Blogger Contest Round Two: Jenni Autry

Over the weekend we announced our Blogger Contest final four; now we’re bringing you their victorious Round 2 entries in individual installments.

Their Assignment: Though some would say three-day eventing has made too many Olympic concessions, becoming increasingly TV-friendly at the expense of the long format, a recent New York Times Op-Ed argued that equestrian sports are “drenched in privilege,” and “should be ditched” from the Olympic calendar. In your opinion, what’s the value of the Olympic stage in eventing? Will it last?

First up: Jenni Autry.

Each entry will be presented unedited for fairness’ sake. Thanks as always for reading, Eventing Nation. Please leave feedback in the comments section.

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Bio: Jenni Autry is a 26-year-old eventer from Mechanicsburg, Pa., who has worked in the journalism industry for nearly five years. She has written for Pennsylvania Equestrian since starting her career, interviewing wonderful horsemen and horsewomen (and horses!) like Jessica Ransehousen, Lizzy Traband, Silva Martin, Boyd Martin, Hope Hand and Smarty Jones.

The story she wrote on the Memorial Day fire at Boyd Martin’s barn took second place in its category at the 2011 American Horse Publications Awards. A graduate C-2 Pony Clubber, she hopes to one day adopt an off-the-track Thoroughbred through CANTER and train it for eventing.

Entry: “It’s good for the sport.” We love to say that, whether we’re talking about an event rider scoring an interview on primetime television or a Stephen Colbert dressage spoof that goes viral. Dressage foam fingers, anyone? Unfortunately, exposure often comes at a price.

Heads rolled a decade ago when the IOC demanded eventing be modified to make the sport more suited to television. We ultimately bid farewell to roads and tracks and steeplechase, two components that served as the backbone of cross-country day since the birth of the sport.

But abolishing the long format to appease the IOC opened the doors for a new era, one in which we didn’t have to watch a play-by-play of rhythmic gymnastics — perhaps better known as competitive ribbon twirling — while waiting for a 30-second snippet of equestrian coverage.

Strategic sacrifices often lead to incredible gains, and it’s easy to forget how far we’ve come. A 1992 op-ed in the Baltimore Sun reminds us that we could watch extended coverage of each equestrian event in Barcelona for a modest fee of $29.95 per day, or $125 for the entirety of the Olympics. NBC clearly got away with murder.

Adopting the short format and gaining the ability to stream live coverage will make eventing in London more visible than at any other point in history, a fitting way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of equestrian sports in the Olympics. Indeed, there’s significant exposure for the sport at the Games, the crème de la crème of all international events.

While team competitions like the World Equestrian Games offer the same opportunity to perform on an international level, no other event in the world affords the chance to promote eventing in such a high-profile manner.

Recruiting new riders, owners and fans who might one day strap on a safety vest themselves is critical to ensuring the longevity of the sport. And that should ultimately be our goal: raising up the next generation of horsemen who are chemically unbalanced enough to gallop a horse over solid obstacles.

Of course, equestrian sports will never be immune from critics. A recent New York Times op-ed suggested equestrian events be removed from the Olympics entirely, citing the belief our sport is “drenched in privilege.” But the writers clearly failed to do their homework before penning the piece.

Tickets for equestrian events at the Olympics have historically sold extremely well. In London, cross-country day tickets were among the first to sell out for any sport. All tickets for dressage, eventing and show jumping were sold out in just a few weeks.

One hundred years of Olympic equestrian tradition is nothing to sneeze at, and the popularity of our sport only seems to be growing if ticket sales are any indicator. Although eventing’s place on the Olympic stage may never be guaranteed, it’s safe to say we’ve decisively secured a spot for now.

Ultimately, It’s difficult to imagine a world without the Olympics. The Games have given us an unparalleled opportunity to introduce eventing to people who may otherwise have never known the thrill of galloping cross country.

That’s good for the sport.

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