Nayel Nassar entered the Paris Olympics on the back of his best year yet. The reason for it? His horse Coronado. The soon-to-be 15-year-old Coronado has been nothing short of a revelation during Nassar’s 2023 campaign. But sadly, Nassar’s Paris Olympic dreams haven’t started on a positive note, as Coronado suffered a minor injury that has disabled him from participating in the event. 

Despite being billed as fit initially, Colorado remained under stress. And now it has been confirmed – the horse won’t be performing and neither will Nassar. Coronado suffered an injury that prevented him from participating in the event. The equine had passed the first veterinary inspection earlier in the week but on a second look, he was found unfit to perform.

As the rules don’t allow for a substitution after the first inspection, Nayel Nassar has had no option but to withdraw from the competition and end his Olympic dreams. “Our ultimate goal is to ensure that Coronado can return to peak form, and once again compete at the highest levels,” penned Nassar. As a result, right before their big performance, Nassar and Coronado are forced to exit from the competition. This has undoubtedly upset many fans. 

However, as Nassar said, there’s at least one silver lining here. “We are making the best decision for the well-being of our fabulous horse, Coronado,” Nassar stated. Perhaps that is all that’s needed right now and maybe it is for the best. 

Still one can’t deny that Coronado’s 2023 might go down as one of the highest highs in equestrian sports for a horse. However, things are different right now. Equestrian lovers were deeply awaiting his iconic pair to steal the show again. 

Nayel Nassar’s Horse, Coronado’s impressive resume

Born is 2009, Coronado is a Holsteiner Gelding. Though he isn’t known to be a high jumper, Coronado’s daredevil personality has always fascinated Nayel Nassar. During an interview in 2023, Nassar explained how close Colorado is to his family. “I’ve had him for two and a half years now but it feels like longer. He’s just such a trier and he’s totally an adrenaline junkie,” Nassar said. 

“My wife likes to ride him at home and you would never guess that he’s got that sort of energy when you watch him flat around,” Nassar continued. “He just knows when it’s time to shine and just has all the attributes of a superstar show jumper.” It’s this trait that has made Colorado a favorite in the equestrian world. However, it was the year 2023 that proved to be a huge breakthrough for this beautiful Holsteiner.

Coronado helped Nassar win €500,255 in 2023. On paper, his record might not look so good – he only jumped 1.60m ten times. But that didn’t stop Coronado from winning 3 Grand Prix. In fact, that prize money is more than the combined figure of Coronado’s earnings from 2015 to 2021 – €355,227. Hence, when Nassar and Coronado entered the 2024 Paris Olympics, the world was looking forward to witnessing the duo perform their maneuvers at the Chateau de Versailles Gardens.

But for the Egyptian equestrian and his equine partner, the Paris Olympics dream ended on a bitter note. This untimely exit has turned what was to be a crowning moment into a story of Olympics withdrawal.