While at the WEG, our columnist enjoyed watching a special horse, as well as taking the opportunity to learn from the program used by the Dutch gold medalists.
In the early 1970s, while living in New Hampshire, I remember my mother made what seemed at the time like a pilgrimage when she drove to Saratoga, N.Y., to see Secretariat. Upon her return home, she couldn’t stop talking about him—his special qualities, how he was a “once-in-a-lifetime horse” and how she was so glad she made the effort to see him.
Our columnist is proud of the way the World Equestrian Games brought horse sports across divides.
I’m glad that 2010 is drawing to a close. It’s been a long and rewarding year for the United States in so many ways. The Alltech FEI World Games are done and dusted, and from many points of view the Games were a real success.
Our columnist believes U.S. eventing will have to combat complacency on multiple fronts to have any chance at a team medal in two years.
As I sat on a plane coming home from Lexington, Ky., I thought about how everyone that I talked to had something to say about the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. They loved it, they thought it was too expensive, they were proud of their U.S. athletes. And yes, after the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team failed to medal, some were disappointed with us.
Although our columnist had her doubts beforehand, she ended up thrilled with the event and the legacy the WEG has left for combined driving.
The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are over, and from my perspective it was a great success. To be honest, there were times during the months leading up to the WEG that I was skeptical. Would ticket sales meet expectations or fall terribly short? Would the transportation system work? Would the vendors in the trade fair recoup the hefty upfront costs?
John Madden describes what each rider had to think about before getting a leg up onto the others’ horses.
Although the U.S. team didn’t come away with a team medal, our columnist said things turned out much better than she might have hoped a year ago.
A year ago, looking to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games was not my favorite thing. It loomed large and menacing as I accepted the position as U.S. Equestrian Federation’s technical advisor of dressage. At that time we had few American combinations who appeared ready to meet the challenge presented by the horses I had just judged in the Alltech FEI European Championships.
Our columnist points out the unique strength U.S. horse sports have at the grassroots level.
After the excitement of hosting the world’s top equestrians at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, it’s natural to get caught up in comparing ourselves to the rest of the world. As with every world games, there’s tremendous excitement to get behind our teams, to cheer them on, and to come together as a nation. These types of events fuel our passion.
Attending every World Show Jumping Championship since 1978 has left this author with countless memories.
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