Inspiring

U.S. national para-dressage champions,
Rebecca Hart and Kazan.
(Photo by Linda Slade on The Chronicle of the Horse)

Today, the para-equestrian dressage (Para-dressage) kicks off at WEG! This is the first time that the para-equestrian competition has been held concurrent with the other 7 FEI disciplines at a World Equestrian Games.

I think it is amazing to see athletes who might not otherwise have the physical strength to compete in a sport be able to enjoy the special experience of being an equestrian. Horses don't ask how many arms you have, or how many legs, or how well you hear, or see; they love everybody equally. The para-equestrian riders are incredible and I can't wait to watch some of this online! Life is too short to not spend the majority of it....on the back of a horse. :-)

Sweet Silver!!!

Canadian eventers on the silver medal podium.
(Photo by Lisa Slade
on The Chronicle of the Horse)

For the Canadian eventing team, winning the silver medal at the World Equestrian Games this weekend wasn't coming in second place....it was an all-out invasion!!! Amazing job for those horses and riders. They showed how well they have been coached, prepared, and trained for years leading up to this competition. They have been honed and groomed as a team for a while, and the U.S. should take note. You can't make a team out of a last minute collection of eligible riders. You need to "know" who your team members are going to be years in advance, and foster them over a period of time so that in selection situations, they are choosing from a ready pool of combinations, and not just whoever is left standing.



Andrew Nicholson putting in a great
show jumping round.
(Photo by Lisa Slade
on The Chronicle of the Horse)

 And what about New Zealand? Quiet and sneaky, they moved up the standings on cross-country day and did what Andrew Nicholson and Mark Todd do best....ride solid and accurate to the very end. Congrats to Andrew for his bronze medal finish as an individual, and a bronze medal winner as part of the NZ team.



British rider, William Fox-Pitt, and his horse Cool

Mountain on cross-country.

(Photo by Lisa Slade on The Chronicle of the Horse)

 Do I even need to say that the Brits won team gold and individual silver? They are outstanding, as ususal, and will be celebrating tonight!







Here is a video that shows a few highlights at the big water complex from cross-country yesterday. It features two of the wonderful Canadians, as well as my personal favorites, Geoff Curran and The Jump Jet. Yay, eventing!!!

And....shoes.

Because this blog is also, sometimes, about shoes: I give you my much coveted Baker-plaid Ariat tall boots (top left of this photo) I WANT, I WANT, I WANT!!!!!!!!

My, oh my, oh Canada!

Hawley Bennett-Awad giving Gin & Juice

a pat. They were just one of the six clear rides

for the Canadians today.

After an incredible day of the best riders in the world tackling an outstanding cross-country track, it's Great Britain in 1st, the U.S. in 2nd (!!!!!!), and Canada in 3rd (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). There were teams falling down the leaderboard after stops, falls, and retirings on course. There were teams soaring up the leaderboard as clear rounds and amazing horse/rider combinations rose to the occasion and rode their hearts out. Riders went way down in the rankings after stellar dressage rides yesterday (only to have problems on cross-country today), and there are riders who shot up in the standings after superb goes today, following "ho hum" dressage tests on the previous day. As others have said, "this ain't no dressage test." This is eventing as it should be! For Canada to turn in 6-out-of-6 clear rounds.....only adding 7.4 time penalties across the performances of all SIX riders.....is astounding. I believed a few weeks ago that they would come to Lexington with victory on their minds, and boy was I right! You can't fake that kind of talent, preparation, and training. Good for them!

I love how Andrew Nicholson looks like he's sitting
at home in an easy chair, instead of contesting one of
the toughest tests a man and horse can face. This
is why he's one of the best in the world.

There were some new faces making a well-deserved name for themselves on the world stage, and there were some tried-and-true veterans who came out and shone when they were needed. Mark Todd, William Fox-Pitt, Mary King, Karen O'Connor, Phillip Dutton, Andrew Nicholson, Pippa Funnell, Kyle Carter, and Ingrid Klimke (just to name a few) all had outstanding rides today. Where will we be when these greats decide to hang up their Charles Owen's and call it a day? Fabulous performances all around.

One of the greats who is still out there, pointing his horse
at these incredible courses, and galloping
home effortlessly at the end of the day.
Mark Todd: eventing god. :-)

I cannot wait to see the show jumping finale tomorrow. This whole weekend just epitomizes what is so great, so unique, and so inspiring about the sport of eventing. Anyone can go from 1st to last and last to 1st in the span of 3 days, over the course of 3 tests. This is what we were born to do. Go Eventing!!!

Geoff Curran and The Jump Jet having a
fabulous ride through the Head of the Lake this time around!

SPECIAL SHOUT OUT: to Geoff Curran and The Jump Jet (from Ireland). I posted about these two on this very blog back in April after their stop at the water at Rolex, resulting in the frangible log fence that was newly in place there to break and give way. They circled and re-presented and finished fine. It might not have been so pretty if that log had not broken upon their impact. Today they rode around in Kentucky again, as part of the Irish national team, and they were wonderful! Especially considering the fact they were held for about 20 minutes on course while a horse that had hit a jump in front of them was treated for a shoulder laceration and transported to a nearby veterinary hospital for more stitches. Geoff and The Jump Jet collected themselves, continued on, and finished out the day after a great round. Not an easy thing to do at all....mentally or physically. Just try running a marathon and having to stop at mile 22 for 20 minutes to wait for a passing train, then try to regain your momentum, your passion, and your drive to finish. That's damned hard, but good for Geoff and The Jump Jet for doing just that this afternoon, on a world stage. They were my personal success story for today!

(All photos here by Leslie Threlkeld on Eventing Nation)

5...4...3...2...1...Have a Great Ride!!!

It's cross-country day at the World Equestrian Games! Please, please, PLEASE let everybody and their horses finish safe and sound. I hope all my friends up there in Lexington are having a wonderful time. Take lots of pictures and send me frequent texts! I'll be watching online....

Friend Therapy

  

Steffen Peters shares his bronze
medal with Courtney King-Dye

I'm really loving Steffen Peters lately. I'm not a big follower of Grand Prix dressage, but I do know who our top riders are and I have been paying attention to the competition this week in Lexington (for better or for worse). And, speaking of loving Steffen Peters, I don't think I gave him his proper due for winning individual bronze on Wednesday! It was good to see someone who works so hard be rewarded. The Americans are sometimes left off the podium in international dressage competition, so everytime I see them medal, I think it's quite an accomplishment.



Steffen getting a well-deserved "thank you"
kiss from Courtney for his friendship and
his kindness. I'm sure his wife didn't mind,
in this particular case!



Now, back to my original purpose with this post. I just saw the article on Dressage Daily about the private party for the USEF dressage team members and I couldn't help tearing up a little bit seeing the photos of how happy Courtney King-Dye looked there with her husband and all of her friends. I'm sure that this time at WEG has been bittersweet for her, but I bet she has cherished every second of it and has progressed more in one week of "friend therapy" than she has in any other week of her courageous comeback. And, how lovely of Steffen to "share" his medal with her! Good people are everywhere.

Oldies, but Goodies. :-)

Photo by Leslie Threlkeld on Eventing Nation

It's awesome to see this guy at WEG, still competing for the Kiwi's. Makes it feel like everything is right with the world!

Photo by Leslie Threlkeld on Eventing Nation

Almost didn't recognize her on a chestnut horse!

Photo by Leslie Threlkeld on Eventing Nation

We don't even have to see his face to a). know EXACTLY who this is, and b). know that he's "Cool" as a cucumber -- hint hint -- and that he's laying down a nice ride. They've been here already this year and dominated last time they were in town!

Reality....somebody's gotta do it!

Peter Atkins, of Australia, sewing his own flag onto his shadbelly dressage coat
before his ride in Lexington today. Photo by RunHennyRun on Facebook

Eventers are real people every day, all the time. Even the ones who ride on t.v., at the Olympics, and this week at WEG!

Peter, Henry, and the finished shadbelly headed to the
dressage arena for their test. Photo by RunHennyRun on Facebook