missoulian, "Quincy was just not improving to the point that I was happy and comfortable with, so I withdrew him from the traveling team consideration. This horse was an amazing animal, and while he had worked his way to very near the top of all the horses selected, I did not want to take up a spot on the USA team, and not feel that we could contribute in a big way."
It was an extremely emotional decision for her and the team, Hayes said.
"Every single member of the USA team and staff had tears in their eyes and disappointment on their faces," she said.
But Hayes' hard work and perseverance paid off when the team members named her team captain during the world championships.
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