Tamie Smith and Mai Baum pulled it off becoming the first U.S. winner since 2008 and the first American female winner since 2005! Coming into show jumping the pressure was on — with less than a rail between her and Tom McEwan, she showed nerves of steel and pulled off a clear round within the time, finishing on her dressage score of 24.2 That’s quite a feat at a 5* event!
Smith’s partnership with Mai Baum began in 2015, when co-owner, Alex Ahearn went to college and offered her coach, Tamie the ride on the German sporthorse gelding. Alex had competed the gelding herself through what is now the CCI3* level, climbing from the Junior Beginner Novice ranks.
Since then, they’ve enjoyed worldwide success including a top-10 finish at Badminton Horse Trials in 2022 and a top-10 finish and team silver medal with the U.S. team at the FEI World Eventing Championships last fall. At 17, “Lexus”, as he’s known at home, has only been getting better.
“I felt a lot of weight for many, many reasons—for ‘Lexus,’ for the West Coast, for the United States, for all of us who’ve struggled in this sport and all my family and supporters and sponsors and owners to do all I could and hope I had a little luck on my side this weekend,” she said.
“I wasn’t certain whether it would ever happen, but I just wanted him [Lexus] to have his moment in the sun a bit, and today he did,” Tamie said. “He’s missed out a few times even though he’s been very competitive on the world stage. I feel like it eluded him, and I’m just more happy for him because I think he is unbelievable; he’s an unbelievable creature.”
I will be sure to post the stadium round when it’s available. It was a masterful showing!
Congratulations to Tamie and Lexus!
The problem with riders like Tamie is that they make it look so EASY….
look at that girl on the XC! It makes it hard for me to tell people who know nothing about riding, oh, well, you’re just sitting on the saddle, right? Right?
She is a lovely rider. I can’t imagine the pressure she felt going into Stadium with less than a rail separating her from Tom McEwan. And yet she rode the course cool as a cucumber. I thought it was a great team to win given they have such a strong partnership.