Equestrian Star Annie Goodwin Died Tragically Before the 2024 Olympics, but Her Horse Is Still Competing

As a little girl, Annie Goodwin dreamed of becoming a world-class equestrian champion. She was well on her way to becoming one of the best in the U.S. and perhaps even qualifying for the 2024 Olympics when a tragic accident befell her. Now, the horse she raised from 3 years old, Bruno, will be competing alongside Annie’s trainer, Boyd Martin.

An NBC clip about the eventing competitors shows Boyd talking about Annie and Bruno, the legacy she’s left behind, and how he feels about competing in her stead. As the equestrian and eventing games progress throughout the 2024 Olympics, Boyd has spoken about his special relationship with Annie and Bruno. But what happened to Annie Goodwin?

Annie had been with Bruno since she bought him as a 3-year-old in Europe and decided to train him into a champion-level horse. As she trained him, they grew together as competitors. Boyd considered them some of the best jumpers in the world. He told USA Today that Bruno’s ability to jump was a natural gift that Annie fostered.

But it all went south in 2021 during a training session to prepare for a 4-star event in Montana. On July 14, 2021, Annie was injured in a routine jump obstacle. Shortly after, Annie’s injuries took her life while she was at the Aiken Regional Medical Center. She was just 32 years old when she passed away.

“The horse is such a good jumper and she was such an amazing rider,” Boyd told USA Today. “You think accidents happen with untalented horses and riders that don’t know what they're doing. I just didn't ever think that this could happen.”

Annie’s death was tragic for her family and friends. She left behind her parents and fiancé. Boyd heard the news while he was en route to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics. It was up to Annie’s parents, Tina and Putter, to figure out what to do with her horses. So they decided that the right thing to do was to give Bruno to Boyd so that he could fulfill Annie’s lifelong dream.

As part of Team USA, Boyd and Bruno are competing together in several Olympic events, but it wasn’t an easy road to get there. Horses learn through their relationship with their riders, and once Bruno lost Annie, Boyd had to find a way to connect with the horse. “I think my ego got to me as well, as I tried to basically start at the level that Annie was at,” Boyd said, “and I had a quick realization that I had to go back a couple steps.”

Now, Boyd says he’s “one of the best horses in the world” as they represent the U.S. in the Olympics. Although they didn’t place in their first few events, there’s always a chance! Even still, Boyd does feel a little guilt that he’s there and Annie isn’t. “I almost felt a bit guilty like Annie had put in all the hard work and the training and, I'm sure with Annie's parents watching me, they would've — I'm sure deep down — they were thinking that really should be their daughter in the saddle,” Boyd stated.

“This horse is amazing in our small sport, our small bubble. I think everyone's sort of cheering for this horse rather than me just because of his story and he's almost like a living monument for Annie's hard work and dedication and love for the sport.”

He’s not wrong — as Boyd and Bruno represent Annie’s dream, even opposing countries in the stands are cheering them on.