Welcome to the first morning of WEG competition! We’ll be bringing you live updates from the competition each day, so keep refreshing this page for all of the insanity (or as much insanity as there can be in dressage!) coming down the pipe today.
#WEG2014: Website, Schedule & Results, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Guide to Eventing, FEI TV, FEI TV’s YouTube, WEG Facebook, EN’s Instagram, Fantasy Eventing,@eventingnation, Dressage Ride Times
Go WEG!
6:52 a.m. EST: We’ll be back at 8 a.m. EST with a new open thread for the afternoon session. Phillip Dutton and Trading Aces are first up after the break.
6:51 a.m. EST: Your top 10 going into the lunch break. Team USA is holding their own in the top four! Sinead is the best of the individual competitors so far. Live scores here.
6:48 a.m. EST: Russia’s Igor Atrokhov and Indigo Pyreneen, an Anglo Arab, have finished their test as the final pair before the lunch break.
6:47 a.m. EST: What a great looking family!
Great to have the family here at #WEG2014 pic.twitter.com/O023lxcBZF
— Phillip Dutton (@DuttonEventing) August 28, 2014
6:43 a.m. EST: Frederico Mexia De Almbda and Play the Joker, riding for Portugal as individuals, slide into the top 10 with a 56.8. Just one more to go before the lunch break.
6:20 a.m. EST: Well-played, Tate!
Manoir de Carneville takes a bow in front of his hometown crowd #frenchprincess #eventinglive #WEG2014 #eventing pic.twitter.com/cqpjpRaCVF
— Eventing Nation (@eventingnation) August 28, 2014
6:19 a.m. EST: Their score of 50.8 is good enough to push them into fourth place — maybe not the flawless test of a lifetime Sinead was hoping for but this ain’t a dressage show and they’re certainly within striking distance. Sinead looked like she was beating herself up hard walking out of the arena but her team looks happy! 
6:17 a.m. EST: Lovely test with the exception of an unfortunate and, at this championship level, costly error at the end.
Poor Sinead will be absolutely kicking herself! we’ve all done it, concentrating so hard on how the horse is going, forget where it’s going! — Event Riders Assoc (@EventRidersAssc) August 28, 2014
6:13 a.m. EST: Sinead and Tate now in the ring, competing as individuals for Team USA. Come’on, Tate, you’re in your homeland — show ’em what you’re made of.
Next as an Individual for the USA, @sinead_c_Halpin with her stunning Manoir de Carneville, v capable of an awesome test, hope he’s settled! — Event Riders Assoc (@EventRidersAssc) August 28, 2014
6:09 a.m. EST: Belarus rider Alena Tseliapushkina (what a last name!) and Passat struggled with tension through their test for a 62.2. From Sally Spickard over on the Live Blog: ">
6:04 a.m. EST: Francisco Seabra and Zarthago of Portugal, yet another first-time four-star pair, earn a 63.7. 
5:56 a.m. EST: Austria’s lone wolf Harald Siegel and Luis W have a hard act to follow. Not only is this the horse’s first four-star — he has to follow Mark Todd and Michael Jung into the ring!
Harald Siegl finishes, not the best test they can do, shame. These conditions and atmosphere are really affecting some horses. — Event Riders Assoc (@EventRidersAssc) August 28, 2014
5:48 a.m. EST: One of our Live Blog participants pointed out an exciting fun fact: 
Hop on over to the blog to chat in realtime with other diehard eventing fans who are watching the FEI livestream at the crack of dawn. 5:46 a.m. EST: The leaderboard at the second break. 
‘She’s very easy and relaxed’ – Michael Jung. More reaction at lunchtime on http://t.co/yQRpBszzEo#WEG — Horse & Hound (@horseandhound) August 28, 2014
5:37 a.m. EST: The crowd went wild when his scores were announced. #superstar 
5:35 a.m. EST: And then along came Michael Jung, who moves into the lead ON HIS SECOND STRING HORSE. 
@EventRidersAssc Michi is always pure class! And, agree, nice to see less impressive mover score well for accuracy and way of going — Katy Dziedzic (@KatyDz_Eventing) August 28, 2014
5:35 a.m. EST: Mark Todd and his handsome Leonidas II move into second on a score of 49.2. 
What you’ve all been dying to hear: Sir Mark’s comments on his test, the conditions and the course. Here you go!… http://t.co/zcDtXE0e9f — Eventing NZ (@NZEventing) August 28, 2014
5:25 a.m. EST: Here comes Toddy!
Sir Mark and Leonidas cruise into the stadium looking relaxed. Next to go
— Eventing NZ (@NZEventing) August 28, 2014
5:16 a.m. EST: Buck still clinging to the lead. USA! USA! But strap in, folks — some heavy hitters coming up, with Mark Todd and Michael Jung next in the ring back-to-back. Some post-test photos from the USEF Eventing High Performance Facebook page: 
5:10 a.m. EST: Switzerland’s Jasmin Gambirasio and Thats It, another first-time four-star pair, earn a score of 66. 
5:03 a.m. EST: Britain’s Zara Phillips and High Kingdom just finishing their test, sneaking past Maria on a score of 54.7 to move into third. Announcer John Kyle on the worsening conditions: “It’s just turned a bit miserable here.”
Zara says she’s ‘a bit annoyed’ with her dr mark – ‘after a little break in the medium the marks didn’t really come back up’ — Eventing magazine (@eventingmag) August 28, 2014
Love watching Zara ride. She’s brave, be it in a test or galloping. AND she rides changes well… — GJM Eventing (@GJMEventing) August 28, 2014
4:58 a.m. EST: Maria Pinedo and Windsor H have a pleasant, accurate test to move into third on a score of 54.8. This is their first attempt at the four-star level. 
Maria Pinedo looks very pleased with him, on 54.8 into 3rd place. Zara Phillips is next in with High Kingdom, edge of seat time! — Event Riders Assoc (@EventRidersAssc) August 28, 2014
4:53 a.m. EST: Some sad news coming in from the endurance competition. From a just-released statement:
A horse and rider suffered a fall during the first loop of the Endurance competition at Sartilly (FRA) shortly after 8:30 a.m. today. Costa Rican rider Claudia Romero Chacon and Dorado (no 50) fell 400 metres before the first check point on the course. Tragically the horse was fatally injured in the fall. The rider was also injured in the fall, but was conscious when she was taken to hospital by ambulance. An update on her condition will be issued as soon as it is available.
4:44 a.m. EST: Next session starting up!
The next session contains Sir Mark (11.22) and then Michael Jung so we hope to see some improving scores before lunch — Eventing NZ (@NZEventing) August 28, 2014
4:39 a.m. EST: Spectators looking a bit grumpy in the rain. 
4:36 a.m. EST: Buck and Reggie lead on a score of 48.7 at the first break. 
4:29 a.m. EST: A “fine Irish mist” coming down on the heads of Sam Watson and Horseware Bushman for Ireland, who earn a 59.8 to put them in sixth position at the first break. 
4:25 a.m. EST: Peter Barry and Kilrodan Abbott kick things off for the Canadian team, earning a score of 60.7. 
Peter Barry is trending at about 60%, first flying change not clear and true behind, little mistakes creeping in here and there unforch. — Event Riders Assoc (@EventRidersAssc) August 28, 2014
4:15 a.m. EST:
Really enjoying @JohnKyleSpeaks‘ brill commentary today, so far we’ve had “it was a bit John Travolta”, “granularity” and “rubric”. — Event Riders Assoc (@EventRidersAssc) August 28, 2014
4:13 a.m. EST: Andrew Heffernan and Boleybawn Ace of the Netherlands score a 55. This is their first attempt at the 4-star level. 
4:08 a.m. EST: Giovanni Ugolatti and Stilo Kontika of Italy score a 60. 
Disappointed with tiko mark in the dressage as I felt he did some nice work!!!#butitwontbeadressagecompetion!!#kickon
— giovanni ugolotti (@GUgolotti) August 28, 2014
3:55 a.m. EST: Sam Griffiths and Paulank Brockagh now in the ring. After winning Badminton in the slop earlier this year, the mud here may work in this pair’s favor. They earn a score of 53.3.
“I was thrilled with her! You can hear yourself trot around and splash around (on the arena) – I was happy with how she went”@griffiths_sam
— Equestrian Australia (@EquestrianAus) August 28, 2014
Eventing dressage arena is very sloppy, you can hear the first horse squelching and see water flying up. #WetWEG
Minos de Petra is a homebred. Always a huge accomplishment getting a homebred to top level! Nice test – 63.3 Next in @griffiths_sam for Aus.
— Event Riders Assoc (@EventRidersAssc) August 28, 2014
Sam G on Paulank Brockagh ‘People tapping me on the back saying these conditions are playing into my hands. She’s proved herself in mud’
— Eventing magazine (@eventingmag) August 28, 2014
— Horse & Hound (@horseandhound) August 28, 2014
3:53 a.m. EST: French rider Pascal Leroy and Minos De Petra finish on a score of 55.
3:37 a.m. EST: And the first American score is on the board! Buck and Reggie finish on a penalty score of 48.7. A smooth, solid test from a veteran U.S. horse/rider combination who’ll be Team USA’s trailblazer cross-country on Saturday. John Kyle has just called the U.S. team the “strongest in a long time.”
3:33 a.m. EST:
Images courtesy of FEI TV.
3:29 a.m. EST: Buck And Reggie is ready to go in!
