McLain Ward gets some help from the sidelines
Lee McKeever, who is McLain Ward’s barn manager, looks like he’s riding that Olympic show jumping course along with McLain!
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Will Equestrian Sports be Cut from Future Olympics?
According to Princess Haya, the president of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the status of equestrian sports at future Olympics is precarious. In a recent interview she stated that there is no guarantee that horse sports will survive beyond the 2012 Olympics. The problems? Interest in dressage is low, there have been complaints about the […]
Read MoreCapsaicin Causes Trouble for Olympic Horses
Norway’s bronze medal in the Olympics is in jeopardy after Camiro, ridden by Tony Andre Hansen, and three other horses tested positive for Capsaicin. The other three horses are Ireland’s Lantinus, ridden by Dennis Lynch; Brazil’s Chupa Chup, ridden by Bernardo Alves; and Germany’s Coster, ridden by Christian Ahlmann. All the horses were banned from […]
Read MoreEuropean Women Riders and “Hunter Hair”
One of the most interesting things about watching the Olympic show jumping was comparing the styles of the riders from different countries. Some rode in a half seat, some in a full seat. Saddles were different, bits were different, and most important (at least to the posters on various forums) was the way European women […]
Read MoreSafety Stirrups for Olympians
Safety stirrups are no longer to be relegated to riding schools and beginners. Rodrigo Pessoa and Ludger Beerbaum are among the Olympians who use an innovative (and expensive — to the tune of 265 Euros) new safety stirrup called the X’up, made by Freejumpsystem, a French company that’s mission is to introduce technical products that […]
Read MoreOlympic Horses with Humble Beginnings
Many of us dream of finding horses with International potential in a backyard barn or turned out in a field. There are two horses competing this year that fall into that category — they started out in careers that did not generally lead to Olympic success. Poggio II, Amy Tryon’s eventing mount, worked as a […]
Read MoreEventing Safety: Course Adjustments and Better Jumps
With the spotlight focused on the safety of eventing, it is critical that the ambassadors of our sport — course designers, trainers, equestrian organizations, and riders — take all steps that can prevent injuries to both riders and horses. There is some progress. For example, at the Olympics, there was a last minute change to […]
Read MoreA Window into the Olympics through Equestrian Blogs
As we wait for the Olympics to begin, it’s really interesting to get a window into the life of some of the competitors. There are several Olympians who are keeping blogs . . . just be careful, reading them can be addictive. Enjoy! General Overview: Brian O’Connor is the announcer of the equestrian events: http://special.equisearch.com/blog/brianoconnor/ […]
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