I stood by the warmup ring for a long time today, watching. I watched grooms giving horses one last scratch, coaches giving riders one final piece of advice, riders giving their best for their country, horses giving their all without question, countrymen giving standing ovations, teammates giving hugs.
Teamwork is such a constant part of our lives that it has a tendency to become invisible, a translucent spiderweb of bonds and transactions. Sometimes, as morning dew and sunlight make apparent the spider’s matrix, these connections seem more opaque.
That’s what is so special about team competitions: They help us remember the overlap of things. Groom, coach, rider, horse, countryman, teammate… we are all companions of a shared experience. No one arrives at their destination alone.
Go Eventing.
