54 SIDELINES SEPTEMBER 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Equestrian Dressage National Championship/ WEG Selection
Trials.
When Rubino arrived in Maryland he was in great condition.
Then, one day Holly and Sarah noticed he felt funny behind. They
called veterinarian Dr. Cooper Williams, who arrived the next day,
and said the symptoms seemed neurological. He decided to do a
rectal ultrasound, where he found a very large mass.
Rubino was then taken to New Bolton and looked at by a few
more vets and a surgeon. They agreed with Dr. Cooper that it was
a tumor and inoperable. It was interfering and affecting muscle,
bone and nerves.
The vets at New Bolton let Holly and her family know that Rubino
would only have a few months to live. They said that these months
would not be easy and his condition would quickly deteriorate.
The 4-inch tumor had affected the bone in such a way that he
could easily break his hip or pelvis at any time. He was already
having a hard time laying down and was not sound.
Saying Goodbye
The ultimate decision was up to his owner, Violet Jen. With the
advice from Dr. Cooper and her vet, Dr. Rodrigo Vazquez, as
well as the vets from New Bolton, Violet knew the right thing was
to prevent him from suffering. “The right choice becomes pretty
clear when you picture a magnificent and noble animal like Rubino
becoming weak and living in pain,” remembered Holly. “At 18 years
of age Rubino Bellissimo was laid to rest on June 9, 2014. He
was buried at the beautiful Sunset Hill Farm in Maryland, where
By Lindsay Y. McCall
O
nly four years ago, dressage rider Holly Bergay of La
Jolla, California, qualified for the 2010 Alltech FEI World
Equestrian Games in para-dressage. It was a dream
come true for the 17 year old.
Unfortunately, a lameness in her horse would take her out of
competing for the USA in Lexington, Kentucky. That setback gave
Holly the desire to continue to compete and aim for the top of the
able-bodied and para-dressage ranks.
In January 2012, Holly leased Grand Prix FEI horse Rubino
Bellissimo, purchased by Violet Jen in 2000. The young rider was
back on track toward representing her country at the 2014 Alltech
FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France. Holly and her
chestnut partner worked daily and competed in Prix St. George
and I-1 with the ultimate goal of earning a spot on the U.S. Para-
Equestrian Dressage Team headed to France.
A Bright Future
Their future looked bright by the middle of 2014, especially
after earning a second place finish with a 71 percent at the Del
Mar National in the FEI freestyle test of choice class. With her
qualification score in hand and support from her family and friends,
Holly and Rubino made the journey east to Maryland in May.
This was their final practice grounds with trainer Sarah Dodge
before they were scheduled to arrive at the USET Foundation
headquarters in Gladstone, New Jersey, for the USEF Para-
e
Tribute
A Partnership of a Lifetime
Dressage Athlete Holly Bergay Honors Stallion Rubino Bellissimo (1996–2014)
Rubino Bellissimo 1996-2014
- Owned by Violet Jen
Hanoverian stallion bred by Jakob Janssen in Germany, by Rubinstein I out of
Bellissimo (by Bergkristall x Volturno xx x Saluto).
Photo by Elma Garcia
A “best friends” selfie
Photo by Holly Bergay
