For dressage, I’m counting this as an UBER successful Olympics! What say the jumpers? (I know that in Eventing it was and wasn’t a success–compared to past Olympics.)
I don’t want to jinx the showjumpers, ask me again later.
But they ROCKED in the team competition! The silver medal without a fourth horse competing in the final is pretty darn awesome.
Philip and Boyd had a great Olympics eventing. The others – going home with a heartache I am sure. But they did their best and sometimes the chips don’t fall your way. Goodness knows anyone who has ridden a horse over fences ought to be able to commiserate.
We’re only halfway through the showjumping, but I’d call it a success. For one thing, though I’m slightly bummed we didn’t get gold, silver ain’t nothing, and it beats the heck out of being shut out like we were in London.
Additionally, when you consider that our strongest combination on paper was the one that ended up being a drop score and then a VW, the fact that we still finished silver without that combo is pretty darn awesome. 
For the show jumpers to hold onto silver without a drop score is pretty darn successful in my book! It is disappointing that they had a good shot at gold if Beezie and Cortes were available and on form, but to deliver today under that kind of pressure, the team should be very proud of their effort!
I don’t want to jinx the show jumpers either, but I think all three teams have been successful, we have a medal from each discipline, either team or individual and that’s pretty darn good. Considering how poorly US eventers have done in recent years I think individual bronze is an accomplishment. And US dressage riders haven’t won an Olympic medal in a long while, so they should be happy as well, but is an American EVER going to get an individual dressage medal?
but is an American EVER going to get an individual dressage medal?
Ha! probably not as long as Germans keep bringing horses that move the way they do, and rides that ride as well as they do.
How DO they do it?
[QUOTE=Larksmom;8802967]
How DO they do it?[/QUOTE]
They have a longstanding system of not only breeding incredible quality, but identifying it early and getting it into the hands of the BEST people at every stage of development. In the U.S. it’s luck/happenstance if the best horses end up with the best riders at an early age to really develop them. More often, some of our best horse developers/riders are sitting around without the right horseflesh while people are importing what’s trendy or what makes a $$$ amateur happy instead of putting quality horses with quality riding talent. Which is not to say it never happens… in the U.S… but Judgement was the exception rather than the rule.
[QUOTE=Larksmom;8802967]
but is an American EVER going to get an individual dressage medal?
Ha! probably not as long as Germans keep bringing horses that move the way they do, and rides that ride as well as they do.
How DO they do it?[/QUOTE]
The Germans have had systems for AGES - systems for breeding and developing horses, and for training riders. Plus, it’s much more of a “national” sport; German kids are as likely to ride horses as U.S. kids are to play an organized sport. Riding barns are seemingly everywhere in Europe. I visited a friend in The Hague once and we rode her horse. The barn was behind some highrise apartments in a place i NEVER thought a barn could be. And we had to clear out for 8 pm lesson (large group dressage lesson - how many people in the U.S. have access to weekly 8 pm group dressage lessons on school horses?!). I digress.
Europeans also have access to serious competition and CDIs such that the U.S. doesn’t have. Many have great nerves because they show against the best all the time. They have amazing support from fans. Consider that Anky VG was the second wealthiest athlete in the Netherlands, and one of the most recognizable athletes in her country (now think about where the “wealthiest equestrian” in the U.S in terms of athlete wealth rank, and think about how many Americans can recognize an American equestrian Olympian). The culture of “raising” these athletes is just so different.
I think in America, we think throwing money at the situation is the answer. Many of our very top riders in the last couple of decades had wealthy owners that put great, even already International-level GP horses under them, and sent them to Europe…and they still didn’t medal individually. We’ve had several riders who took up residence in Germany and were really close (IMO) to being able to medal but didn’t for specific reasons (they were able to medal at large European shows).
IMO, “throwing money” at dressage isn’t the answer, but IMO, American Dressage hasn’t realized that yet. Also, America “isn’t Germany”, but we haven’t realized that either (IMO). We have yet to develop a system that doesn’t rely on serious wealth or infatuation with all things German to the point we’re not looking and our own strengths/weaknesses. Until we can get over that, well, I think we’re at a disadvantage.
[QUOTE=vxf111;8802974]
They have a longstanding system of not only breeding incredible quality, but identifying it early and getting it into the hands of the BEST people at every stage of development. In the U.S. it’s luck/happenstance if the best horses end up with the best riders at an early age to really develop them. More often, some of our best horse developers/riders are sitting around without the right horseflesh while people are importing what’s trendy or what makes a $$$ amateur happy instead of putting quality horses with quality riding talent. Which is not to say it never happens… in the U.S… but Judgement was the exception rather than the rule.[/QUOTE]
I agree with much of what you say, but not all. Even in Europe, there are very talented young horses who excel at the Young Horse shows and aren’t seen again because they’re off to the breeding shed or can’t collect to do FEI. We see the same thing in the U.S. Bur in Germany, being a Bundeschampionate rider or horse (or an auction rider) can make your career. We don’t have the equivalent here in the U.S.
In the U.S., very many of large breeding barns have good young horse riders who hand off the good horses to the main trainers. Lets not forget that Judgement was bred by Mary Alice Malone, and relatively few people have the resources to send a prospect to John and Beezie Madden for training and campaigning.
Lets not also forget that some of our best riders don’t take young horses. They take developed horses. Also, they won’t take even the most talented horse unless you’re willing to sell to a new buyer who can afford that rider. Also, some Olympic level riders will decline competing your horse (even if you bankroll) if a better horse comes along.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the $$$ amateur is importing horses that they wouldn’t necessarily look at if born in the U.S. (IMO). But also, the typical amateur is importing a horse for their own use, not to watch go under someone else. Unless they are super wealthy - and most don’t ride much.
ETA: IMO, wealthy Americans buy baseball teams. Wealthy Europeans buy horses. Large cultural difference, IMO.
I think in America, we think throwing money at the situation is the answer.
You don’t think there’s money and power behind the German Equestrian powerhouses? I believe that there are enormous resources devoted to them. I do grow weary of being beaten with the vulgar, rich American stick.
In my opinion it’s the crazy diversity of the American horse world that causes us to suffer in the old world horse sports. Maybe we should include cutting horses at the next Olympic Games. I think we could spank them there!
Of course it doesn’t pan out 100% of the time with EVERY German horse but they have a SYSTEM and we don’t really
Wasn’t half the eventing team Australian’s who had defected to the US?
Still very disappointed with the Eventing team finish. I don’t fault or blame the riders but feel the goal should have been to finish a team in the top 5. Instead, I think the US went for the big finish and ended up losing big. Gutted and no glory.
Other than that, very pleased and proud of the US equestrian performances on the world stage.
A medal finish = success.
[QUOTE=drumlins;8803272]
You don’t think there’s money and power behind the German Equestrian powerhouses? I believe that there are enormous resources devoted to them. I do grow weary of being beaten with the vulgar, rich American stick.
In my opinion it’s the crazy diversity of the American horse world that causes us to suffer in the old world horse sports. Maybe we should include cutting horses at the next Olympic Games. I think we could spank them there![/QUOTE]
I agree with you completely. Don’t forget about the legions of saddle seat people, too.
Money gets you pretty far, and if I dare say so, immigration does, too. We benefit from immigration in eventing and dressage, and Europe has benefited from Americans to some extent, as well. (Lisa Wilcox, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum).
We did good in SJ too. Besides the silver, we saw some relatively new talent and got one of those in the Final and JO…but we do have an issue matching horses with riders and letting them keep the ride. That’s across the board in all disciplines.
Thats not going to change unless some controlling organization steps in and calls the shots and…well…we don’t do that over here. Oh, whoever mentioned rich people buying a baseball team instead of a horse? Around here they buy both but they pick where horse competes and in what.
I fail to see why the Olympics should be the be all, end all goal for breeders and riders over here and you can’t tell me their overall importance to the borderline delusional, out of touch, possibly corrupt IOC isn’t fading with each Games as the cost to campaign an elite level horse and fund the rider continues to skyrocket restricting access to an ever smaller number of participants.
YMMV.
Laura Graves is incredible for her accomplishments on a horse she has produced herself, coming up through a system that happened to work for her. It shows it can be done. But can it be replicated by other US born riders who have come up through our system?
30 + years ago, that was the norm.
Hilda Gurney, Debbie MacDonald
Bruce Davidson, Mike Plumb
Joe Fargis, Greg Best
Compared to:
Steffan Peters (Germany)
Boyd Martin, Phillip Dutton (New Zealand)
Are their successes really US successes? Or wins by riders who emigrated to America because they had little chance of making a team in their own countries? Yes, I am happy when they win for the US, but their wins always have an * next to their names in my mind.
[QUOTE=Lord Helpus;8807088]
Steffan Peters (Germany)
Boyd Martin, Phillip Dutton (New Zealand)
Are their successes really US successes? Or wins by riders who emigrated to America because they had little chance of making a team in their own countries? Yes, I am happy when they win for the US, but their wins always have an * next to their names in my mind.[/QUOTE]
Phillip & Boyd previously rode for Australia (not NZL). Phillip definitely made the team in AUS- he was on 2 gold medal Olympic teams for the Aussies. This was after he based himself in the US.
I don’t think the Germans put an asterisk next to MMB’s name. So yeah, if you come here and get American citizenship and run your business here I am happy to claim your wins as American wins regardless of where you learned to ride.
[QUOTE=vxf111;8807105]
I don’t think the Germans put an asterisk next to MMB’s name. So yeah, if you come here and get American citizenship and run your business here I am happy to claim your wins as American wins regardless of where you learned to ride.[/QUOTE]
AMEN. That’s what USA is all about. 
