Ronald Zabala Goetschel Retires Longtime Partner Mr. Wiseguy

Ronald Zabala Goetschel and Mr. Wiseguy at Galway Downs. Photo by Sally Spickard. Ronald Zabala Goetschel and Mr. Wiseguy at Galway Downs. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Ronald Zabala Goetschel announced this morning that he is retiring his longtime upper-level partner Mr. Wiseguy after the 16-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding sustained a tendon injury on cross country at the Galway Downs CCI3* last month.

It’s the end of an era for “Wiseguy,” who took Ronald to the first four-star event of his career. Ronald said in an emotional tribute post on his Facebook page that he had hoped to retire Wiseguy following the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro next year, but the damage to the tendon meant that decision had to come much sooner.

Wiseguy competed at 11 events at the three-star level or higher during his career. He won the Campo de Mayo CIC3* in Argentina this past May and also finished sixth in the Poplar Place CIC3* in September.

Ronald Zabala Goetschel and Mr. Wiseguy at Galway Downs. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Ronald Zabala Goetschel and Mr. Wiseguy at Galway Downs. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Other career highlights include finishing 30th at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2009. Wiseguy also represented Ecuador at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara and won team gold and individual silver at the 2013 Bolivarian Games in Peru.

Ronald also owns three clones of Wiseguy, with two of them, Wiseguy Too and Wiseguy Too Two, being named the top two 3-year-old colts at the 2014 USEA Future Event Horse East Coast Championships. Click here to read more about Wiseguy’s clones.

Ronald Zabala Goetschel and Che Mr. Wiseguy at Richland Park HT. Photo by Bailey Moran.

Ronald Zabala Goetschel and Mr. Wiseguy at Richland Park. Photo by Bailey Moran.

“Thank you, Wiseguy, for being the best and bravest horse I ever had, for being my best friend, for always being there for me, for never letting me down and for being the best best best thing that ever happened to me,” Ronald wrote.

“Always very thankful to God and life for putting Wiseguy and I together and for letting me be part of his successful story. He is the  best gift of life I could have ever gotten. Wiseguy, you changed my life! Thank you … a million times. I love you!”

We wish Wiseguy all the best in retirement!