I have a confession. I’m addicted to technology. Right now, as I’m working on this week’s magazine on my trusty office Mac, I have my personal laptop open on my desk so I can keep up with all of the action at the Olympic Games. I also have my iPod plugged in to download the podcasts to which I’ve subscribed so I can listen to them on the drive home from work.

Even though I didn’t attend the Olympic Games, with all of the instant news, video and results available I feel almost as if I’m there.
   
In addition to following the superb online equestrian coverage from Hong Kong—articles and photographs provided by staff members Beth Rasin and Molly Sorge (www.chronofhorse.com)—I’ve watched the entire eventing competition on TV thanks to NBC’s USA and Oxygen channels, as well as their live feed on www.NBCOlympics.com. And that’s just scratching the surface. I’ve also enjoyed a variety of blogs and podcasts, from athletes, friends and journalists. Those who are truly technologically savvy can also sign up for video feeds and text alerts sent to their mobile phones, so they’ll always be in the know even if they’re out hacking a horse.

It’s truly amazing when you consider how far our technology has come in just a few decades. As recently as the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, telephone or fax was how we at home discovered how our U.S. Equestrian Teams fared at the Games. If we were fortunate, the network broadcasting the Olympic Games might show a short segment of equestrian sports on TV if our riders had earned a medal or, unfortunately, if some calamity had befallen them. But most of the time we simply waited for the articles and photographs in the Chronicle to find out how the medalists achieved their results. Now, today’s magazines are the icing on the cake, providing analysis, features and commentary after the competition concludes.

In this era of new media and technology, not everything is necessarily better for everyone, however. Between Rounds columnist Susie Schoellkopf provides her thoughts on how modern technology is impacting horse showing, both positive and negative, in her column “We Need To Take Charge Of Today’s Technology” (p. 22).

In the next few years I’m sure we’ll see even more amazing technological advancements, and they’re going to continue to change the way we horse show and spectate at competitions. I’m thrilled to be able to follow the Olympic Games in real time from Hong Kong, and I can’t wait to see what the future brings.

Tricia Booker, Editor