Marathon Man - Straight out of left field

You wouldn't have put money on it, but an excellent result all the same. Whilst the thought of a German dentist conjures up images of Dustin Hoffman getting root canal therapy in the '70s. Heinrich is a well deserved winner, a true amateur, and proof that with a great horse underneath you anything is possible if you're determined enough! (Thankfully I have a very similar horse, just not the time or determination to reach the top)

Having sat and watched a few other olympic events over the last week (thanks to the BBC - license fees well spent) I can't help but think it's a shame we have such a complicated scoring structure that revolves around penalties rather than positive points. 

Any layperson watching must find the whole thing incredibly confusing when all the other sports have a clear and positive point scoring system. 

Radical and fraught with all sorts of issues it may be [changing the scoring principles] but "just because we done it for the last 50 years doesn't mean we have to continue for the next 50 years". Anyway I leave that for another day......

With so many older horses in this olympics having little or no chance of making it to the next games the coming years are going to be very busy in the 2 & 3 star circuit. Fox-Pitt has a small cavalry down in Dorset and I will be taking a particular interest in Walk The Line (a magnificent looking animal). There are few others with such an armory though, so if you're looking to cash in on a good up and coming horse, now's the time.

Mrs. Cook deserves a mention here after such an impeccable performance this week, and another well deserved medal. 

Ze Germans have certainly recovered their pride and justified their top slot on the eventing mantle, a far cry from the long faces I remember seeing at the Punchestown Europeans, consoling themselves over a glass or two of Leibfrau Milch! And it's always nice to fresh topics of conversation with my Dentist!

Roll on Burghley, Blenheim & Badminton.......

The Beijing Bazzar

The 2008 Olympics has certainly proved challenging on all fronts! If its not injury putting some of the best in the world on the side lines, it's the weather - rain delaying flights, humidity causing havoc with fitness.
And then there's a winding, twisting golf course to negotiate in what must be one of the most impossible optimum times ever, as cross-country supremo, Andrew Nicholson, proved to us yesterday.
Whilst the XC course had some creativity in fence design and placement, I wouldn't call this one of the best Olympic courses of recent years, and of course the venue is a major factor here. I would have preferred to have seen a more flowing course rather than the usual stop-start course we're used to seeing from this design camp.

With less than a handful of horses finishing within
half a minute of the optimum time, it might as well have been run in a ski
resort.

Even so we did get to see some exceptional performances. I have to confess I didn't watch everyone go cross country, but for me "man-of-the match" was Tina Cook on Miner's Frolic. What a fabulous young horse - made the whole thing look rather easy. Parkmore Ed, another young horse, also made a very worthy performance.

Also worthy of mention is the young Chinese lad [Alex Hau Tian], who although he was eliminated has truly proved he has a real future in eventing at the top level. I know £1.8M (the amount he raised in sponsorship) buys you a lot of quality horse and training, but it still takes talent to capitalise on all that. Let's hope the press and commentators focus as much on his talent as his schooling. After all, to get to the Olympics in this sport at the tender age of 18 when most don't reach their prime until their mid 30s is a significant achievement, irrespective of of which country you are representing.

With just hours before the showjumping and still a number of nations in contention for a medal there'll be plenty of tactical discussion happening in the restaurants of HK.

Our team are talented enough to maintain their scores and benefit from any bloopers the Aussies or Germans happen to make - Go Brits Go!

I also hope the Swede's do well.....