The Gladstone Wash-Out
Well, It was a wash-out again for the last day of the Festival of Champions and the U. S. National Championships.
Only the Young Riders class got to go and they had some fantastic rides which appeared not to be hindered in the least by the rain or the footing.
Amidst all the controversy over the going in the main arena, I just want to go on record that the Dick and Jane Brown Arena lived up to decades of its reputation for holding up and draining no matter how much water might be dumped on it from the heavens. I did not see one horse slip or hear of anyone saying their horse was hurt in even the slightest way from the footing.
Indeed, the only horses which were at all “iffy” during the competition, in my opinion, arrived on the grounds that way.
Might it be even made better with the “Aachen footing” and a top professional crowning it as well as a total refurbishing of the indoor from soup to nuts? Absolutely!
That being said, I have ridden in major European competitions where both the warm-ups and the main arenas were in far worse shape and, since winning prize money also determined whether I could eat that week, provided I was 100% convinced that my horses were in no real danger from doing so, I as well as all the other international dressage and jumping riders bucked up and rode.
And, just as was the case this weekend, sometimes I was surprised by just how well my horses moved and how concentrated they remained.
Still, I understand the conflict the judges felt in trying to come to the best decision for everyone and respect the fact that they were trying to put the horses’ welfare first as they always should.
And I want to congratulate once again all the riders, especially our new Champions and Vice-Champions at every level. The Juniors and Young Riders were awesome and show great potential to become, with hopefully new and stronger programs in place to nurture and support them, Olympic stars of the future. The same goes for the top Brentina Cup riders and Intermediare Champions.
I wish them as well as our Grand Prix riders all the best of luck and know, especially after speaking to just about every one of them this week, that I am 100% behind them and am always here for them if I can help in any way.
Cheers!
RD
barb putnam — June 23, 2009 @ 6:32 am
I wish someone would post the final results for all the riders and all the divisions somewhere. All I can find is who won and who was reserve.
Maybe the data floated away somewhere.
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