Don’t canter
The Pan American Games eventing competition officially started this morning at the Club Hipica with the first horse inspection. 51 horses jogged this morning and 2 didn’t make it through to the dressage. Here are a few quick notes from the jog…
The US and Canadian horses looked wonderful and all were passed quickly by the ground jury. More importantly, I give top marks to both countries for the jog outfits. Team USA was all red, white, and blue, including patriotic silk scarves for the lady riders. Canada opted for a more subtle approach but of course they looked fantastic as well. Sadly there were no cowboy hats at the jog.
A few horses from other countries definitely looked less than perfect at the first horse inspection. Ritual and his rider, Novis Borges of Venezuela, were held but passed on reinspection. Colombia had two horses held. Qetzal Coati and Santiago Medina failed upon reinspection and Quinto passed with Juan Carlos Tafur. Mexico had three horses sent to the holding box. One, JOS Aquiles, withdrew immediately with what I was told was an open wound. Monterrey, ridden by Erik Arambula, and Prometeo Equus, ridden by Carlos Cornejo, both passed upon reinspection. There might have been a bit of hometown love from the ground jury there, but it’s good to see that Mexico will have a team of four riders in the competition.
In general, things moved smoothly and without incident at the jog, but there was a general feeling of waiting for something stupid to happen. The horses were closely packed together walking around before the jog and some of the horses were rearing and kicking out close to packs of other horses. Meanwhile a nearby rolling machine was packing the dirt for the holding area. Several horses ran away with the riders down the jog strip and kicked out at the ground jury and the crowd, which was tightly packed around the entry to the strip. As I said, nothing went wrong but it was certainly the most exciting jog I have ever watched and continues the theme of mildly organized chaos that is defining these Games.
Buck Davidson and Absolute Liberty
Shannon Lilley and Ballingowan Pizzaz
Lynn Symansky and Donner
Hannah Burnett and Harbour Pilot
Michael Pollard and Hanni
Hawley Bennett and Five O’Clock Somewhere
Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High
James Atkinson and Gustav
Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti
Rebecca Howard and Roquefort
I enjoyed seeing a lot of familiar faces at the jog. Quite a few familiar North American names are coaching South and Central American teams. Kyle Carter and Peter Gray are teaming up for the Venezuela coaching responsibilities. USEA President Brian Sabo is coaching the Mexican team. Derek Di Grazia is coaching his student Lauren Billys and Ballingowan Ginger for Puerto Rico. Phillip Dutton is coaching Ronald Zabala Goestchel for Ecuador. Ronald is riding the great four-star horse Mr. Wiseguy and they quietly have potential to break into the medals if the cross-country course is hard enough.
A less than traditional approach to the first horse inspection
Jose Ortelli Junior is riding his talented advanced horse JOS Aladar for Argentina. Jose’s father is here this weekend serving as event director. Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too might be familiar to Eventing Nation readers from their performance at the London Olympic Test Event in July.
The jog at the Club Hipica is held on a dirt strip which is forgiving compared to concrete or sand. The US and Canadian horses would have looked good regardless of the surface but I’m not as sure about a few of the other horses that squeaked through.
49 pairs from 13 countries will move on to the dressage on Friday. I’m off to the cross-country course at the Santa Sofia Country Club for a look around. Go eventing.
