Before the Atlanta Steeplechase, most of the weekends in April produced mild weather or torrential rains. The shift from 70s to the high 90s was a huge change for all involved in steeplechasing.

Xavier Aizpuru said he felt for the horses. “We just have to cling to their backs; they do all the work,” he said. “I was so exhausted after the day, I felt drained.”

But despite the heat and stifling humidity, Aizpuru said there were only a couple of horses that looked shaky and that the officials did a good job making sure that there was plenty of water to cool down the overheated.