I can only imagine the range of emotions at the Olympics
Are you guys getting giddy? Because I am. I was driving today getting all worked up about planning to cover the event and keep tabs on all the media output….I can’t even begin to comprehend how it must feel to be in the midst of it as an athlete. I’ll lay it out as simple as I can, so we mere mortals can keep up with the happenings over in London.
2. Full Equestrian Schedule Here
3. Drawn Order for Competition is [via Uptown Eventing]: Ecuador, USA, Australia, France, South Africa, Poland, Germany, Ireland, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Belarus, Japan, Brazil, Italy, Austria, Great Britain, Sweden, Jamaica, New Zealand, Russia and Thailand.
Hard to believe…..but there are other events this weekend:
Stoneleigh-Burnham Summer HT: [Website]
Horse Park of New Jersey Horse Trials: [Website]
Australians Behind the 1st Fence!!
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Olympic Quality Links:
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Andrew Nicholson goes on record predicting his own gold medal this year, saying he’s feeling better than ever (at 50 years old!) and is completely expecting to garner his first individual medal in London. Nicholson is ranked No. 2 in the World Equestrian Federation rankings, won team silver in 1992, team bronze in 1996, won Barbury on his Olympic reserve Avebury. Nereo (his mount) is a 17h, 12 year old Spanish-bred gelding was 3rd at the 2010 WEG’s in Kentucky, and 5th in the World Equestrian Festival in Germany where he was the only horse to go double clean in both jumping phases. [I’m putting my money on Nicholson to surprise ole’ Michael Jung]
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Reed Kessler takes us a step closer to living the Olympic experience with her hilarious blog about arrival in Holland. Apparently, the US Team Attire includes some bizzare sweatpants/hammerpants, and McClain Ward gets stopped in airport security for a 3 year old unpaid parking ticket from Rotterdam. [Reed Kessler Blogs Again]
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Hey, know how you are all dreaming of the day that events have cash prizes as well as ribbons??!! Yeah…me too….but if you’re near Vermont this August, you should totally enter GMHA, because they are having a huge Vermont-themed trade fair and $10,000 in prize money for the Intermediate division! [St. Johnsbury Auto Group has signed on as title sponsor for the Festival week]
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Remember Usain Bolt? This guy? He’s got competition this year, and not in the way you’re thinking. There’s a 3 yr old thoroughbred racehorse named Usain Colt who’s taking England by storm, and his owners are hoping that fate will bring the colt and his namesake together in London. “Usain Bolt is not the easiest person to get a hold of these days, but I’d like to hope that Usain Colt’s chance to meet him after the Olympics would be boosted if the horse wins a race this summer,” said Jake Warren, one of the horse’s handlers. [Usain Colt: Seeking Meeting with Usain Bolt]
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London Olympics opening ceremony will feature a “long-awaited” battle between Mary Poppins and Voldemort. On Friday night, there is to be a completely absurd spectacle of famous British literary characters involved in enormous fights, which is to culminate in Mary Poppins vs Voldemort. There is said to be umbrella floating dancers as well as Hook from Peter Pan and Cruella de Vil covered in puppy fur (note: not real fur). [Opening Ceremonies Get a Little Weird]
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63 year old Megan Lewis spent the past 4 years riding from Beijing to London to connect the Olympics, and has amazingly arrived with just a few days to spare before the equestrian portion of the Olympics begins. She rode about 25 miles a day, for four years, using 7 horses across the countries. After the Games, she plans to hoof it back to her home in Wales (by horse, of course). [Pensioner Rides from Beijing to London on Horseback]
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Tweetling on Twitter: 10 Tips for Perfect Pony Portraits (from SmartPak!)
Best of Blogs: Nina Ligon Speaks Hamster
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A Hilarious Korean Workout Machine: Gives You Booty Just Like Real Horse Riders!! [via Horse Collaborative]
http://youtu.be/_xkQCZfhm4g
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