U.S. Olympic Team Silver Medal Winner Salvino to Make Come Back at 5* Wellington

Thu, 01/27/2022 - 10:02
U.S.A.
Adrienne Lyle and Salvino at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo :: Photo © Astrid Appels

U.S. Olympic team silver medal winning rider Adrienne Lyle has announced the come back of her Tokyo ride, Salvino. The horse will return to the arena at the CDI 5* in Wellington on 24 - 26 February 2022. 

Salvino is a 15-year old Hanoverian stallion by Sandro Hit x Donnerhall. He is owned by Betsy Juliano.

From Wizard to Salvino

Salvino was acquired as a stallion in Spain in 2015 by a syndicate of owners led by Akiko Yamazaki. He was intended a successor for Adrienne Lyle's 2012 Olympic ride Wizard. 

Under the supervision of trainer Debbie McDonald, Lyle and Salvino became a fixture on the U.S. Team. They made their international show debut in 2017.

Lyle and Salvino represented the USA at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, where they got team silver and placed 29th in the Special. At the 2019 World Cup Finals in Gothenburg they were 7th and at the 2019 CDIO Aachen they were sixth in the Kur. 

In 2018 Betsy Juliano obtained full ownership of the horse.

Tokyo Silver

As of 2020 Salvino was competed very lightly, only doing the necessary trials for team selection. They swept the Olympic selection trial in June 2021 with stellar scores.

At the Olympics in Tokyo Lyle and Salvino placed 14th in the Grand Prix with 74.876% and qualified for the individual medal finals as second placed pair in heat 4.  In the Grand Prix Special they posted 76.109 % to help team USA clinch Olympic silver.

The horse did not show optimal regularity in both rides, but completed the mission of securing a team medal for the U.S.A.. He was pulled from the individual medal freestyle finals in Tokyo and has not been out to compete since July 2021. 

Return to the Arena

Lyle and Salvino in Aachen
With the 2022 World Championships Dressage in Herning as competition season highlight of the year, Lyle and Salvino will need to do a few mandatory outings in order to be considered for the team. 

Adrienne has now announced the horse's come back for the CDI 5* at the end of February. 

"Salvino is feeling great, fresh and happy as ever," Adrienne took to Instagram. "We have our sights set on the upcoming CDI 5* in Wellington."

The hard-working Lyle has been preparing a string of successors to leave no gap when Salvino's sport career would come to an end/ She has the confirmed Grand Prix horse Harmony's Duval (by Rousseau), which she trained up the levels herself and recently received the ride on Canadian Vicki Lavoie's Glenn S&S (by Ampere x San Brentano) and Feodoro (by Furstenball x Rosario) which she is preparing for Grand Prix.

Photos © Astrid Appels

Related Links
Adrienne Lyle's Salvino Withdrawn from 2021 Olympic Individual Medal Finals, Brittany Fraser Substitutes
Salvino Shows Form, Gorklintgaards Dublet Sustained Minor Injury
Juliano Acquires Full Ownership of Salvino
Lyle and Salvino Make Winning CDI Debut at Final Wellington Show of 2017
American Syndicate Acquires Sandronnerhall for Adrienne Lyle