In my opinion, our Aachen team selection was a reversion back to the unsuccessful strategies we’ve used in the past, namely short-sighted selection criteria with too much focus on not ruffling feathers by selecting the team purely on Kentucky results. To me, Aachen is a showcase that we, the USA, should be trying to win every single year and selection should center around our core riders with a strong pipeline of horses and an established program for the long-term. It’s an invaluable experience for riders, but if we don’t send the riders with a base to build on, it’s a wasted opportunity.
Aachen felt like a complete abandonment of the strategy Erik had established, which is really disappointing to see.
Megan O’Donoghue did a great job given the situation she was placed in, but it was completely unfair and illogical to make someone have their first ever US team appearance or overseas competition at Aachen. Sending a rider with one upper level horse who is now 16 doesn’t benefit team USA. In the future, I hope the 4th team slot will be reserved for a stand out young rider with a strong base for future success, similar to what the Brits did with Yas Ingham (think Alyssa Phillips or Mia Farley).
In Carlevo’s last 10 runs, he’s only jumped clear 60% of the time and has time penalties in every single run on his record. He’s also 15 and Buck’s record across horses is objectively sketchy with little evidence to show potential for further development. This spot should have gone to an up & coming 10 or 11 year old from one of the elite or pre-elite riders’ programs.
Will & Sydney did their jobs and Sydney in particular is a great example of how progressive, strategic experience with a long-term goal pays dividends. Yes she had two rails, but QC Diamantaire has developed into one of the most reliable XC horses we have and has consistently proven that reliability in high profile, high pressure situations. She has a strong owner, a relatively young horse at only 12, and shows a clear upward trajectory. In other words, there’s real evidence that there is a long-term benefit for the team by investing in her international exposure. Will is obviously more established, but the same goes for his horses who both are still in the early stages of their careers.
As for WEG, I’m expecting the below:
- Tamie Smith & Mai Baum
- Boyd Martin & Tsetserlg or Federman B
- Will Coleman & Off the Record (although his short format form is far better than his longs)
- Ariel Grald & Leamore Master Plan OR Sydney Elliot & QC Diamantaire OR Doug Payne & Quantum Leap (this is a group of extremely reliable XC horses that all three consistently tend to finish on scores around a 35 in big long formats)
Individual: Liz Halliday-Sharp & Cooley Quicksilver OR one of the 3 combos listed in slot 4
Here’s to hoping the train isn’t already coming off the rails in the post-Duvander world of US eventing.