WEG 2010: Eventing - The "coulda, woulda, shoulda's"

Team GBR | World Class

I have finally calmed down having watched the highlights again (more than once). Did I mention WE WON the World Equestrian Games! (and William Fox-Pitt took home a Silver Medal too). I have to admit, after the dressage, I was a little concerned that Team GBR would be left fighting tooth and nail to get a Bronze by the end of Sunday, but this WEG really have proved to be a well balanced 3 day event with just the right amount of influence between the phases, although it does prove the dressage is still the phase separating the best from the very best. Possibly not the most ideal situation given it's the most subjective phase. I really liked the cross country course, despite the very Burghley-Badminton feel, and the show jumping produced probably the biggest stadium audience the sport has seen for sometime. All in all a cracking competition......

WEG 2010: Eventing - Dressage Day 1 | I Told You Ze Germans Were Coming

Simone Deitermann

The German dressage supremos exited the World Equestrian Games arena with the heating left turned right up today in the first day of the eventing competition, leaving a number of 4* winners in their wake. Simone Deitermann, the 28 year-old accountant, leads the dressage on 36.0 a full five points clear of her countryman, Ingrid Klimke (41.3), and the multi-talented William Fox-Pitt in 3rd (42.0).

You rarely get to see the young riders from other nations, and I remember seeing Simone go round her first Badminton earlier this year and thinking wow, this lady can really ride, but although she has lead the dressage before in some hotly contested big events, I have to say, I really didn't expect to see her so far ahead.

Another pleasant surprise was Mark Todd, who managed to get a score into the late forties, not an easy task with this horse. He's must has squeezed every last ounce out of Grass Valley to get that score. This might just put him in contention for some personal honours.

WEG2010: Aussie Eventing's Kings of Comedy

Samantha & Glenn
courtesy of Samantha

Whilst Eventing & the WEG is a deadly serious business sport it's important to laugh, even at oneself, occassionally! Surely that's why we have sites like hahahorses.com and eventing nation. What's tickled me pink very recently is, not just the banter from the 2010 Radio Show dynamic duo (Samantha & Glenn) and the two aforementioned sites, but the new Aussie contenders, Hamish & Dave.

Although I find myself deep in the English countryside I am surrounded, it seems, by Australians & New Zealanders, and they really are the best humoured bunch you could come across, and you'll rarely find a photo of Clayton Fredericks, Andrew Nicholson or Matt Ryan where they're not smiling or joking. A few months ago I found a hilarious interview with Heath Ryan, which I would encourage you to revisit. His brother Matt can be quite infectious too.

First they gave us Dame Edna & Les Patterson, then we were fed Kath & Kim, now the Australian's have sent forth Hamish & Dave on their "Kentucky Adventure". These two dusty outback characters describe themselves as "Elite Riders & General Larrikins". According to my google search a Larrikin is A person given to comical or outlandish behavior (unknown Australian origin). Now I thought that described every Australian, except Wayne Roycroft!

WEG 2010 Radio Show | How Do You Like Them Apples?

Ah! Ms. Clark, We've Been Expecting You

I swear if Glenn The Geek, got any more 'excited' he'll literally go "pop"! I'm not sure he'll last the 18 days left to WEG. For 2 years now Glenn and co-host, Samantha Clark, have been winding us up to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, as the "unofficial" source of news, views and interviews on a weekly basis with their 2010 WEG Radio Show (podcast).

I have to confess to being only a recent convert to the avid following they seem to have built up over the years, but now never miss an episode, and I'm discovering hilarious moments in old episodes. Too many to list here, but listen to episode 90, entitled "Smanatha gets her own way", this should give you an idea of who's really running the show. I recon Samantha could even charm Wayne Roycroft into thinking his team horses' travel plans were ideal!