Juan Matute Guimon & Yeguada de Ymas End Sponsorship, 20-Year-Old Rider to Base Himself in Spain Instead of Florida
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Sept. 26, 2018
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
Juan Matute Guimon and Yeguada de Ymas have ended their highly successful relationship of more than six years so the 20-year-old can base himself in Europe to develop into an elite competitor after he rode on the Spanish team at the World Equestrian Games that qualified his homeland for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Juan has been highly successful from juniors, through young riders and under-25 to Big Tour since his family moved to Wellington, Florida. Yeguada de Ymas first sponsored Juan, Jr. in his first teen years, continuing a relationship from that of his father who rode for Spain at three Olympics.
Juan, who has dual Spanish and United States citizenship, will continue to compete several horses including his two Grand Prix mounts, Quantico that he rode at WEG earlier this month and Don Diego, that are owned by his father. Juan, Sr. will continue to be the trainer for Ymas, whose base is in Wellington.
The first major international goal is the World Cup Final in Gothenburg, Sweden next April. He is weighing qualifying competitions in Lyon, France and Salzburg, Austria over the next two months.
First, though, will be the Spanish young horse championships where he plans to show Copernico, Galactico and Limoncello, owned by his father/.
“I was and will be forever thankful to Yeguada de Ymas, with a feeling of deep gratitude that at a very young age they trusted in my talent and provided the support and so much love to accomplish so many things and provide memories that will be with me the rest of my life,” Juan told dressage-news.com from his base in Madrid.
Juan, who had spent most summers competing through the levels in Europe before returning to Wellington for the Florida winter circuit. He was enrolled in Pennsylvania State University online courses focused on business and technology.
He has now become a student at a Madrid university that specializes in educating top athletes so he can have the flexibility to pursue his love of equestrian competition and develop new technology-focused business ventures. His father will continue to train him, flying to Europe for about a week a month and using online video systems.
“Being in Madrid I can go to university and experience the campus feeling and meet different guys and girls,” he said, “to give me a different perspective on the world, not to be so obsessed with world of horses and the lifestyle I completely love.”
