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JUAN MATUTE GUIMON Juan Matute Guimon has emerged as one of dressage’s top young talents. Dressage runs in the family. He is the son of Juan Matute Sr., who won six Spanish National Dressage Championships and had three Olympic appearances for Spain. The family moved to Wellington in 2008, and Matute Jr. spent his formative years here just as dressage was growing by leaps and bounds. He credits the AGDF with launching his career as an international competitor. Currently, he is living in Spain where he’s competing in dressage and attending Madrid’s Universidad Camilo Jose Cela. In 2018, Matute Jr. won a bronze medal with Quantico at the senior Spanish National Championships and participated with the Spanish national team at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon. This season, Matute Jr. has returned to Wellington with his mount Don Diego. They placed second in the Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W during AGDF Week 3. As the season moves on, he has his eye on the World Cup Final in Las Vegas and perhaps a spot on the Spanish team in Tokyo. wellington the magazine | march 2020
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