Julie Brougham, a well-known equestrian rider who competed in the Rio Olympics, has died at the age of 67. Dressage New Zealand and Equestrian New Zealand have paid homage to her, calling her "an inspiration in all she strived for and achieved."
Julie Brougham, a Rio Olympics equestrian, has died. On her much-loved horse Vom Feinsten, known as Steiny, which she had imported from Germany in 2009, Brougham, who lived in Karere, Manawatu, represented New Zealand in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina, in 2018.
She and Steiny finished 44th in the Grand Prix at the Olympics, achieving New Zealand's greatest Olympic score of 68.543 percent. Brougham qualified for Rio at the Horse of the Year in New Zealand, breaking an Australasian record in the process, before taking a chance on a journey to Europe to secure her berth in the squad, which she did with strong performances in Germany, Slovenia, and Austria.
New Zealand's equestrian squad in the Rio Olympics included Julie Brougham, left, Jock Paget, Sir Mark Todd, and Clarke Johnstone. "Julie was many things to many individuals within our sport — a fellow athlete, a friend, a judge, and an inspiration in all she sought and achieved," Equestrian New Zealand and Dressage New Zealand said in a joint statement on Thursday.
Brougham is survived by his children Nicholas and Katrina, as well as his husband David. After the World Equestrian Games, she was afflicted with cancer, although she returned to compete in 2019. This year, she retired Steiny from competition.
After the World Equestrian Games, she was afflicted with cancer, although she returned to compete in 2019. This year, she retired Steiny from competition.