Even the local hunter riders came out to support our event riders at this year’s WEG. Like gooooo USA!!!
The World Equestrian Games are finally over. I don’t need to add a paragraph in about the feeling of disappointment that’s in the air–we have already heard that enough. And no, I’m not going to write about a newly devised sixth stage of grief, as I think five are plenty and John has them all pretty well covered.
This year’s WEG was a learning experience for everyone involved; riders, coaches, and spectators alike. Yes, our team didn’t win, and that is a major bummer, but we can’t forget about the special, intangible qualities that having the WEG take place at the Kentucky Horse Park. I quote Jimmy Wofford often, as he is a person who knows his stuff, and phrases it in a way that’s either very comical or poignant, this quote in particular is the latter. He wrote a daily blog of his time at this year’s Games for Equisearch and said “My day started at the eventing vet check Wednesday morning. This is one of my favorite parts of a big time event. It takes place early in the morning, up above the infield. Usually there is a mist coming out of the infield on the race course, and if you look closely you can see Might Tango thundering down to the finish of the 1978 World Championships, or Mike Plumb warming up, or Winsome Adante showing his disdain for massive fences. They are all there, if you look into the mist and wait for a minute.” When attending an event that holds so much history, it feels as if you are walking among giants. The Kentucky Horse Park was no exception.
Most of the people reading this will have had about as much say in the choosing of the US team that I did, which is absolutely none. I’ve noticed there has been an awful lot of criticism going around about the management of the US team and even critisism regarding our riders’ management of their horses and their own personal fitness. While it’s great that everyone gets to express their opinions so openly, we need to respect the people that are dedicating their lives to the sport we all love so much. We don’t have to agree with their decisions and methods, but we should at least acknowledge all the things they have done to make our sport better. This goes for our riders, team selectors, coaches, and organizational committees. They didn’t win this time but they are still our team.
Ever since I was a little kid I’ve collected old VHS tapes of various Badmintons, Burghleys, and Olympics; some of them dating back a couple decades ago. When I was younger I used to watch those videos constantly. At the end of each one, the scene was always the same. The winning rider, smiling from ear to ear, wearing their medal, and sitting atop their stunning horse would take their victory lap around the arena while the crowd cheered and the music played. By the time the credits played I was sold; whatever rider had won was my new hero, the person I wanted to grow up to be. As you can imagine, my hero changed quite often! My point is that although everyone loves the winner, there is more to it than that. We should learn to recognize and appreciate good riding. That is something we saw a lot of at this year’s WEG. Go watch any event at any level; you’ll notice that best round of the division is often not the winning round. Event riders practice, train, and compete fiercely to win, but at the end of the day we know it simply won’t happen every time. We are all in this sport because we love it, but mainly because we love the horses. If winning was simply all that mattered to them, they would have taken up driving racecars a long time ago. Same adrenaline rush, but machinery is always more predictable.
Anyone who aspires to ride at the international level someday should be studying these riders’ techniques; watching what worked, watching what didn’t. My favorite place to watch the show jumping of the big levels at events is beside the in-gate; out of the way but still within earshot of the exchange between riders and their coaches as they exit the arena after their round. You’ll often hear the rider or coach comment about some small, intricate detail of their round that you didn’t even notice watching. It’s a good way to learn. Watch everything, even the way the riders act off horseback, in the stabling area or while coaching a student. It won’t take long before you recognize who you want to act like, and who you don’t.
Strangely enough, the WEG has actually left me feeling pretty inspired. For the team riders, and young riders hoping to one day make a team, their experience at this year’s WEG is only going to light their competitive fire even more. That’s the funny thing about eventing, one day you are fighting for the title at a World Championship, and the next weekend you are fighting to stay in the saddle at the local event where your young horse is acrobatically leaping across the warm-up arena– horses keep the star appeal to a minimum. The only thing for the riders to do now is the only thing they can do; keep practicing, keep refining their skills, keep striving for excellence and developing their relationship with their horse. Our day didn’t arrive this year, but it will come.
