Samantha Clark, who has been a dear friend to Eventing Nation from the very beginning, was kind enough to write about her wonderful opening weekend at the WEGs. Check out Samantha’s 2010 Radio Show from Sunday, and the 2010 Radio Show Facebook page throughout the WEGs for the latest info and photos. Thanks for writing this Samantha and thank you for reading.
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By Samantha:
It’s hard to delineate when exactly WEG started. Do you count the preparations; for the competitors their journies to Kentucky started years ago, maybe I should consider my path to WEG begining when I (foolishly?!) agreed to co-host the 2010 radio show with Glenn the Geek? Rather like not noticing your own children grow up, the Horse Park, and indeed Lexington has slowly been making improvements, adding infrastructure and making ready, and then the preparations became more refined, the courses took shape, tents started going up, people arrived, then horses, the course now looks fabulous with brush and flags and flowers – how did this all happen?
We will get to the eventers in a moment, but the reining kicked off WEG competition on saturday morning, and didn’t disappoint. Everyone was excited to see Anky who probably got the loudest cheers of the day, it was a terrific change to see her enter sitting very upright and proper, albeit in a spangled shirt, and then as she moved through her patterns and the crowd egged her on, and the loud music, she really got into, leant forward, (as much as you can in those saddles!), and really gave it some welly!
The Games officially opened on saturday night with a countdown using Kentucky images, then a terrific spectacle that had so much wonderful stuff in it it was hard to know what maybe could have been left out to make it slightly shorter. Not the athletes parading by country, certainly not Dr. Lyons and Muhammed Ali, or the Haitian Harmony Choir, definitely not Chris McCarron representing TB racing with four of his students for the Racing Academy, or the wonderful music by CherryHolmes….
For anyone who’s ever been to the Olympia Christmas Horse Show in London, the ceremonies had that feel, of celebration and extravaganza, there was music, lights, fantastic performances, and even the most beautiful pink sunset to accompany Wynnonna Judd singing My Old Kentucky Home, which even made Glenny Glenn tear up!
For all the athletes who’ve made it this far it must be a dream come true. The venue looks amazing, the energy is great, and all the riders seem to be really enjoying milling around and watching the other disciplines. For me too, I’m in absolute heaven, I want to slow time down, I truly don’t have enough hours in the day to wander around and take it all in, and then do reports, I wish I could have a RunHennyRun helmet cam so everyone could share this with me. Yesterday at the endurance start, I bumped into 3 members of the Kiwi event squad, and than later I happened to run into Mark again so we sat and watched the French event team have a jump session together. Hello? Pinch me!
On the way down to the reining arena I caught the tail end of a US flat training session with Mandiba and Woodburn under CMP’s eagle eye. Both horses look stunning – their coats are in perfect condition, their feet looked really good, they look completely ready to go for gold, and their riders look hungry for the spoils too.
Then I went back up to the endurance where the British eventers were being supportive, but seemed slightly overwhelmed by the action in the vet gate.
The Black Stallion, aka Moorelands Totilas, is the talk of the Games and everyone has been vying for a glimpse, (the same goes for Hamish and Dave, who come in a very close second!), and while biking back from endurance I happened to see him working in the warm-arena, so threw caution to the wind, my bike to the verge, and started snapping.
Notice the ipod – I have it on good authority he’s listening to the 2010 radio show!
Yes, there are definitely glitches that need to be ironed out, ASAP, but really it’s already been amazing, exceeded all my expectations, it truly is the Horse Olympics. As I biked back to my car Sunday night it was a gorgeous evening, I was exhausted but I suddenly saw some of the endurance riders in the distance coming towards me, and I got goosebumps and buzz all over again. This may only come to Kentucky once in a lifetime, and I may be operating on about four hours sleep each night, but I am sure as hell going to enjoy the Games, and hope you’ll join Eventing Nation, 2010 Radioshow, 3D3W, COTH, USEA, H&H and everyone else that my brain is too addled to remember so we can share it with you as best we can. I should also say apologies to my houseguests who I barely see, and a big shout out and EN karma to 4 time US National Para Champ Rebecca Hart who rides Norteassa next week please.
Finally, an EN favourite who finally gets to spend a little q-time with his beloved; it was so sweet to see Boyd and Silva walking away from the Dressage trot-up together, arm in arm, and they very generously posed for you.
Thanks Boyd and Silva, and thanks for reading.
