Dreams can, at times, outlast dreamers. Such is the case of equestrian Annie Goodwin and her beloved horse Bruno.

Even though Goodwin won’t compete in the 2024 Olympics Games, her trainer, Boyd Martin, and Bruno will. “She was a real believer in this horse,” Boyd added, talking about Goodwin’s 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood, whom he’ll accompany this year in Paris.

Annie Goodwin’s legacy will live on

It was a quiet day in July of 2021. Boyd Martin, a two-time Pan American Games team medalist, was about to depart for his third Olympic stint at Tokyo, when he heard his student, 32-year-old Annie Goodwin, had injured herself in a schooling accident. Another devastating update followed as the South Carolina native succumbed to her injuries, leaving behind an eventing business, her parents, her fiancé Jake, and her best friend, Fedarman B aka Bruno.

The very next month, Tina and Putter Goodwin sent the gelding to Martin, hoping he would carry their daughter’s dreams forward. And to fulfull that quest, Boyd Martin is set to accompany Bruno as a Team USA eventing rider this year, alongside Elisabeth Halliday, Caroline Pamukcu, and Sydney Elliott(reserve).

The guilt, though, hasn’t left Martin. “Like, I’m sort of here about to put my American team jacket on and compete at the biggest competition in the world. And, you know, it was her doing.” As per the coach, Goodwin was set to become one of the top riders the country. Just months before her passing, Goodwin had finished sixth at the 2021 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI4*-S. “It’s a tragic story,” Boyd admitted.

Notably, Annie raised Bruno since he was merely three-years-old. “She imported him. She taught him how to jump. She took him to the first baby competitions, and she sort of got him up to the top level of the sport,” recalls Martin.

On the other hand, Putter Goodwin will also be present on the sidelines cheering on for the duo. After his wife and Annie’s mother, Tina, passed away, Putter continued on the journey alone, hoping to rekindle what is lost.

However, the vivid memory of Annie’s first encounter with Bruno never escapes his mind, “She sent me a video of him jumping and said, ‘Dad, I think this is the one!'”

Since then, Annie moved to Aiken, South Carolina from Wyoming, established her own eventing business, Rafter Y South, and touched countless lives along the way. That’s what she was known for: her work ethic, and the ever-present smile on her face. “She’d be cheering us on from up above,“ Bruno’s new owner said.

Bruno is all set to carry the dream forward

Bruno, with a white face and legs that catch your eye in all his glory, has grown into one of the best horses in the sport. He always grabbed people’s attention, but his unique laid-back personality made it hard to catch him.

In the past year and a half, he’s become one of the top horses in the game. However, the stallion did give Boyd had a hard time in the beginning, refusing to jump, resulting in multiple disqualifications. “I think my ego got to me as well, as I tried to basically start at the level that Annie was at, and I had a quick realization that I had to go back a couple steps.” 

As Bruno gets ready for his first Olympics, #RideForAnnie, a touching way of honoring Annie Goodwin’s memory through Bruno’s rise to the Olympics, trends online.

To many, an Olympic medal or not, Boyd Martin has turned into a true hero. Tara Stoker Bostwick, COO at the Aiken Horse Park Foundation, where Goodwin trained, said, “I hope Boyd does realize that he’s already won, you know what I mean? He’s already got Annie’s horse to the Olympics.”

Since taking over the reins of the 14-year-old, the pair clinched their first victory at a four-star event in North Carolina, topping it off with another win next year at the Aiken Horse Park Foundation four-star event.

Speaking of Bruno, Boyd said, “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.”

Just like Martin said, Annie will definitely be looking on as they aim for worldwide recognition.