Karl has worked his butt off to figure out that mare and forge a real partnership. I don’t think it’s too bad we can’t put McLain on her, I think Karl deserved to be on the team.
Ilex is an interesting horse but I’m really surprised he was selected here. They clearly wanted McLain on the team, and picked the horse with mixed results but the most potential? His record is not exactly stellar: https://www.fei.org/horse/106NR43/Ilex#results
I am not surprised by the announcement.
I think they could have gone without doing the mandatory outings because the team felt like a foregone conclusion from the start. I agree with @Rel6. There’s not much point in having observation events if the results from those events aren’t actually going to be considered. Those events are allegedly to see who is peaking here and now. I don’t feel the team selection reflects that. But I am not surprised by it.
Lovely first round clear by Ilex in Aachen just now. Laura was foot-perfect until the last oxer. Second round is upcoming. Laura will be first of 18 if she opts to go again.
And they’re not “jollying them along.”
McLain and Ilex finish in second place in Grand Prix of Aachen:
https://resulting.chioaachen.de/show/34/event/238/competition/18/result/
That announcer could barely contain his surprise that Andrei Thieme won. He does not know how tough they come out after they’ve been fired in the cauldrons of Ocala and Saugerties 
.
Jinx. Started an unrelated thread. Ilex looks ready for Paris. And a great (or crushing finish) depending on who you were cheering for). Rodrigo was commenting and he couldn’t believe it either.
Without those outing I think we would have had two of them on the wrong horses and a different alternate.
Just looking at results is not the same as watching the horses jump the rounds. Observing is important.
His daughter also had a great horse show in the pony divisions at Lake Placid. It was a good week to be named Ward!!
His round in Aachen in the Grand Prix was amazing, Andre was just that little bit more amazing!!!
Watching Andre and his team when he came out of the ring hug and kiss that horse endlessly warmed my heart. What a great day of show jumping!
McLain looked so smooth and quiet. Andre was pushing the pedal, obviously by his time he was fast and I know that’s the name of the game.
This is the best I’ve seen Ilex go, by far. Horse looked super focused and none of the bucking/playing funny business.
Is this the first time he’s done the 1.65m?
Believe it’s 1.60m, and per FEI horse record looks like his 3rd time at that height.
Thanks. I remember someone posting that some of the horses in consideration for the team had never jumped that height.
He looked super grown up; I hope his team is proud.
Not that Illex was ever BAD but as others have commented on other threads, he could be so cheeky/want more fun than the course offered.
Seeing him on the grass, damn he’s got a lot of stride. I’m keen to see him and McLain do more on those bigger tracks.
I think I’m the one that said 1.65m, on Jumpr if you look at stats some events like Olympics and World Championships are classified as 1.65m. I thought the Rolex series went up to 1.65m (maybe that’s just at Spruce?) as well but it says 1.60m on the Aachen website.
Either way the GP at Aachen is about as big as it gets
Loved seeing that horse Chakaria assuming the position of the “hindleg hitch”, resting in the awards ceremony and soaking up all the appreciation. She knows she’s good. haha. Thieme stated that he “loves Chakaria as much as his wife, but not more than her”. haha
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