Monday, July 14, 2008

US Olympic Team

I'm excited about the US Olympic team being announced today...though it is a little sad that Karen O'Connor only made the alternates list when I'm fairly certain "Theodorable" would have been a shoo in for the team...and I was really hoping Kim Severson would make it on her big gray, he is gorgeous and Kim is super professional.


Becky Holder and Courageous Comet
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Becky! I've ridden with her and she is great! I also love Comet - though honestly it may just be a gray horse thing!


Heidi White and Northern Spy
A really cool horse - I've been impressed with both Heidi and the horse.




Phillip Dutton and Connaught
Phillip Dutton - need I say more?! I was so excited when he became a US citizen so he could ride for us!




Amy Tryon and Poggio II
I love these two - I've seen Amy ride several times and have been extremely impressed with her professionalism.



Gina Miles and McKinlaigh
I LOVE this horse - he is super cool and seems really scopey!




5 comments:

Beckz said...

I thought Amy Tyron was banned after her horse went lame on course a while back??

Lauren said...

she was suspended from competition for two months, had to pay a $1000 fine and then pay $1500 in court fees...very controversial -- it was decided that there was a "significant disconnect between what Amy Tryon felt and what was actually occurring" and that since it wasn't premeditation or "actual awareness" that no serious punishment was to really happen

Beckz said...

I find that pretty suspicious. I saw te video and the horse was so blatently lame, there is no way a rider of her calibre would have missed it.

Lauren said...

yeah...I think her argument revolved around the whole "in the moment" type of deal...she was trucking along to the last fence and honestly thought he just took a funny misstep or something...I'm not sure though. My whole take on the issue is that she is a great rider and competitor - I've seen her ride several horses at lower levels and such - and she made a mistake. Albeit, a fatal one for the horse, but if you are in the horse industry for very long you are eventually going to end up making the wrong decision that will result in a horse's life...unfortunately her's was at an international level event.

Anonymous said...

Whilst I think Amy is a great person and her horse's are talented, I am not so sure about her riding ability--or maybe, her nerves.
When I watched her in the olympics this past year, you knew she was going to come off. She was loosing the reins left and right, getting left behind, etc.. While the other riders were making it look somewhat easy, she looked like she was in way over her head. Poggio, the amazing little thing that he is, was actually taking some of the jumps with absolutely no guidance (because she lost her reins) at all. Do people make mistakes? Oh yeah they do! Should they be making so many in a sport so dangerous?
Hm.