Disappointment is hard to swallow. I think we are still choking on it after our dreams for a medal in eventing went on the skids when Mandiba slammed on the brakes in the show jumping at a black gate. Becky Holder made the difficult decision to withdraw Courageous Comet while sitting in a very good spot for a medal but Comet will be back to fight another day and Becky and Aubrey really do look after him so well.

We were all devastated, especially after Karen had the round of the day on the cross country track on Saturday with Mandiba. The little horse seemed to finally put the demons that had pestered him intermittently since Hong Kong to rest on the cross country course and he galloped around easily and jumped for fun.

If we weren’t going to win it was nice to see our friends do so well. The Brits, Canadians and Kiwis all were awesome, employing different strategies and ranging in experience from Canadian Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch (who has only done one CCI4*in her life) to Kiwi Mark Todd (who probably can’t remember his first one - but I have been told he did compete at the World Championships in 1978 - just seven years before Steph was born). Steph was the highest placed Canadian on her wonderful Port Authority, leading an effort that made everyone feel just a little Canadian.
I drowned my sorrows with some of these guys that were celebrating and it made for a very long day yesterday. Luckily the jumpers got off on the right foot and Mario and McLain sweeping the top two places. Urico has matured so much since Florida – he is bigger, more rideable and his technique (which was darn good in March) is still improving. At nine years old, this is a seriously exciting horse for the U.S. now and for the future. Sapphire needs no introduction or explanation because in a word she is just awesome. Watching her jump in person still gives me goose bumps even though I am lucky enough to have seen her several times before. She’s also just so sweet and the team that surrounds her is second to none.

Sapphire
Photo by Shannon Brinkman

Para gets underway today – they all jogged up well yesterday. It was absolutely freezing and I just keep buying more clothes, all the horses on the venue are feeling quite fresh to say the least. The vaulting jog is about to start and the jumping starts at 10.04.
Three disciplines going simultaneously is going to make for a busy day.