US Olympic Eventing Team

[roadpony]

The short list was announced today by USEF. Would love to see a Saddlebred on this list some day, though probably it's more likely in dressage first. I think it's interesting to look at the ages and breeds of the horses... while all sorts of European warmbloods appear to be the rage in dressage and show jumping (?), most of these eventing horses are Thoroughbreds. Also notice that one of the horses is 19(!) Several are in their mid-teens.

Lexington, KY − The United States Equestrian Federation has approved the following horse/rider combinations to the Eventing Short List for the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong August 8-14, 2008.

The combinations are as follows (listed alphabetically):
Name/Age/Hometown/Horse/Sex/Age/Breed/Owner
Stephen Bradley / 46 / Leesburg, VA / Brandenburg’s Joshua / G / 13 / Thoroughbred / Southern Edition Farm, LLC
Bruce Davidson, Jr. / 32 / Ocala, FL / BallyNoe Castle RM / G / 8 / Irish Thoroughbred / Carl and Cassandra Segal
Phillip Dutton / 44 / West Grove, PA / Connaught / G / 15 / Irish Sport Horse / Bruce Duchossois
Phillip Dutton / 44 / West Grove, PA / The Foreman / G / 12 / Thoroughbred / Ann Jones
Phillip Dutton / 44 / West Grove, PA / Woodburn / G / 13 / Thoroughbred / Acorn Hill Farm
Will Faudree / 26 / Southern Pines, NC / Antigua / G / 19 / Australian Thoroughbred / Will Faudree
Becky Holder / 39 / Mendota Heights, MN / Courageous Comet / G / 12 / Thoroughbred / Thomas Holder, Jr.
Gina Miles / 34 / Creston, CA / McKinlaigh / G / 14 / Irish Sport Horse / Laura Coats, Gina Miles, and Thomas Schulz
Karen O’Connor / 50 / The Plains, VA / Mandiba / G / 8 / Thoroughbred / Joan Goswell
Karen O/Connor / 50 / The Plains, VA / Theodore O’Connor / G / 13 / Sport Pony / The Theodore O’Connor Syndicate
Kim Severson / 34 / Keene, VA / Tipperary Liadhnan / G / 11 / Irish Thoroughbred / Kim Severson
Amy Tryon / 38 / Duvall, WA / Leyland / G / 8 / Thoroughbred / Elizabeth Nicholson
Amy Tryon / 38 / Duvall, WA / Poggio II / G / 16 / Thoroughbred / Mark Hart, Amy Tryon, and Greg Tryon
Heidi White / 42 / Aiken, SC / Northern Spy / G / 15 / English Thoroughbred / Heidi White

The following horse/rider combinations are substitutes:
Stephen Bradley / 46 / Leesburg, VA / From / G / 15 / Russian Thoroughbred / Stephen Bradley and Charlotte Harris
Clark Montgomery / 27 / Bryan, TX / Up Spirit / G / 9 / Irish Thoroughbred / Bill Becker, Holly Becker, and Clark Montgomery
Bonnie Mosser / 45 / Unionville, PA / Merloch / G/ 11 / Thorougbred Cross / Margaret Egan and Bonnie Mosser
Jennifer Wooten / 30 / Ramona, CA / The Good Witch / M / 12 / Irish Sport Horse /Daisy Tognazzini

[TrotAdmin]

I may have read it wrong, but it also appears there is only one mare in that entire list.

Interesting.

[D_BaldStockings]

There is a pretty strong prejudice against mares...they are thought to be inconsistent and too sensitive.

Most Event horses are ex-racehorses and dealers don't retrain what clients won't buy, hence a preponderance of geldings.

Most are in their teens because the discipline is extremely challenging and to reach the upper levels a horse must have years of experience, conditioning and yes, wisdom, behind them, and they cannot legally compete in the lowest level FEI regulated competitions before age 5.

USEA rules for the entry levels below the FEI levels, called Horse Trials, usually specify age 4 and older horses.

[Cynthia]

This is more of a general eventing question....

I was watching the video of the dressage portion of the eventing in the Olympics, and noticed that these are obviously evening horses doing dressage, not dressage horses who compete solely in dressage.

Perhaps those of you who are more familiar with the dressage world could help here...

About what level of dressage do the eventing horses compete at? I mean, if these horses were just doing dressage, and not eventing, at what level would they be?

[roadpony]

Cynthia:

I'm closing my own thread so we can consolidate all Equestrian Olympic discussion under one topic. http://www.trot.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2204

I'd love to read an answer to your question, so would you please repost it under the other topic?