Behind the Scenes with Team USA Dressage

Zika and water and crime, oh my! Despite dire predictions about Brazilian mosquitoes, dirty water, and unsafe streets combined with political unrest, the events of the 2016 Rio Olympics largely went off smoothly. Some who attended—including members of the US dressage team—were pleasantly surprised.

“Everything is really good. The stabling is well done, and the horses have big stalls. There are no bugs, and the venue is beautiful,” said Kasey Perry-Glass. “It is better than what we were expecting.”

“They have done a fabulous job,” Allison Brock concurred. “The footing is impeccable everywhere. The was stalls are extremely comfortable, horse-friendly, and airy. From what we had heard coming into it to what we found, everybody was very pleasantly surprised. And every person we have interacted with has been nothing but friendly, helpful, and seems happy that we are here. So it’s been very welcoming to be in Brazil.”

“To compare it to other facilities, it’s right up there with the very best I’ve been in,” said Laura Graves.

For these dressage pros, whose days are typically jammed with multiple horses to ride and lessons to teach, having the time to lavish on one horse is a luxury. All were clearly enjoying the extra time they had to spend with their Olympic mounts. They shared stories about their horses with USDF Connection

The laid-back Dublet, said Perry-Glass, is “like a surfer boy. He is a very kind horse, and he always wants to do the right thing.” One of “Dudu’s” quirks: “He likes giving back rubs. If you scratch him in a really good spot, he will pull you closer with his nose and start scratching you.”

If Dublet is a surfer boy, then Rosevelt is the jock: “the all-around guy, the kind that is exceptional in sports, a really good student, played in the band, and is friends with everybody yet not arrogant,” said Brock. “He is a kind animal but has a high play drive, which comes out when you see him do the jog. He is really naughty in the jog, but it’s only because he is playful. He does not have a mean bone in his body.”

Rosevelt expresses his playful nature with his tongue. “He loves to give you his tongue. He will stick it out. It’s a social, friendly behavior that some horses do. He’s done it forever. He’ll do it to other horses. It’s his greeting.”

The stallion is also “cold backed,” and not paying attention to that can land Brock on the ground. “People always look at me funny because I lead that horse up to the arena. The walk down loosens his back up. Yes, it tears my boots up, but I know what that horse needs. Now he is acclimated, so the day after the Grand Prix I could get on him at the barn. But if I was to just assume, I could end up in the dirt real fast. I can tell by how relaxed he is. He has a short back and needs a little bit of time. This is nothing new. He’s had this his entire life.”

“He is my best friend,” Laura Graves said of Verdades, whom she’s owned since he was a foal. “We know each other completely inside and out. He is really funny. He can reach out and grab anything on his stall front and throw it just to get attention, just so you get up.”

But the “funny, easy guy” is all business when Graves climbs into the saddle. “He is the most focused and hardest-working employee you have ever had. Any time you ask him to show up, he shows up. If you ask him to work overtime, he would and would not expect a raise. He has an incredible work ethic.”

Steffen Peters says of Legolas 92: “The reason we get along so well is because we are both still two little kids. He is extremely talkative when I come into the barn. It’s not just this little nicker; it’s this loud greeting that I get every time I see him and he sees me.”

Legolas demands a daily scratch from his rider. The preferred location “changes daily—sometimes right on top of the croup; then it’s right on his back. He is very clear about where he likes to be scratched. If I stand in his stall on a stepping stool, he just moves around me and shows me exactly what the particular spot is on each day.”

Perry-Glass and Brock, in particular, appreciated the support of Peters and of US chef d’équipe Robert Dover at their first major international championships.

“I was reading an article about Steffen’s first Olympics [in Atlanta 1996],” said Perry-Glass. “I had no idea he was so stressed and had the hardest time ever. After I read that, I was able to talk to him about it. Having someone who has been through it like that is very helpful.”

Dover, who has said since his hiring as chef in 2013 that medals for US dressage are his goal, said his faith in the American riders never wavered.

“The outcome has been exactly as I had hoped and truly in my heart expected,” Dover said. “This is a group that on any given day could be in the medals, especially the top five.”

Like many others, including US FEI 5* judge Gary Rockwell (see “The Judge’s Box,” page 14), Dover expressed disappointment that the equestrian events in Rio were poorly attended. “The attendance was sad, between Zika, the political situation, and people saying it was not going to be safe. Yet this has been a tremendously well-organized Olympic Games. Everyone was as nice and as helpful as they could be on a facility that is as excellent as any facility I’ve ever been to anywhere in the world. There is not one bad thing that I can say.”

Dover, whose first of six Olympic appearances was in Los Angeles 1984, said he has seen the quality of international dressage skyrocket, even in just the past four years.

“This has been the greatest group of horses that have ever been in one venue, ever,” he said of the Rio lineup. “This is better than in London [the 2012 Olympics] by far. Look at the number of horses [scoring] over 80 percent. Look at the statistics. There were five horses over 80 percent, and many got over 75 percent and higher.”

Already a perennial optimist, Dover was overflowing with superlatives after Team USA’s Rio triumph.

“I am extremely thankful to our riders and the fabulous horses that we love so much; to the most amazing grooms; the best staff; and the greatest owners, sponsors, and veterinarians. We have it all. Americans believe in being the best. I believe in the next four years we will see that in dressage!”

—Diana De Rosa

you can’t do this any more, and when is the time that this will be the last time in the arena?”

The lead-up to Rio was different from what Peters and other veterans were accustomed to—but for these Games only Peters fully appreciated the changes, as his three teammates all were Olympics first-timers.

The US Equestrian Federation instituted a new selection process for Rio. Instead of the usual selection trials on US soil, the USEF sent eight horse/rider combinations to Europe, where for three months they were watched closely as they competed in designated “observation event” CDIs (FEI-recognized dressage competitions). It was from that group that the final four were chosen.

Next behind Peters in terms of international experience was Graves, 29, of Orlando, FL, who also competed at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, the 2015 FEI World Cup Dressage Final in Las Vegas. and the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. But Rio was the first major international championships for both PerryGlass and Brock.

Perry-Glass, 28, of Orangevale, CA, was hopeful that she would make the Olympic team aboard Dublet, a 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding owned by Diane Perry; but she realized that “you can’t expect anything. You have to go out there, do your best, and hope that your best is what will get you on the team. Luckily it was.”

Although “it was a long stint in Europe,” Perry-Glass said, “I think it got us really prepared as a team to come over here and get the job done.” Her performances in the

Olympic arena showed how well the experience helped her.

“My first ride was a good warm-up ride,” Perry-Glass said of her Grand Prix effort, which garnered a score of 75.229 percent. “It was the first time in a big stadium like that for him. We had the ring familiarization, but it’s different when you are all by yourself and there is a different atmosphere around you; but he really stepped up to the plate. He was a little nervous at first, but by the end of the ride he was relaxed and trusting me.

“In the Grand Prix Special, I felt like he understood he was there to pull the team together and get a final good score. We had one mistake in the extended trot, and that affected our extended-trot and our transition scores.” She’d asked a little too much of Dublet in that movement, she said, “and my half-halt was not at the right time and he just kind of fell on his forehand.” But her coach, Olympian Debbie McDonald, had taught her that “you have to keep on riding. You can’t dwell on what just happened. You have to block it out and make the rest really special.” Perry-Glass did; it worked; and she ended with a GP Special score of 73.235.

For Brock, 36, of Wellington, FL, her bobble in the Grand Prix wasn’t as obvious. Her mistake in the two-tempi changes resulted from a momentary loss of focus, she said.

“When I picked up the canter, I realized they were play- ing Anky’s [van Grunsven] Bonfire kür music,” she said. Momentarily struck by the fact that she was riding to the music of one of the most decorated dressage Olympians in history, “I had an idea of where I was but lost count. And then I didn’t give the aid that I needed. I prayed for the change instead of riding for the change. I was mortified.”

If that Grand Prix test wasn’t Brock’s best effort—her 72.686 ended up being the team’s drop score—she redeemed herself in the Special, besting Perry-Glass’s 73.235 with a 73.824 aboard Rosevelt, a 2002 Hanoverian stallion owned by Claudine and Fritz Kundrun. The effort was sufficient to qualify Brock for the individual medal final, the Grand Prix Freestyle, along with Peters and Graves. (Perry-Glass missed the cut, failing to place in the top 18 individually.)

“It was quite hot, and yet he couldn’t care less about that. He thinks he belongs here,” Brock said of her mount. “He just cantered in there like he owns the place.”

That wasn’t always the case, however. According to Brock, Rosevelt “used to be a horse that was very environmentally sensitive.” In one experience she called “terrifying,” her freestyle music volume wasn’t adjusted properly, and the blast of sound “really scared him.” Patient training helped the stallion to overcome his fears, and now Rosevelt is “a perfect gentleman,” said Brock, who expressed her pride that “my horse stood like a rock and calmly trotted around the awards ceremony in Rio.”

It was Peters’ score of 77.614 percent in the Grand Prix that put Team USA on the fast track to a medal. Later, he rhapsodized about the effort: Even though he went on to score 79.393 in the freestyle, “The one ride that I will remember for the rest of my life is the Grand Prix. It was exactly what I had dreamed of. I wanted to deliver a score that would put the team a little bit ahead of nations who were in the running for third place, and that is exactly what I did. Let me rephrase that: It was exactly what Legolas did,” he said of his mount, Legolas 92, a 2002 Westfalen gelding owned by Four Winds Farm. Peters and Legolas have had an enduring and successful partnership, with appearances at the 2012 Olympics, the 2014 WEG, the 2015 Pan Am Games, and the 2015 World Cup Dressage Final.

Peters made it clear that these Olympics were extraspecial.

“I remember getting off, and even after four Olympics being crazy emotional about his performance,” he said of his horse. “And then when I started talking to the TV crew [in the round of mandatory post-ride press interviews], I made it through the first crew, but by the second crew I was bawling my eyes out. When you have a group of people together for three months without a single conflict, without a single incident, it is more than friendship; and then to deliver for three incredible people and for their families, their support, and for our country, to try to put that into words, it’s almost impossible.”

If the Grand Prix was emotional for Peters, the Grand Prix Special was equally memorable, but for a different reason. The audience saw Legolas make one obvious bobble in a half-pass—a momentary loss of balance, Peters said—but the real (and unseen) story started in the first piaffe.

“The buckle of my belt broke, and for the entire test the belt was flapping around, and I could feel my pants getting looser and looser and sliding down,” Peters recounted. “Finally, by the last center line, I grabbed the belt with my left hand, and when I saluted I looked at [judge] Gary [Rockwell], who was at C, and he saw me taking the rest of my belt off. He had this look on his face as if to say, ‘What is he doing?’”

The distraction concerned Peters because “I didn’t know if the score was going to be good enough to support the team. I knew we needed a 74.198, but the score was not up on the scoreboard.” Fortunately, the effort was more than sufficient, and when his score of 74.622 was announced Peters got “super excited. I knew it was a supporting team score. From there on, I was quite happy coming out with a belt in my hand.”

But the bronze medal wasn’t secure yet. With both PerryGlass and Peters scoring slightly lower than hoped in the Special, it came down to Graves. She’d earned the top US score in the Grand Prix with her 78.071, and after the Special she

Scene in Rio

Veteran photojournalist Diana De Rosa has captured seven Olympic Games in photos. Here are some of the indelible images from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

BRAZILIAN PRIDE: A carioca waves her country’s flag and Vinicius, the Rio Olympics mascot, at the dressage competition

CRITICAL MOMENT: Horses must pass a veterinary inspection (“the jog”) to be permitted to compete. Allison Brock concentrates on keeping the “naughty, playful” Rosevelt under control.

PARTY CITY: Beachside watering hole in Rio de Janeiro

TEAM GOLD MEDALISTS: Germany again reigned supreme with riders Isabell Werth, Dorothee Schneider, Sonke Rothenberger, and Kristina Broring-Sprehe

TIGHT SHIP: Armed security forces were evident throughout the city and at competition venues revealed that she’d gone in the ring determined to hit a new high mark—what she later termed “the elusive 80 percent.”

OVERWHELMED: Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin (with mount Valegro and groom Alan Davies behind her) wipes away tears during the individual medal presentation while silver medalist Isabell Werth (left) and bronze medalist Kristina BroringSprehe look on. Dujardin’s victory was all the more poignant for the knowledge that this was “Blueberry’s” final competition.

“I had no idea of the score I needed,” Graves said afterward. “I wanted to give the team enough points to put us on that podium.” (In fact, a score of 73-plus-percent would have been sufficient.)

Graves went for it, and her Grand Prix Special with Verdades showed a new level of power that the judges rewarded with a score of 80.644 percent.

“Kasey and I were sitting together watching Laura pull off that incredible ride,” Brock said later. “I could see the ticker on the screen. It was 80, 81, 79. It was unbelievable.”

Peters decided that the team should run down to the ring to high-five Graves for the achievement. The exuberant competitors startled “Diddy” at the exit gate (“but it was totally worth it,” Graves said) and broke the news that they’d won the bronze.

Delivering under pressure is the stuff that sporting legends are made of. Asked how she managed it, Graves said: “I am very lucky that I have such a great horse that gives me the ability to be confident. I don’t have to prove any more that I have a nice horse and that I can ride. And that feels good, especially against the Charlotte Dujardins and Isabell Werths in the world. When you are warming up next to them, it can be distracting, and you can maybe feel lesser. These past three years have given me the experience to not have those feelings. It helps your mindset and your riding that you could very easily beat any other combination.”

Stronger Together

Praise for the members of Team USA flowed lavishly after the medal ceremony.

“It’s been a great experience,” said Graves. “I got to share it with three great teammates, our amazing alternate [traveling reserve Shelly Francis with Patricia Stempel’s 2003 Oldenburg gelding, Doktor], and the staff. Everybody just worked so well together. We did everything we planned on doing. Every member of our team was able to contribute to that medal.”

“I am excited to be part of the team that put the US back on the podium after there has been a drought, because I also think now we are building momentum,” said Brock. “I know what kind of depth we have coming up behind us. I think it was really good for American dressage.”

Said Peters: “If this would have been my last time in the ring, it was worth the wait. It really meant that much to me. It hit me when Laura did her last center line because the score was great. That was the most emotional part, and the medal confirmed it later on. It is one of those moments you live for. I look at it this way: We didn’t lose the gold or silver; we won the bronze medal, and that is why to me it is as good as gold. The bottom line is that we didn’t just hope that the dream would come true. We made the dream come true.”

Journalist and photographer Diana De Rosa, of Farmingdale, NY, has covered seven Olympic Games and numerous World Equestrian Games, World Cup Finals, and other prestigious championships. She is the owner of the PR firm Press Link and the current president of American Horse Publications.

Another one of those special moments was one morning when I was sound asleep and suddenly heard loud music. I ran to the balcony and down below was a parade of people following the torch (or at least that’s what we think it was). The picture says it all. Photo: © Diana DeRosa 2016

Whirlwind – that’s the best way I can describe these last few days. You think you have a moment to relax and get organized and suddenly you’re in a mad dash for the unexpected. As I write this article, many journalists are heading to the Opening Ceremony, but none of us got

We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience OK, I agree No, thanks tickets. As much as we all wanted to go and would still gladly go, in a way it was a blessing in disguise because we can already feel the workload building.

So, going back a bit. The landing at the airport in Rio was seamless with accreditation right out of customs. Then on to finding a shuttle to the Main Press Center and then an uber to an apartment I’m sharing with fellow journalists Cealy Tetley, her husband Bryan Barrier and Kim and Allen MacMillan.

The apartment where we are staying is right across from the ocean. Remember all those pics you’ve seen of ugly water. Well, not here. This water is beautiful and the sun bathers are covering the beaches. Our apartment is spacious with plenty of room for all of us and much cheaper than what others paid for the press hotels, which we’ve heard aren’t worth the $254 dollars they are paying a night per person, compared to our $50 a night. Luck was with us, thanks to Cealy, who did all the research and bargaining to find this Air BNB.

Next in the plans was going to the MPC to get photo vests, sign in to Nikon or Canon, and check into transportation. Uber was the way to go when we first came but now only the official vehicles are allowed on the roads and so bye bye uber. We’ve mapped out a new plan to get to the

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MPC where we can take a shuttle to the Equestrian Center. The official vehicles, including the shuttle, are traveling on a road designated for just them. So, the hour long ride we took during the 2007 Rio Pan Am Games only takes us 30 minutes now. Others may get caught in traffic, but not us.

We arrived on August 3 rd thinking we had a free day on August 4 th , only to find out that was not the case.

So, on

Thursday, we faced the true shuttle challenge. That ½ hour ride I mentioned, took us three hours of frustration, all because of lettering. They told us Bay D and then take 35. Well there is a Bay D35, which we hopped on, not realizing that the bus # was 32. Needless to say, we were taken everywhere but where we needed to go. That’s when we finally hopped into a taxi.

As an aside, the ride on the shuttle passes an array of beautiful apartment buildings and run down neighborhoods. Graffiti is everywhere and as you pass some of the areas it’s clear where you would not want to be walking alone day or night.

Despite taking the alternate routes to the equestrian center, the good news is we made it to the stable tour where we were allowed to take pictures but not approach or talk to the riders. You’ll see some pictures We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience OK, I agree No, thanks of that and other things I’ve mentioned here. Eventer Boyd Martin and Phillip Dutton were wandering around, while dressage rider Shelly Francis was relaxing outside the stables. The most impressive part of the tour was leaving to head out to walk the cross-country course and passing all the grooms relaxing and grazing their horses.

Gustavo Lorenzo and Rabbe Wrede were just a couple of the staff posing for some cool pictures for us while also being helpful in answering questions. Because we didn’t have time to drop off bags at the media center before heading out, my backpack was starting to get a bit on the heavy side and Gustavo politely helped by carrying it around for me.

So much negative has been passed around but the truth is the setup is very nice. Even the cross-country course is colorful, the fences well built, and the ground we are told has met and almost surpassed the standard. There’s a cushion you feel when you walk. As has been the case recently in the high profile events, it’s more of a technical course than a long galloping course with lots of questions, hilly terrain and turns. The course designer, Pierre Michelet wandered to some of the fences with us and explained the direct and alternate routes and some of the questions each fence posed for both horse and rider. We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience OK, I agree No, thanks

On our way home to catch the shuttle the streets were lined with people waiting for the torch to pass. Families, couples and kids of all ages were having fun. One group of girls saw the camera and their pose was priceless.

For food, we are on our own but the supermarkets have everything you can imagine. You just need to see what is pricey and what’s not as the range does not compare to what we see in the United States.

The number of people in the Mundiale we went to was truly insane. Where did they all come from?

Water is better in bottles as the chlorination in the drinking water and showers is very noticeable. With the weather being quite warm during the days (despite this being their winter) water is a must if you don’t want to get dehydrated.

Today was the jog or first horse inspection and it was done in the Olympic Equestrian Centre. This arena is beautifully laid out. The horses all sparkled and many had markings on their rumps. A total of 73 horses jogged and ultimately all passed the inspection.

I have to say that the highlight of the week so far was watching Cealy clear out the mosquitos. Yep, there are mosquitos and lots of them. And to handle the situation, the owners of the condo we are staying in left us with lots of spray and electric zappers and when they zap they ZAP!

The welcome bags we got at the MPC all contained a bottle of Off! and we’ve been encouraged to keep doors and windows closed, especially at night.

We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience OK, I agree No, thanks highlight was having Norman, the mascot of the 2014 Alltech World Equestrian Games, travel the cross-country course with us. Then there was we know not what. We think it is a monkey, but maybe one of our HorsesDaily readers can tell us by looking at the picture with the flying tail.

What is this strange animal in Rio?

Another one of those special moments was one morning when I was sound asleep and suddenly heard loud music. I ran to the balcony and down below was a parade of people following the torch (or at least that’s what we think it was). The picture says it all.

Days have already started to be long but it’s also exciting to be here to see how the action unfolds. It’s a lot better than we had anticipated. Military are everywhere carrying rifles and the word we’ve gotten is daytime is fine – nighttime is not. Since we are pretty much confined to the venues, computers and cameras, there won’t be much worry about that.

My moment of glory was on the cross-country course when we stopped at a beautiful Rio 2016 wooden sign to take a picture that will be a memory forever. The backdrop was the grazing horses and the surrounding terrain. It was the highlight of the day.

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If you are curious about anything that’s happening here, feel free to reach out so we can let you view these Olympic Games from the inside. Tomorrow is the big day because that’s when Eventing starts. It starts with two days of dressage, followed by cross-country on Monday and show jumping followed by the medal ceremony on Tuesday. Stick with HorsesDaily as they bring all the action to you, both in front and behind the camera!

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For 18-year-old Reed Kessler, 2012 was the “best year” of her life. The rising star was the youngest American to compete in show jumping at the London Olympic Games and she is excited for what the future holds. In just a short six months she and her horse Cylana went from their first 1.60 meter grand prix all the way to representing their c ountry in their very first Olympic Games.

Reed, Lexington, KY, earned the honor to represent her nation after she won the Olympic Selection Trials. “It didn’t shock Katie (Prudent - her trainer) but it shocked me,” she commented.

When it was all over she didn’t win any medals but she proved she was up for the task. She learned a lot and now has some good mileage that will bode well for her the next time she is in a similar position.

“Now that it is done it is amazing to take a step back and look at how my career has changed in six months. Making the Olympics has been my biggest dream and my entire goal. The fact that I have done it so young is an unbelievable feeling. Now, I can’t wait to come back and medal,” she added with an evident determination that made you believe she will do just that.

Chatting with Reed it’s hard to believe she’s so young as her comments made you feel they were coming from someone who has been a longtime veteran in the sport at the highest levels.

“The Olympics is just one week of your life,” she reflected, “so it doesn’t fully assess your riding ability.

We turned the conversation to what Reed felt were the things she needed to overcome and what she had learned from this monumental experience.

“I have never competed in a real championship format,” she explained. “Not like on this level, where you have to dig really deep to jump these fences.”

Kessler spoke highly of the courses designed by Bob Ellis. She had jumped his courses at some of the events she had competed at in Florida and Calgary and so was familiar with his style.

“I think he is a fantastic course designer,” she commented. “There were some big fences but his courses are more technical then it is killing the horses; more rider error than sheer scope of the horse. A lot of thought goes into his courses.”

We discussed her preparation with Cylana, which was very simple. “I barely did anything. It was more to stretch and loosen her. I kept it to a real minimum to keep her very fresh and excited.”

Then our tête-à-tête focused a bit on the Olympic Trials. “We’ve done so much jumping to get here.” You could sense that on the one hand she wondered if it didn’t take too much out of the horses but then on the other hand, “it has its ups and downs but it gives way for new people like me to break through.”

Where Do We Go From here to Win m eD als

None of the U.S. riders (team or individual) who competed in England won any medals and we talked a bit about our lack of medals at these Olympic Games and what homework needs to be done to solve that.

“There is never an immediate fix to anything,” she said after a moment’s pause. “Things take time to see the scale rise and fall. I think we are on a rise. We have a strong new wave of young riders my age coming up. While we may not have medaled, we did finish on the upper side of the pack.”

The U.S. wasn’t the only surprise finish after coming off back-to-back victories in the past two Olympic Games. “Germany and France didn’t even make the second round,” she remarked.

With more reflection she repeated an earlier comment. “It is just one week. We had a strong team. Rich (Fellers) and Flexible are one of the greatest combinations in the world. Via Volo (Beezie Madden’s mount) is just coming back from an injury and had a surprising refusal on the first day. McLain Ward’s horse Antares is not as seasoned and McLain is coming back from an injury from a fall earlier this year. They just had some bad luck with foots in the water and rails down. Then there was me never being in a championship before. It was a lot. Our performance was not stellar

“Things take time to see the scale rise and fall. I think we are on a rise. We have a strong new wave of young riders my age coming up. While we may not have medaled, we did finish on the upper side of the pack.” but it was pretty solid but at the end of the day you have to jump clean rounds and it didn’t happen for us this week.”

Kessler was happy with her first round despite the one time fault, which she felt may have caused some of her later faults.

“I think the whole thing was having the time fault the first day. You make mistakes and the fences come down and that happens but there is no one to blame but yourself for a time fault.”

In the second round she felt worrying about the time fault helped her to drop two rails for eight faults. “I was a bit aggressive. So, it was my fault and unfortunately luck wasn’t with me.”

More rails fell on the last day (3 for 12 faults). Despite the fact that Chef d’Equipe George Morris and Katie thought she rode a tough water jump after a rollback just fine, Cylana ended up with a foot in the water.

“I might have not ridden it strong enough. Then the next rail fell because of having the water. By the end of the course there was a real reachy huge oxer after the ingate and I needed to feel her fading,” she explained with a clear sense of determination in her voice.

T He O Lympic E Xperience

Enough about what she didn’t feel. Kessler also wanted to talk about the wonders of her very first Olympic Games. “It was a packed crowd and I was so excited because it’s been a long build up to get here. Kind of what you’ve been training for and working for is finally here. I was ready to sink my teeth in. I was excited to actually do it.

“The crowd really pumped me up even more. I like a lot of pressure. I don’t attribute the faults to crumbling under pressure. I thought I performed admirably. I just don’t have championship experience, not for nerves but just jumping real championship courses four days in a row. That is something I have never done. It takes time, strength, experience and the ability to fight to clear every fence.”

For Kessler looking back she recalls these Olympic Games as a wonderful memory that she’s already learned from but now she’s moving on. She’s hoping to represent her country again in upcoming championships, Nations Cups, World Cups and more.

“Your first championship is survival. As a team member I wish I could have pulled out a clear round for my team and I wish I could have pulled out a medal for Cylana because she is a horse that deserves to medal. She has taken a kid to the Olympic Games and had solid performances each day.

“I am just so thankful for the experience and that I had the opportunity. Now that I’ve done it and learned so much, I can’t wait to try again.

“It was an amazing opportunity to have spent the time studying with George, bonding with the team and watching real veterans ride. I want to come back many times and bring back a lot of hardware for my country.”

Reed paused for a moment and reflected on one of the most important lessons she’d learned and it was from watching British world class rider Nick Skelton who after 54 years finally won an Olympic Gold team medal.

“He’s won just about everything else, but the Olympic medal was one that continually escaped him. Nobody goes to every show each week and wins. Here is one of the greatest riders in history and it took him all these years to win a Gold Medal.

“Katie and Henri (Prudent) my trainers are good friends with Nick Skelton. After his victory he was talking about his win and that every time he tried just as hard, wanted it just as much and he rode just as well but it never came together until this one. I thought that was inspiring.

“Finally one of the world’s greatest riders came back and did it. It’s taken him so long to do this that you can’t be upset about it. He’s worked so hard and finally did it in front of an enthusiastic crowd in his own country. At only 18, I have a few more years to come back and try. Hopefully like Nick, one day I will come back and finish with a medal around my neck.” 1

For 18-year-old Reed Kessler, 2012 has been the “best year of my life,” remarked the youngest American to compete in show jumping at the London Olympic Games. In just a short six months she and her horse Cylana went from their first 1.60 meter grand prix all the way to representing their country in their very first Olympic Games.

“I couldn’t have in my wildest dreams thought this would happen. It is a pretty long way to come in the span of six months,” remarked the striking young rider with her long auburn locks and magnetic dancing eyes.

Reed, Lexington, KY, earned the honor to represent her nation after she won the Olympic Selection Trials. “It didn’t shock Katie (Prudent - her trainer) but it shocked me,” she commented.

When it was all over she didn’t win any medals but she proved she was up for the task. She learned a lot and now has some good mileage that will bode well for her the next time she is in a similar position.

“Now that it is done it is amazing to take a step back and look at how my career has changed in six months. Making the Olympics has been my biggest dream and my entire goal. The fact that I have done it so young is an unbelievable feeling. Now, I can’t wait to come back and medal,” she added with an evident determination that made you believe she will do just that.

Chatting with Reed it’s hard to believe she’s so young as her comments made you feel they were coming from someone who has been a longtime veteran in the sport at the highest levels.

“The Olympics is just one week of your life,” she reflected, “so it doesn’t fully assess your riding ability.

We turned the conversation to what Reed felt were the things she needed to overcome and what she had learned from this monumental experience.

“I have never competed in a real championship format,” she explained. “Not like on this level, where you have to dig really deep to jump these fences.”

Kessler spoke highly of the courses designed by Bob Ellis. She had jumped his courses at some of the events she had competed at in Florida and Calgary and so was familiar with his style.

“I think he is a fantastic course designer,” she commented. “There were some big fences but his courses are more technical then it is killing the horses; more rider error than sheer scope of the horse. A lot of thought goes into his courses.”

We discussed her preparation with Cylana, which was very simple. “I barely did anything. It was more to stretch and loosen her. I kept it to a real minimum to keep her very fresh and excited.”

Then our tête-à-tête focused a bit on the Olympic Trials. “We’ve done so much jumping to get here.” You could sense that on the one hand she wondered if it didn’t take too much out of the horses but then on the other hand, “it has its ups and downs but it gives way for new people like me to break through.”

Where Do We Go From Here to Win Medals

None of the U.S. riders (team or individual) who competed in England won any medals and we talked a bit about our lack of medals at these Olympic Games and what homework needs to be done to solve that.

“There is never an immediate fix to anything,” she said after a moment’s pause. “Things take time to see the scale rise and fall. I think we are on a rise. We have a strong new wave of young riders my age coming up. While we may not have medaled, we did finish on the upper side of the pack.”

The U.S. wasn’t the only surprise finish after coming off back-to-back victories in the past two Olympic Games. “Germany and France didn’t even make the second round,” she remarked.

With more reflection she repeated an earlier comment. “It is just one week. We had a strong team. Rich (Fellers) and Flexible are one of the greatest combinations in the world. Via Volo (Beezie Madden’s mount) is just coming back from an injury and had a surprising refusal on the first day. McLain Ward’s horse Antares is not as seasoned and McLain is coming back from an injury from a fall earlier this year. They just had some bad luck with foots in the water and rails down. Then there was me never being in a championship before. It was a lot. Our performance was not stellar but it was pretty solid but at the end of the day you have to jump clean rounds and it didn’t happen for us this week.”

Kessler was happy with her first round despite the one time fault, which she felt may have caused some of her later faults.

“I think the whole thing was having the time fault the first day. You make mistakes and the fences come down and that happens but there is no one to blame but yourself for a time fault.”

In the second round she felt worrying about the time fault helped her to drop two rails for eight faults. “I was a bit aggressive. So, it was my fault and unfortunately luck wasn’t with me.”

More rails fell on the last day (3 for 12 faults). Despite the fact that Chef d’Equipe George Morris and Katie thought she rode a tough water jump after a rollback just fine, Cylana ended up with a foot in the water.

“I might have not ridden it strong enough. Then the next rail fell because of having the water. By the end of the course there was a real reachy huge oxer after the ingate and I needed to feel her fading,” she explained with a clear sense of determination in her voice.

The Olympic Experience

Enough about what she didn’t feel. Kessler also wanted to talk about the wonders of her very first Olympic Games. “It was a packed crowd and I was so excited because it’s been a long build up to get here. Kind of what you’ve been training for and working for is finally here. I was ready to sink my teeth in. I was excited to actually do it.

“The crowd really pumped me up even more. I like a lot of pressure. I don’t attribute the faults to crumbling under pressure. I thought I performed admirably. I just don’t have championship experience, not for nerves but just jumping real championship courses four days in a row. That is something I have never done. It takes time, strength, experience and the ability to fight to clear every fence.”

For Kessler looking back she recalls these Olympic Games as a wonderful memory that she’s already learned from but now she’s moving on. She’s hoping to represent her country again in upcoming championships, Nations Cups, World Cups and more.

“Your first championship is survival. As a team member I wish I could have pulled out a clear round for my team and I wish I could have pulled out a medal for Cylana because she is a horse that deserves to medal. She has taken a kid to the Olympic Games and had solid performances each day.

“I am just so thankful for the experience and that I had the opportunity. Now that I’ve done it and learned so much, I can’t wait to try again.

“It was an amazing opportunity to have spent the time studying with George, bonding with the team and watching real veterans ride. I want to come back many times and bring back a lot of hardware for my country.”

Reed paused for a moment and reflected on one of the most important lessons she’d learned and it was from watching British world class rider Nick Skelton who after 54 years finally won an Olympic Gold team medal.

“He’s won just about everything else, but the Olympic medal was one that continually escaped him. Nobody goes to every show each week and wins. Here is one of the greatest riders in history and it took him all these years to win a Gold Medal.

“Katie and Henri (Prudent) my trainers are good friends with Nick Skelton. After his victory he was talking about his win and that every time he tried just as hard, wanted it just as much and he rode just as well but it never came together until this one. I thought that was inspiring.

“Finally one of the world’s greatest riders came back and did it It’s taken him so long to do this that you can’t be upset about it. He’s worked so hard and finally did it in front of an enthusiastic crowd in his own country. At only 18, I have a few more years to come back and try. Hopefully like Nick, one day I will come back and finish with a medal around my neck.”

ShowJumpingTeamFinalsConcludeTokyo2020Competition withaSilverMedalforUSA

AttheculminationofequestriancompetitioninTokyo,Swedenwalkedawaywiththeshowjumpingteam goldmedal,followedbytheU.S.forthesilvermedalandBelgiumforthebronze.

2/19/23, 7:50 PM

Summer Games 2021: USA Claims Show Jumping Team Silver

ItwasafighttothefinishbuttheUSAfoughttheirwaytoasilvermedalonSaturday,August 7attheTokyo2020OlympicGamesforthefinalTeamUSAequestriancompetitionwith https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/competitions/show-jumping-team-finals-conclude-tokyo-2020-competition-with-a-silver-medal-for-usa/

SwedenwinningthegoldandBelgiumthebronze.

InthefirstroundTeamUSAleadwithLauraKrautandBaloutinue,whoreallyraisedthe hopesforTeamUSAwhentheyputinastrongclearroundoveranextremelydifficultcourse. AfterthatfirstroundSwedenriderHenrikvonEckermannalsowentclearforSweden,with FrancenotfarbehindwithonlyonetimefaultforSimonDelestreandBerluxZ.Belgium wasn’tfarbehindwithfourfaultsnegotiatedbyPieterDevosandClaireZ.

Whenthesecondrider’sscoreswereaddedtothoseofthefirstrider,Francecontinuedto dominatewhenMathieuBillotaboardQuelFilou13addedonlyonetimeforateamtotalat thispointof2.

ItwasthenJessicaSpringsteenandDonJuanVanDeDonkhoevewhoenteredthearena next,andalthoughtheyaddedfourfaultstotheTeamUSAscoreherridewasstrongand gavethematotalof4faults,whichcontinuedtokeeptheminamedalposition.

BelgiumcontinuedtostayatthetopwhenJeromeGueryandQuelHommedeHushelped theteamstayinmedalcontentionwhentheyhadaclearroundandatworoundtotaloffour faults.

Sweden,whohadbeendominatingeveryroundsofar,hadtheirfirstfourfaulterwhenMalin Baryard-JohnssonandIndianadroppedtheirfirstrail,butwithonlyatotaloffourfaultsthey werealsostillinmedalcontention.

Forthefinalroundtheorderswereadjustedbasedonthenewplacements.Whichputthe teamsinreverseorderbasedontheirpresentscores.ThatputFranceinthefinalspotwith Swedennexttolastastimeseparatedthefourfaulters.ThencameTeamUSAandBelgium.

AfterWardnegotiateda4faultround,Swedenaddedfourmorefaults,Belgiumadded8 whichputthemoutofcontentionforthetopthreemedals,itwasalluptoFrance.Aclear wouldhavegiventhemtheGold,SwedentheSilverbasedonaslightlyfastertimethanthe US,andthenTeamUSAwouldhavehadtosettleforBronze.

Butasthesayinggoes–itain’toveruntilit’soverbecausethat’swhenthegoldwastaken awayfromFranceafterfinalriderPenelopeLeprevostandVancouverdeLanlorewouldno longerbeabletodefendtheirtitlewhentheynegotiatedaninandoutcombination,taking downarailatthefirstelementandthenapullupatthesecond.Inanefforttostillreclaima spotLeprevostcamebacktoattempttojumpthecombinationbutVancouverwashavingno partofitandrefused,whicheliminatedFranceandopenedthedoorforUSAandSwedento haveajumpoffforSilverandGold.Andyoualreadyknowhowthatturnedout.TeamUSA waslookinglikethiswouldbeaBronzemedalvictorybutendedupsweetsilverjustmissing thegoldbecausetheSwedishteamwereslightlyfaster https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/competitions/show-jumping-team-finals-conclude-tokyo-2020-competition-with-a-silver-medal-for-usa/

“Wedidwhatwasexpectedofussoitgivesusevenmoresatisfaction,”commentedGuery inthepressconference.

QualifyingfortheTeamFinals

ThequalifyingroundforshowjumpingfinalstookplaceonAugust6 attheBajiKoen EquestrianPark.Astartingfieldof17countrieswasnarroweddowntothetoptento challengeeachotherandtheclockforthetopthreemedalsonthefollowingnight.

Thequalifyingcoursewaslongandtesting.Thereweretwofallsandahandfulofrefusals, butalsosomebrilliantperformances.

WhenIreland’sShaneSweetmanenteredthearenaonAlejandro,hishorsewasclearly tryinghardtojumpthefences,especiallyatfence#8wherehetriedextrahardtoclearthe fenceafterbeingabittoofaronthetake-off.Hetookrailsdownintheprocessandwas unabletogetittogethertojumpthenextfenceanditwasnosurprisewhenhecrashed throughfence#9ratherthanjumpit.Sweetnamwastossedintheprocessbutwas unharmed,butthefallmeanttheywereeliminated.

Alittlebitlaterinthecourse,TeddyVlockandAmsterdam27,representingIsrael,hada similarfate.Thingsweregoingwelluntiltheytooarrivedatfence#8andhishorsetriedhis besttoclearthefencefromadistancethatwasjusttoofar.Hisfallwasabitmoredramatic asmedicalteamsracedouttoensurehewasalright.Minuteslaterhewasupandwalking again,butthefallmeantelimination.

TeddyVlock(ISR)andAmsterdam27hadtroubleatfenceeight,ultimatelycrashingthroughitandbeing eliminated.©DianaDeRosa https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/competitions/show-jumping-team-finals-conclude-tokyo-2020-competition-with-a-silver-medal-for-usa/

Afterhisfall,thecoursehadtobeputbacktogetheragain.Atfence#9thepoleswere replacedincorrectly.OlympicgoldmedalistMcLainWardwaswatchingfromthesidelines whenhesawthemistakeandimmediatelyalertedthecoursedesigner,whocorrectedthe problemandthankedWardwithathumbsup.

Mostoftheriderswhohadrefusalswereabletojumpthefenceintheirsecondattempt. However,EugenioGarzaPerezandArmaniSLZfromMexico,whofollowedVlock,hadtwo refusalsatthewalljumpandwaseliminated.

Halfwaythroughthecourseonlytworidershadproducedclearrounds.Sweden’sHenrikvon EckermannandKingEdward,whohadplacedfourthintheindividualfinals,wasthefirst. TheotherriderwasMartonModoloZanotelliridingEdgarMfromBrazil.However,whenthe classwasovertheremainingSwedishridersjoinedEckermannwithclearrounds.Malin Baryard-JahnssononIndiana,whowerefifthindividually,andPederFredricsononAllIn, whogarneredtheindividualsilvermedal.Switzerland’sBryanBalsigeronTwentytwoDes Bichesalsoaddedhisnametothelist.

ItwasclearthatthecoursedesignerSantiagoVarelahaddesignedanOlympiclevelcourse thattestedtheskillofboththehorsesandriders,butourTeamUSAmayhavehadsome railsdownbuttheirhorseswerejumpingbrilliantly.Sinceitwasonlyamatterofbeinginthe topten,theirprioritywasachievingthatgoalevenifsomerailsfell.IntheendLauraKraut andBaloutinue,JessicaSpringsteenandDonJuanVanDeDonkhoeveandMcLainWard andContagiouseachhadonerailforfourfaultsandMcLainalsoadded1timefaultbutthere totalteamscoreof13puttheminfifthintheteamorder.FirstplacewasSwedenwith0 faults.NextwasBelgiumwith4faults.ThirdwasGermanyalsowithfourfaultsbutaslower time.AndinfourthjustaheadofTeamUSAwasSwitzerlandwith10faults.

IntheenditcamedowntoFredricsonandAllInputtinginsuchafastroundthattheytook thegoldovertheUS.Afterwardsheresponded,“IsawMcLain’sroundandIalsodidn’thave toomuchtimesoIwantedtostaycalm.AsIgotasilvermedalintheindividualIwaswanted totakethetimeandIwasluckythatthepolesstayedup.”

DespitethefactthatTeamUSAtookthesilver,McLaindoesnotsupportthenewformat, notingthatnothavingadropscoreputstoomuchpressureonthehorsesandriders.“What anincrediblebattle.Whatgreatsportandwhatagreatbattle.Itakemyhatofftothem.They wereunbelievable.Itwasgreatsporttonightbutnotabouttheformatbutaboutthehorses,” heconcluded.

Lauraadded,“Ithinkthebestteamwontonight.”

AsthefirstOlympicsforJessicashewasoverjoyedaboutherhorse’sperformance.“Iwas justtryingtokeepmyhorsefresh.Iwasjusthappyit’ssoeasyforhim.”

TeamUSAShowsStrengthandPower

FirsttogoonthecourseforTeamUSAwasOlympicveteranLauraKraut.Afternegotiating aboutfivefencesclearahugenoisecamefromoutsidethearena.Itsoundedlikea motorcyclewasstartedupandrevvedaroundtheoutsideofthearenaloudandclear.While shecontinuedtonegotiateagreatroundshediddropthatonerailgoingdownthefinalline.

https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/competitions/show-jumping-team-finals-conclude-tokyo-2020-competition-with-a-silver-medal-for-usa/

Krautwaspleasedwithherhorsenoting,“Hefeltgreat.HejumpedbeautifullyApartfrom thatjumphedidn’ttouchajumpandhedideverythingIaskedofhim.So,I’mreallyreally happyThetimeallowedisveryshort,becauseIdidn’tfeelthatIwastedtimeanywhere.The objectivetodayistogetintotomorrow.We’lldoenoughtodayandthenpulloutallthestops then.”

Jessicaechoedsimilarsentimentsaboutherround.Shehadaraildownonthelastlineand explained,“Ithoughtmyhorsejumpedbeautifully.Iwasthinkingaboutthetime.…myhorse hasareallybigstride.Ididthe5stridestotheplank,butIneededtoslowitdownalittlebit more.”

McLainwaslasttogoandwasalsopleased,feelingtheyputinagoodqualifyinground. “We’vebeenoniceforthebetterpartoffourweeksnowandhislastshowwasoveramonth ago.Andtocomeinandjumpatthislevelwasarealchallenge.Ihadalotofanxietyoverit tobefrank,buthewasrightthereforme.IturnedforhomeandIdidn’tfightasmuchasI usuallydoforanoxer,butIwantedtomakesuretherewasn’tgoingtobeamajorblunder.”

TheAmericanshadaplantogetintothefinalsandthat’swheretheyweregoingtoshow whattheyreallyhad.

FormoreexclusiveupdateswithVitaFlex(http://bit.ly/vita-flex-pro_tokyo)leadingupto andincludingtheGames,visitpracticalhorsemanmag.com/summer-games-2021 Whatdidyouthinkofthisarticle?

,SummerGames2021 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/competitions/show-jumping-team-finals-conclude-tokyo-2020-competition-with-a-silver-medal-for-usa/

TOKYO OLYMPIC GAMES COVERAGE BY DIANA DE ROSA FOR EQUUS TELEVISION NETWORK.