The most unforgettably heartwarming stories to emerge out of Rio 2016

Adelinde Cornelissen and Parzival

Cornelissen and Parzival compete during the Dressage Individual Grand Prix event on Day 5 [Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images]

Ridiculed because of its apparently arbitrary inclusion into the world of elite sports, equestrian dressage has long suffered on the sidelines of Olympic glory. Which is strange, mainly because while athletes in other sports can concentrate on their own personal fitness through the course of their careers, dressage riders have to look after not just themselves but also the most essential of companions in their game – their horses.

And look after her horse is what Dutch rider Adelinde Cornelissen did, when she bowed out of the finals for the well-being of her horse Parzival.

The 37-year-old rider had hoped to end the career of her 19-year-old horse with a medal finish like they did in the 2012 London Olympics, when a possible bug-bite led to the horse developing a fever and a swollen mouth.

Cornelissen quit because the competition would prove stressful for an already ill Parzival and her action drew applause at an age of cutthroat and often ruthless competitiveness in sports.