Guenter Seidel and sponsors Richard and Jane Brown ended their business relationship of more than 20 years. The Browns, Cardiff, Calif., were Seidel’s sole clients, and he saw many great successes with their horses.

“It was just time that we parted,” said Seidel, 50. And while he didn’t reveal exact details of the breakup, he added that “Dick” was struggling with bad health.

“I don’t know what is happening with [the horses],” said Seidel, who most recently campaigned two of the Browns’ horses, U II and Sundayboy, in Europe over the summer. “They’re going to take them away right now, and I can’t speak for them what they’re going to do with them.”

Jane told Dressage News that the horses will relocate to a farm not far from Seidel’s, but “they are not for sale. They are not for lease. I guess they are retired.”

U II (Jazz—Rohdiva, Rohdiamant), a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, was considered one of the front-runners for the 2012 Olympic dressage team.

Seidel was a member of the bronze medal-winning team at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games with the Browns’ horses, Graf George, Foltaire and Aragon. He also won team silver at the 2002 World Equestrian Games aboard Nikolaus 7 and team bronze in 2006 with Aragon.

“Right now, I’ll teach clinics, and hopefully I will find another great horse and keep riding. I don’t feel my riding career is over at this point. I feel quite fit again, and I look forward to keep riding,” he said.

The Browns were unavailable for comment.