The weather was dreadful, but Amy Tryon didn’t let that stop her from putting in a solid dressage test with Poggio II as the first rider for the U.S. eventing squad on Aug. 24.

Tryon was the seventh rider of the day and had to endure riding on slippery grass as the rain poured down.  “The weather was tough,” she admitted after her ride.  “It was a little bit slick, and when I started the canter he got a little worried in the corners, so I didn’t go too deep.”
   
Their score of 50.70 penalties put them into first place after their test, but they dropped down to third at the lunch break behind New Zealand’s Heelan Tompkins and the 20-year-old Glengarrick and Dirk Schrade of Germany aboard Sindy 43.
   
Tryon was looking forward to cross-country, although the footing may continue deteriorating as rain is predicted for the next few days.
   
“There are a lot of technical fences that require steep angles,” she said.  “It’s a lot less twisty than we feared.  It will be interesting to see how the last water rides.  The horses will be a little bit tired and against your hand there.  My horse can be quite difficult, so the key is keeping him relaxed.”
   
One horse appeared to be a victim of the slippery weather.  Morten Haugaard of Denmark was eliminated in the dressage test after his horse, My Hamlet, abruptly started limping and holding up a hind leg.  It looked like he might have stung himself in the half-pass.  The judge called Haugaard over and after a brief chat, the pair left the ring, whereupon My Hamlet began pulling on the bit and jigging with no sign of a limp.  Regardless, their competition is now over.