Same here, but Pacific time. Anyone who has cable or satellite can watch the complete competitions online. You need to have an account with your provider and use that login on NBC Olympics.
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Thank you so much for this explanation! I’ll be sure to watch out for that when I watch the special tonight.
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And that long flat back doesn’t help, when reviewed from the side. Even Lucinda made a comment on her looks in the mare’s first test. But she performs beautifully and seems to have a wonderful partnership with Jessica, I enjoyed watching them together and they deserved their gold medals IMO.
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It seems kind of funny to be criticizing a horse’s conformation that just won two Olympic golds. It appears the conformation did the job… maybe we should be looking for more like that and fewer that are so pretty conformationally?
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While I’ve been occasionally frustrated by NBC’s streaming service, I have enjoyed what I’ve seen of the dressage (parts of all three tests). This year, I was particularly impressed by the wide range of different types of horses being shown at the top level, with riders maximizing their individual horse’s strength. Some readers here have commented on Bella’s conformation as “not ideal” and point to her lack of “sit” during piaffe. But my goodness, her ability to use her hind end in both piaffe and passage is incredible – and to my mind might even be a demonstration of how “sit” isn’t as important as we think it is for those movements. Bella doesn’t have a withers-high build, but each of her movements are so precise, I was soon ignoring any conformation “problems.” And certainly she did have the ability to “sit” – when it was called on for the pirouettes!
Similarly, Darlera is, as some here have mentioned a long-backed mare with a fairly big belly and a swan neck, but she was performing to the peak of her ability and beyond! Contrast her build with Gio’s (Pumpkin’s) compact build. Isn’t it amazing both are winning with such different builds? The riders are bringing the best of their horses to the competition. Won’t it be fun to see Gio over the next few years – I think Valegro was also 10 when he won his first Olympic medal (of course gold for him), but I can certainly see Gio getting stronger and more confirmed with time.
I’m thrilled for the whole American dressage team – their preparations for Japan were impressive and they pulled it off for silver against dazzling competition in the team competition. Well done!
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Didn’t really harm performance though 
I currently own and have trained a few “Mennonite buses.” If they are athletic enough, I prefer them to short-coupled sports cars. That said, they can take a ton of time to get strong enough to carry themselves.
And, on the other hand, sometimes I look at my horse and ask her on what planet the back half of her is even a horse? I am assured by everyone who meets her that she is beautiful … but sometimes I can’t get my own eye over her long back and flat quarters. They definitely work for her though!
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A USEF release said the first song was from The Last Samurai, but I don’t know what else was used. Her husband put together the music.
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That’s why I absolutely love her. She DOESN’T look like the others, isn’t built as “perfectly” but still was incredible. I feel like that’s true dressage. And is inspiring.
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Back in the day when I was attempting to be a dressage rider I had a long backed horse and I hated how much more difficult he was to ride instead of a short coupled type. I would take Charlotte’s Gio over any of those other horses. And you are right about how long it takes for them to get strong too.
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One of the things I learned from a breeding seminar was:
Short back = easier to put together (connect back end to front end) but tighter, less elastic in the topline
Long back = trickier to put together but more supple in the topline
These of course are generalities and it goes without saying that individual horses can be ‘outliers.’
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Not so long ago, a score of over 70% would have won medals. Now it takes a minimum of 80% to be in top 14.
I do really like the softer, more harmonious riding that is now evident, in the British, American and German riders in particular. I found Gal on Total US painful to watch as it seemed rather mechanical and lacking in any joy.
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The NBC Sports channel is now starting to show Equestrian, the Dressage finals. I’m hoping from 2:45 to 4:45.
It sure is, thanks! 
I was impressed by the gate keepers (is that their title?) The moved with military precision to open the arena for the riders to enter and exit. 
What a lovely group of riders and horses. Dressage at the Olympic level looks so much better than it did in the past.
It was fun to see the reactions to the medal placings. Jessica Bredow-Werndl jumping into the arms of her partner (she did a good job of not spurring him) was sweet, and looking at the reaction of the British contingent you’d have thought Charlotte and Gio had won gold. What good sports, and real horse lovers.
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Do we know if the commentators are familiar with equestrian sports? They seem enthusiastic but compared to the English commentators they do not seem to be particularly knowledgeable or providing any insight.
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I hear ya, and I don’t mind the extra time. OTOH, a long backed horse with trailing hocks (hind legs built outside the rectangle), NO THANKS!!! If those hocks are dead underneath them, with appropriate angles of hocks and stifles, it’s a struggle and they may have extra lameness/lameness maintenance.
Randy Moss does horse racing and is very knowledgeable about that, but he know very little about dressage Eventing and show jumping. Melanie Smith is a former sj rider, has ridden at the Olympics I think. But she knows very little about dressage or eventing. Neither one seems at all inclined to meet some of the riders. Now I am thinking they are actually in New York, but they travel in circles that should be able to make contact with some of these people to find out more about these sports. They should listen to Jon Kyle to see how it should be done. He knows these sports inside and out.
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Gate-keeping is hard! I did it solo at the NEDA Fall Festival a few years ago, for the main Grand Prix class and a couple other FEI classes. The hardest thing is being exactly on time and placing the rail without a sound, in case of spooky horses (and yes, some of the GP horses are very tightly wound.) But hey, I got thanked by Michael Poulin as he rode in, so…
Anyway… on the long-backed, yes, that is one of the reasons my little mare was not meant to be a dressage star. When she was younger, she had all the try and presence in the world, 3 good gaits, and could have gone much further under a better rider, but she’s a hair under 15 hands and wears a size 75 or 76 blanket…
That said, mares just tend to be a little longer in the back as they have to have room for a foal in there.
(Oh, and to stay on topic, I am not able to watch a lot of the Olympic dressage, but love love love Gio.)
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It looks like a hard job. That is why I was so impressed with their precision. 
I was also impressed with the horses’ behavior in the medal ceremony. All relaxed and no spooking or running off during the victory lap.
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Saw this floating around facebook - Dalera’s sale video as a 7 y/o.
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