Tubber Rebel’s short list preview

Remember how I mentioned that Dag Albert and Tubber Rebel were in 104th after the Barbury CIC3* dressage with a score of 91.5 (39%)?  Well, even though that photo might be the one and only moment in time when Tubber Rebel put his head down trotted with 2 beats, as I predicted, he made up for it in the jumping phases, adding only 5.2 to his score for the dressage and show jumping.  Tubber Rebel moved up 64 places and finished in 40th at Barbury.  Well done Tubber Rebel!  After some research, I learned that the pair competed for Sweden at the 2008 Olympics, so we might well get to see them in Kentucky.

Speaking of Kentucky, we can expect to see the additions to the US short list sooner rather than later.  To get an idea of who we might expect to be added, let’s take a trip down memory lane.  This spring, US team vets inspected potential horses following major competitions including The Fork, Rolex, Jersey, and Bromont.  The Fork evaluation included horses like TruLuck and Bobby who decided not to run Rolex and were included in the original May short list.  After Rolex, team vets examined 7 horses (Comet, Pawlow, Mandiba, Woodburn, Neveille, Remington, and The Foreman) and all 7 made the May short list.  As part of the May list, the USEF announced that it might add names following Bromont and Luhmuhlen; the short list submitted to the FEI can include up to 18 pairs.  After Bromont, vets looked at Tipperary Liadhnan and several other horses, but my understanding is that all the Bromont exams but “Paddy’s” were more of the ‘looking to next year’ variety.  Clear as mud?

The May short list:

In the several weeks after Luhmuhlen, US team vets have looked at about 5 horses to evaluate their candidacy for being added to the original May short list.  I’ve heard expected names like Last Monarch kicked around, and also unexpected names like Brandenburg’s Joshua.  Rock On Rose’s name has also reentered the mix as the word is that her circumstances may have changed.  The more that I hear the more interesting I think the additions to the short list might be.

I am confident that at least a couple of pairs will be added to the short list when the new list is released.  In my opinion, with just 7 riders on the May list, I think it makes sense to add a few more–right now we are two injuries (God forbid) to horses or riders away from not fielding a full team.  However, one thing to remember is that of the major nations who have released their short list, Germany’s is the longest at just 13 pairs.

Speaking of injuries, a top vet told me that around 30% of horses drop out the last month before a 4*.  Two and a half months away from the WEGs, the US team’s prospects will never look better than when we see that final complete short list.  I’m confident that Phillip, Buck, and Boyd will be on the team come October, but the other three spots will go to the riders who get on the final short list and keep their horse sound.  

I’m sure that when we see the final list some of us will have objections, but it’s important to remember how difficult the job of selecting a team really is.  Having spent time watching all of the horses, looking at their records, and talking to people close to the horses, there is just no magic answer as to exactly which 6 horses are going to want to jump around the toughest course of their lives that first Saturday in October.  

When the final short list is released, you know where to find it first.  Until then, go eventing.

We’ve been writing about the US team a lot over the past few months, here are a few of our highlights: