Photo via Wikipedia Commons
Good Morning Eventing Nation, and welcome to Wednesday! Saying there’s a lot going on this week would most certainly be an understatement. To start with the most relevant and exciting, the equestrian competitions at the Pan American Games start this week. Well, to be more precise, they actually began last weekend with the USA winning team dressage gold. The first day of Individual Dressage competition was on Monday. Unsurprisingly, the United States has riders in the top three placings after the first day. Steffen Peters is leading on Weltino’s Magic with 78.079%, followed by team-mate Heather Blitz and Paragon on 77.184%, and Marisa Featherling with Big Tyme on a 74.316%. The freestyle competition is this evening. I’m not totally brushed up on pure dressage scoring, but I believe the upper 70 percentile range is quite excellent. [Horsetalk]
The eventing competition is soon to be underway which means that right now, all the riders are combing over any stray hairs in their performances, reciting their dressage tests one last time, and saying a prayer that all the months and years of practice and training they’ve put in to get to this point will be enough. Let the Games begin! A quick look at the eventing schedule:
Thursday: First horse inspection
Friday: Dressage
Saturday: Cross-country
Sunday: Show jumping (two rounds in the Olympic format)
John arrived safely in Mexico last night, so he will be on site to cover all the happenings of the Games. Look for the tall skinny guy in a sombrero or an Eventing Nation hat. Speaking of hats, did you know there are Eventing Nation hats now? I didn’t, until I walked into a tack shop the other day and the woman helping me had one on. We struck up a conversation and she explained she attended Fair Hill over the weekend and a very nice guy by the name of John walked up and gave it to her. A very nice guy by the name of John hasn’t given me a hat, and I’m the one who has been pushing for EN apparel since the beginning. If I don’t get a hat by next week, I’m going on strike and holding the chinchillas hostage for a million dollars. I’m dead serious.
On that note, who are we betting to walk away with the Gold? Will it be the US or Canada? What are your predictions?
Mollie Bailey, one of the senior staff writers for the Chronicle, is traveling to the Pan Am Games to report on the competition. Her most recent article is titled ‘Managing Expectations’, as it relates to the difficulties associated with international travel and working at an international event such as the Pan Ams. She phrased it perfectly by simply saying,
“You just expect things to be difficult when you go to these things.” Upon her arrival, it was discovered that the press tent was lacking of reliable internet, television, sound feeds, enough power sources, food, water, coffee, orders of go, results, enough desks, and garbage cans. Although seemingly little details, they are the details that will decide whether we have reporters (and reports, photos) by the end of the weekend! Everyone needs to have the realization that at events of this size and stature, something will always be missing. Her point being, manage your expectations from the outset to save from anger and disappointment later on.
[COTH]A local Canadian paper did a write up on Jessie Phoenix as she gets set to represent Canada at the Pan American Games aboard Pavarotti. Most probably don’t know (I didn’t) that Jessie just began her partnership with Pavarotti in January, according to the article, “His owner, Don Good, called me and asked if I had room for one more horse in my barn and I did. I am so excited to have the ride on Pavarotti — he’s a world class horse.”
It’s a testament to both horse and rider that they find themselves representing their country at international competition so early on into their relationship. Go Canada.
[Kawartha News]Lauren Billys, who will be representing Puerto Rico in the Eventing competition at the Pan American Games calls the spirit of the Games “overwhelming.” Her experience at the Games has been different from most competitors because she arrived
without a groom, without a coach, without a veterinarian and without a team. To say she’s going it alone would be putting it lightly. But even without some of the components of a typical team experience, Lauren is still incredibly lucky to be representing her country in international competition. In her latest blog post, she writes about just that.
[COTH]In some disappointing news, show jumping star Ellen Whitaker has received a driving ban after being pulled over back in late September and found to be more than twice the legal alcohol limit. Twenty five year old Ellen was returning from a charity ball in Cheshire when she was pulled over. She appeared before the Macclesfield Magistrates on October 12th and pleaded guilty of drunk driving. Tisk, tisk. As a side note for those that would find this interesting (ahem, Coren) Ellen Whitaker is engaged to actor and star of the television show ‘The Tudors’, Henry Cavill. I’m not admitting to watching it, but for those who don’t know, the show is loosely based upon the reign of King Henry VIII of England, and is a lot like Desperate Housewives of the Middle Ages. Lies, scandal, deceit, the Tudors has it all.
[Horse and Hound]
Best of the blogs: Emily Beshear writes about her great weekend at Fair Hill
Tales from a bad eventer
John Nunn talks about the Bit of Britain Challenge:
That’s all for now, Eventing Nation. Have a great day, I hope everyone can get outside at some point during the day to enjoy the beautiful fall weather, I don’t like thinking about it anymore than you do, but winter is really just around the corner!
