Photo: Wikimedia Commons
It’s Barbury Castle week, and you’d better believe our riders in England understand precisely what’s at stake. Come next Monday, we’ll have an official U.S. Olympic Eventing Team. Until then, it’s still anybody’s game.
Will Coleman says there’s “hardly any laughing” at the Lavender Hill Farm compound where he, Boyd, Clark, Phillip and Will F. are staying. He reports that Twizzel is “stoked,” and he and Boyd have been filling the void where a barn full of horses to ride should be with long runs. “All in all,” he writes in a blog entry for The Horse Exchange, “I feel very privileged and fortunate to be over here, trying out for a spot on this Olympic team with such a talented group of horses and riders. Barbury Castle is as far forward as I am looking though, and all my concentration is bent on producing a good test and weekend with my horse. Here’s hoping we can do it, and that this journey will continue for a few more weeks. ” [The Horse Exchange]
Sinead Halpin thought it best to remain at Maizy Manor through Barbury, even if it meant missing out on “being a part of the goings on with the American team.” They’re packed up and ready to move to Lavender Hill with the rest of the gang on Sunday, though. She wrote a great blog entry for the Chronicle about her decision-making process and training/competition gameplan in the months leading up to now. She concludes, “My game is tough, my horse is great, and I feel ready to compete for a spot on this team. You can make your own destiny, if it’s all you see, taste and smell. But the only way to get there is to put one foot in front of the other with thought, patience and extreme focus.” [COTH]
The latest reports from Boyd [Boyd’s blog] and Tiana [Tiana’s journal].
Other nations, being in the position of having already selected their teams, are using Barbury Castle as a last run before the Games. “Barbury Castle Horse Trials is about to become host to the most exciting pre-Olympic warm-up event ever seen. The Olympics being held on home turf has attracted the world’s biggest names to camp in the UK during the build up to the games,” TalkingHorse.net enthused. “Taking a look through the entry list for the CIC*** it’s really hard not to get excited about the Olympics – it reads like a who’s who of eventing.” [TalkingHorse.net]
The event, which includes lower-level divisions in addition to the CIC***, reached a bumper entry of 900 horse/rider combinations. Nigel Bunter, owner of the Barbury Estate commented, “We are delighted that this year’s event has received such a strong entry. The final preparations are now being made to the venue and we want to ensure it provides an excellent competition for Olympic bound horses and riders.” [British Eventing]
Barbury links: [Entry list] [Website] [Provisional timetable]
Hot on Horse Nation: Abby Gibbon brings us a video of Team Great Britain’s Tina, Piggy, William, Mary and Zara at a press conference at Greenwich, “wherein they made much of their horses’ good looks.” [GB Eventing Team: Our handsome horses]
Stateside news: Gemwood Horse Trials, scheduled for July 21-22 in Fairborn, OH, has been cancelled on account of the impending heat, humidity and drought conditions, as well as dwindling initial entries. A cross-country schooling day at Twin Towers Park will remain in place for July 3. [US Eventing]
Found on Facebook: Marilyn L. Meredith‘s status update: “Marilyn has arrived in the UK with RF Rovano Rex and RF Smoke on the Water to compete in several top events in Europe for the summer/fall season.”
Top of the Tweets: Barbury Castle @Barbury Castle: @markpid143 Many thanks – fingers crossed for sunshine!
Video: Scenes from the Barbury Castle CIC*** in 2011
