Well Eventing Nation, it’s hard to know where to begin after spending the last four days in your holy land. Let’s start with the cross country phase, which marked my second real-life international eventing experience, the first being WEG 2010 (it’s ok, you can hate me a little). And while I initially declared the course at Greenwich one of the biggest and scariest EVER after my self-guided coursewalk on Friday, I suppose that I’m now in agreement with the experts – Monday’s course wasn’t the hugest ever. WEG’s was bigger. And it’s probably true that other three day events beginning with the letter “B” that are usually held in England are set to heights that would give this show jumper heart palpations.
But as you’re well aware, fence height was on a long list of the challenges presented to riders during one grueling day of cross country. You couldn’t have paid me enough to jump over that crescent moon and gallop headlong down the steep slope that followed. Not to mention careen off the down bank, steer toward the skinnies…. But I digress. Let’s take a look back:
Karen O’Connor eats crescent moons for breakfast.
One of the differences (among many) between eventing and other equestrian disciplines, is how close an average person can get to the most exciting, most dangerous moments. Yes, you can sit close to one jump at the rail during a grand prix, but there’s nothing like running around to all the different cross country fences, and standing RIGHT THERE as riders gallop over them. With 74 riders running cross country, I had many chances to get within arms reach of those galloping hooves and focused faces.
I watched Tiana warm up and discuss strategy with Boyd and the Americans. I looked into Ginny’s eye as she cantered past me after Hawley fell (very bummed for Hawley by the way–she is one of my favorites and I wish her well).
Boyd gives Tiana some last minute advice
I’m so glad that Gin N’Juice was caught safely and is ok.
For a second, I was fairly sure that Mark Todd was actually going to run me over (and if he had, I would have gleefully shown you pictures of the bruises.)
We had a moment.
Of course he didn’t, and I played the part of a well behaved card-carrying journalist so as not to raise the ire of the many, many many many, friendly volunteers who dotted the course every few feet. They did a stellar job of keeping myself and 50,000 of my closest friends in line, even as excitement reached a fever pitch among the masses as Brit after Brit came home clean.
When Zara finished her course I was standing under the main stadium, which in itself was filled with an unbelievable amount of people considering they could only see one fence live, and the roar that went up was deafening, complete with a full minute of simultaneous thunder feet.
Zara, the focus of national attention by all of Great Britain
Eventing was the most watched sport on NBC’s livestream on cross country day, and everywhere I looked on the course, there was another ready-to-pee-their-pants beyond excited child reciting rider stats. If that doesn’t make you feel good about the future of your sport, I don’t know what can.
Not so patiently waiting
There’s a horse and rider in that crowd somewhere.
I really want to complain right now about how exhausted I was, how my feet were super sore from hiking up and down hills all day and how badly I wanted to sleep in in the morning. But the day I spent weaving in and out of polite British people, frantically rushing up and down the hills of Greenwich Park, kneeling on hillsides for that perfect shot and waiting patiently for my favorite riders to gallop by in a blur pales in comparison to the effort that the horses and riders put out. It was truly amazing, and while I will in no way ever be brave enough to participate in this madness other than from the sidelines, you can chalk me up as a forever eventing fan.
