Phillip has several Olympic prospect horses, but this isn’t one of them
US high performance lists fascinate me. Not only because I love Team USA and want to see us dominate, but also because I like thinking about the mechanics of how to build a team and watching our riders grow and develop within those machinations–some more than others. Some people think the USEF gets it right, other people think they get it wrong, but there is always something to talk about when it comes to high performance lists.
The Spring 2011 USEF Training Lists were published on December 8th, 2010, on the same day everyone was flying to the USEA convention in Scottsdale, AZ. [Spring HP Lists] Today’s Summer lists differs from the Spring lists in a few interesting ways. There are two new riders on the High Performance A list; Will Faudree moved up from the HP B list and Sinead from the Developing A list. They replace Amy and Kim, who were dropped from the lists entirely. On the HP B list, 5 of the riders maintained their spots from the Spring lists, two riders bumped up from the Developing A list, and two are entirely new to the training lists. One key point to remember in looking at these lists is that they aren’t about one horse or one pair anymore–riders are named to the lists, not horse and rider pairs. Some riders made the lists because they are just that good with one of their horses, others because they have excellent programs that will consistently give them good horses as the Olympics approach.
Summer High Performance A List:
Will Faudree—Spring HP B List. Will gets bumped up to the ‘A-Team’ because he has two of the best advanced horses for the US right now. Other than Phillip and Boyd, I put Will as the third most likely US rider to go to the Olympics because he has two very very legit horses.
Sinead Halpin—Spring Developing A List. A 3rd place finish at Rolex and the highest placed US finish by 5 places is a one way ticket to the A list. For as much grief as we have given the USEF for not being more open to putting up and coming riders on the High Performance lists, this is an indicator that maybe times are changing. The formula is simple–go to Rolex and finish in the top 3, no problem, right?
Boyd Martin—Spring HP A List. Right now, as far as I am concerned, there are only two open spots on the HP A List–Boyd and Phillip have the other two locked up for as long as they want them. Neville hopefully will be back in time for Burghley, and Boyd has multiple talented horses coming up through the ranks.
High Performance B List:
Hannah Sue Burnett—Spring HP B List. As far as I am concerned, Hannah was the last rider left off the HP A list because of her 8th place finish at Kentucky.
Will Coleman—Spring HP B List. Will has several top horses coming up, one of which just won the Bromont 1*.
Buck Davidson—Spring HP B List. Buck is always going to have several upper level horses. Like last year, when one of the horses steps up and starts winning at advanced, he becomes an A List rider.
Clark Montgomery—Spring Developing A list. Clark withdrew his application from the Pan American Games with bigger targets in sight for next year after his win at the Bromont CCI3*. Clark was likely the second to last rider left off the A list.
Karen O’Connor—Spring HP B list. Quintus 54 had a very solid top 15 finish for Karen at Rolex and he has all the look of a potential Olympic horse, which right now is good for a spot on the B list.
Doug Payne—Spring Developing A list. Doug has shown the USEF over the past year that he can consistently find good horses and build a large enough program to survive the inevitable attrition from injuries.
Michael Pollard–Michael jumped from off the high performance lists entirely in December to the HP B list because he showed this spring that he has several quality advanced horses and that he is building a program that will continue to supply him with top horses in the future. Add to that a 5th place finish at the Bromont 2* on a horse with a great shot at going to and potentially winning the Pan Ams.
Julian Stiller–Julian is the second rider who was completely left off the Spring lists and now finds herself on the HP B list. Julian is based in the UK and she has *four advanced horses–Chapel Amble, Salsa, Axel Rose, and Enjoy Me. Most recently, Julian completed Luhmuhlen on Chapel Amble and the USEF group must have liked what they saw from her in Germany.
Developing Rider List: The developing rider list has been merged from two lists in December to just one for the Summer. The big difference between the riders on the developing list rather than the HP list isn’t the quality of rider or quality of horse but depth of program. That said, I don’t think I have seen a more talented developing rider list since the program started. Every single one of these riders is one good weekend away from the HP B List or even A List.
Emily Beshear: New to the lists from December
Anna Collier: New to the lists
Tiana Coudray: On the Spring HP B list
Jon Holling: New to the lists
Max McManamy: On the Spring Developing B list
Heather Morris: On the Spring Developing A list
Alexandra Slusher: On the Spring Developing A list
Tami Smith: New to the lists
Lynn Symansky: On the Spring Developing B list
Sharon White: New to the lists from December
Today’s lists show that US high performance eventing is undergoing a transition. All spring we have seen our developing riders step up and beat the riders we are used to seeing win everything. There are only 5 riders with Pinque coats on the Summer HP A and B Lists. I don’t know if 2012 will be the year that the USA sends a team with 3 first time international team competitors, but from the results this spring that strikes me as a very realistic and positive possibility.
Go eventing.
