The atmosphere during the final press conference at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games was full of giddy excitement, as the riders were all smiles after their successful week. After a turbulent four days, the Great Britain team of William Fox-Pitt/Cool Mountain, Mary King/Imperial Cavalier, Nicola Wilson/Opposition Buzz, and Kristina Cook/Miners Frolic reigned supreme to take home the gold medal.
This was the first time a Great Britain team has won team gold at the WEG since 1994. ?
"It’s hard to pinpoint one thing to mark success," said individual silver medalist Fox-Pitt. "We’re very lucky back home to have fantastic supporters. The back up we have is huge."
Mary King, who jumped double-clear to finish in sixth place, agreed. "We’re very lucky to have so many horse trials. We’re in a very enviable position and get a lot of practice at this sport. We ought to be quite good, really," she added with a laugh.
"It’s a fantastic team and with our age, we’ve had a lot of experience," added Kristina Cook. "We’ve come up with the goods thanks to my teammates."
While Cook smiled ear to ear with her team gold medal draped around her neck, Saturday's cross-country run still nipped at her nerves a bit, as she incurred 20 penalties because she crossed her path while circling in the first water to regain balance. "I was disappointed, it was a mistake," she said, "a rider error. It was a shame to put 20 penalties by his name. I just lost my reins and my balance. I thought I’d done enough to not cross my tracks, but the horse was fabulous around the rest of the course."

Canada’s team consisting of Hawley Bennett-Awad/Gin N’ Juice, Kyle Carter/Madison Park, Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch/Port Authority, and Selena O’Hanlon/Colombo pulled out all the stops to have an amazing finish at the World Championships, and solid consistent performances by all four team members moved them up one position from Saturday to finish with the silver. The last time the Canadian eventers won a team medal at the WEG was at the '78 World Championships, held here at the Kentucky Horse Park.

The Canadian team members were all in agreement that having David O’Connor as a coach has been very beneficial. A Canadian team hasn't topped a podium since 1978.
“He’s responsible for not just coaching, but putting the program together to make these results," said Carter. "Four years ago was a disappointment, but we’re getting stronger and stronger each time.
“Everybody believes in [David]," Carter went on. "He brought another level to [our program]. We’ve had really good programs, but this one has gotten one level above the other ones. I think it’s certainly paying off.”
Rhodes-Bosch finished a fairy tale weekend aboard Port Authority in 8th place individually, dropping just one rail on in the stadium. She credited her amazing finish as the top Canadian to O’Connor.
“He’s been the one to teach me at the Advanced level,” said the 22-year-old, who finished in fifth at Rolex Kentucky CCI4* earlier this spring. “I couldn’t be as successful without out a program like David’s. The consistency we’ve been able to achieve is based on all of David’s help.”
“He encourages us and gives us positive reinforcement mentally," O'Hanlon added. "How you think about it and visualize it at home is important.” She and Colombo finished in 12th place.
“The biggest thing I’ve noticed is that we’re a lot more 'together' as a group,” said Bennett-Awad. “We’re going to be a country to look out for in the next few years.”
Bennett-Awad and the lovely young mare Gin N’Juice were a force to be reckoned with this weekend, finishing in 17th place on their dressage score of 52.5.
New Zealand’s team of Mark Todd/Grass Valley, Andrew Nicholson/Nereo, Caroline Powell/Mac MacDonald, and Clarke Johnstone/Orient Express also moved up one spot to take home team bronze medals, with a solid performance over Richard Jeffery’s show jumping course.
Andrew Nicholson was the top placing rider for New Zealand, making him a double bronze medalist, with the 10-year-old Spanish-bred gelding, Nereo.
“I had high hopes for Nereo. I was hoping to get a chance to get a medal,” said Nicholson. “Nereo is a horse I have a lot faith in, and he’s consistent in all three phases.”
The legendary Mark Todd also provided a lovely fault-free round aboard the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, Grass Valley, to finish in 11th individually.
“It’s just like starting over," he said. "I’m enjoying being back in the sport and have a nice team of young horses, and a great bunch of team members. This team has been fantastic and can only get better.”?? Todd retired from international competition ten years ago after the 2000 Olympic Games, but made a comeback at the 2008 Games with Gandalf, who was put down in 2009 due to health issues.
“It’s unfortunate that I lost him last year," an emotional Todd said. "He was the most experienced horse I had to bring here when he died, so I had to fast track this one. He was the only one I had with the experience to get to this level.”
With a few solid finishes, including a clear round at Badminton, Todd felt optimistic about bringing Grass Valley to the WEG. “He’s such a straight forward and honest horse, and I was confident he’d be able to cope here and he certainly stepped up to the mark.”
“It’s exciting to win bronze on my first team,” said Johnstone, 23, who is competing in his first international team competition. “These guys have been so experienced and supportive throughout. I’m excited about coming back for more.”
Caroline Powell, fresh off a great win at the Burghley CCI4* with her other mount Lenamore, finished in 22nd with the 10-year-old Mac MacDonald.
For the U.S. team, results did not swing in their favor. While Boyd Martin and Neville Bardos finished with a smile and fist pump in 10th place on their dressage score, 49.5, Phillip Dutton and Woodburn knocked a rail, which dropped them to 18th.

Buck Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM caught a rail as well, while Karen O'Connor and Mandiba, who sat in 9th after cross-country, suffered a heartbreaking refusal and dropped rail, plus time, to fall to 19th place.
Michael Jung of Germany led this year’s competition from start to finish aboard La Biosthetique-Sam FBW, culminating his brilliant weekend with a double-clear show jumping round to finish on his dressage score of 33.0. ??La Biosthetique-Sam FBW (Stan The Man x Halla), a 10-year-old gelding, shares the same sire as Leslie Law’s 2004 Olympic Champion, Shear L’eau.
“I have trained him to do everything,” said Jung, who’s partnered with Sam for the past five years. “He trusts me and we’re very good at working together because of our long standing relationship.”

Jung hopes to compete at London in the 2010 Olympic Games with this talented young horse. “The last few years we’ve grown so much. I really hope we can do this in London.”
NOTE: This blog has been posted with permission from the U.S. Eventing Association. To read the original entry, or to follow USEA's coverage from the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, visit: http://useventing.com/competitions.php?section=fei&id=2554