So, here’s the short list. I may have missed if anyone else posted this, if so, sorry. It’s an exciting group. https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/usef-announces-jumping-team-short-list-for-paris-olympic-games/
Great to see the US-bred Out of the Blue SCF on the list!
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There’s another US bred horse doing well these days. He’s headed to the World Cup final next week.
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I suspect it’ll be Laura Jessica and McLain all of whom are great. What’s intriguing if who else? My list in no particular order is Kent Karl and Natalie.
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Barring something unexpected I think it’s been clear it will be Kent, Laura, and McLain. The alternate spot seems to be the one up for grabs.
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This is what my consensus is too.
Honestly, I’ve been calling it as:
Kent
McLain
Laura
ALT - Karl
Just by the overall results everyone on the list has been putting up in the upper levels + horse flesh. I think if Lillie would have gotten Kick On sooner in the year, I would put her in alt position. However, right now this just makes the most sense to me.
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I’d like to see Aaron Vale get a chance.
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@fordtraktor - Me, too! I’ve never met him but I’ve seen him very patiently ride some difficult horses others wouldn’t.
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Now that he has Curley?
Sorry, his show name is escaping me, but the horse that Mavis Spencer rode for Georgy Maskrey.
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It’s nice that there are so many choices but hard because I have too many favorites!
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My reserve pick is Jess.
Go Team
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I haven’t kept up with him and who he is riding now, but the guy deserves a big break. He sure can ride.
In the late 90s he had the ride on this chestnut mare that was hotter than hot. Her name was French I think. He was talking to my trainer and said he never schooled her, just had the guys take her for long trot sets to soothe her mind and keep her as calm as possible in between classes. Somehow he managed to get that firecracker around some big GPs and won his fair share or more with her, too.
That takes a lot of nerve to have as your training plan—and have it work!
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Pretty please can we not?
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I am kind of rooting for Natalie Dean, though I don’t know much about her but I am like two or three degrees removed from her (yet those degrees are close enough that I have gotten to see some horses that Natalie has passed on and they are very very nice and very capable (and very much too much for me and I know it - I admire them from afar)
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Netjets US Jumping teamed for Rome Nations Cup CSIO5* was just released: Karl Cook, Alise Oken, Adrienne Sternlicht, Lillie Keenan, and Aaron Vale. Part of me thinks most of those names are in there to help determine who should go to Paris as an alternate.
ETA: I forgot Lillie!
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Same.
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Probably. They are likely pretty firm on Laura, McClain and Kent. It’s the 4th place that may be open unless one of the big 3 has a horse issue as we get closer. Exciting to see.
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And Lillie
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I had the exact same thought when I saw it.
Whoops, thanks for the mention - fixed!
