Juan Matute Guimon to Undergo Tests of Improvement that Could See Him Leave Hospital in Days
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June 29, 2020
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
Juan Matute Guimon will undergo tests Tuesday to see if his condition has improved enough to leave the Madrid hospital in the next few days, eight weeks since he collapsed with a life-threatening brain disorder.
The 22-year-old Spanish team rider texted dressage-news.com that he expects to be in the Jiménez Díaz Foundation hospital for the next few days.
“Tomorrow, actually, I will be taking a test to see if my evolution has been good enough to go back home!
“My physical condition is great!
“I’m happy to know that tomorrow it will all be over, hopefully, because it depends on how I finish the tests.”
Juan, who grew up in Spain and Wellington, Florida and is a citizen of both Spain and America, moved to Madrid two years ago to develop his dressage and go to university. He was successful on both sides of the Atlantic through youth divisions and then to ride on the Spanish team at the World Equestrian Games at Tryon in 2018 that earned his nation a start at the Tokyo Olympics.
His successful athletic performances and an infectious smile and personal positive attitude endeared him to fellow competitors and fans alike both in Europe and the United States.
Juan’s father, Juan Matute Azpitarte, a three-time Olympian for Spain, and his wife, Maria, were in Madrid when Juan collapsed after riding Mar. 5 and have remained there throughout the ordeal.
A neurosurgical team performed a lengthy and successful operation four days later to repair what was found to be a genetic disorder in the brain.
His recovery has been remarkable. Ten days ago, he declared in an Internet post: “I’m back and stronger than ever.”
Before his collapse, Juan had ridden his two Grand Prix horses, Quantico and Don Diego, to qualify for his first World Cup Final that was to be staged in Las Vegas in mid-April but then canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
He was ranked second and third on the two horses among Spanish combinations on the world standings that likely would have earned him a place on Spain’s team at the Tokyo Olympics that were postponed a year until the summer of 2021 because of coronavirus.
