Unlimited access >

US Team Announced for Tokyo

Just saw this…!!

Philip on Z
Boyd on Luke
Liz on Deniro
Reserve Doug on Vandiver

List is!

2 Likes

Not surprised for Boyd and Phillip. Liz and Tamie were next on my next list. Doug was a huge surprise.

2 Likes

Not surprised with Boyd but I was interested to see which of his horses they went with.

@Jealoushe can you post the information in some other way for those of us who still can not see images?

2 Likes
1 Like

Philip on Z
Boyd on Luke
Liz on Deniro
Reserve Doug on Vandiver

1 Like

Fantastic - I’m glad Liz is in there!

1 Like

Just wanted to list the alternates too. Fantastic to see Sydney Elliott and WC Diamantaire on there!

For Boyd:

  • First Direct Reserve : Tsetserleg TSF , a 14-year-old Trakehner gelding owned by Christine Turner, Thomas Turner, and Tommie Turner
  • Second Direct Reserve: On Cue , a 15-year-old Selle Français mare owned by Christine Turner, Boyd Martin, Thomas Turner, and Tommie Turner

The following combinations have been named as team alternatives and are listed in selected order:

First Alternate: Tamra Smith (Murietta, Calif.) and Mai Baum , a 15-year-old German Sport Horse gelding owned by Alexandra Ahearn, Ellen Ahearn, and Eric Markell

Second Alternate: Will Faudree (Southern Pines, N.C.) and Mama’s Magic Way , a 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Jennifer Mosing

Third Alternate: Will Coleman (Gordonsville, Va.) and Off The Record , a 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by the Off The Record Syndicate

Fourth Alternate : Sydney Elliott (Bossier City, La.) and QC Diamantaire , an 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Carol Stephens

Fifth Alternate: Bruce Davidson Jr. (Unionville, Pa.) and Carlevo , a 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Katherine O’Brien

Sixth Alternate: Lauren Nicholson (The Plains, Va.) and Vermiculus , a 14-year-old Anglo-Arabian gelding owned by Jacqueline Mars

1 Like

Sorry I was so excited but didn’t have time to type it out, came back to do it now :joy:

I sure think Bug would have suited the insane temps and twisty course? Arabs? No?

4 Likes

Does that mean Boyd can go through 3 horses before another person gets picked??

I do not understand that.

4 Likes

I’d be curious to know the rationale behind these selections. There’s got to be something strategic going on. I’m not sure why Tamie and MB aren’t on the team or in the traveling reserve spot.

9 Likes

What I think it means (and I have no proof of this) is that all three of Boyd’s horses will travel to Aachen to quarantine, and if anything comes up with Luke, he can substitute Thomas in. Then if something comes up with Thomas, he can substitute On Cue in up until they fly from Aachen to Tokyo. After that, if something goes wrong, Doug is the sub. However, if something goes wrong with someone else’s horse, Doug would be up first, then the first alternate would be the travelling reserve.

Please note that I have no idea what the actual process is. This is just what makes sense to me.

2 Likes

She’s been posting some interesting memes and what not on her social media.

I would also love to know… but I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt that the selectors know what they are doing. I know on The Eventing Podcast they said team GB named riders with a lot of experience because of the 3 riders and no drop score they don’t want any mess ups on XC day. Maybe US has the same approach. Who knows, maybe they will do some interviews or podcasts so we can all be educated and then we don’t have to have to sit and wonder lol

I am sad to see no Bug or Maui Baum.

1 Like

I appreciate it :joy: works for me and makes total sense. They have a lot of faith in BM it seems. That must be a good feeling for him.

Boyd has 3 super, top class horses, regardless of Kentucky performances.

As for Bug and Mai Baum, I would say they’re probably lower on the list due to past championship performances. Bug fell at Tryon WEG and Mai Baum pulled a 40 at the Pan Ams. I don’t necessarily agree with their placement (not to mention I’m a huge fan of both horses), but those could be reasons.

Note though that Mai Baum is the first alternate. He and Tamie could very well end up going as the reserve. He’s come a long way since the Pan Ams.

3 Likes

Pretty much exactly as U.S. eventing has been guiding. The 4 riders on the elite list are the 4 riders chosen. Unfortunate for Tami, but as amazing as Mai Baum is, he’s never looked 100% solid on any XC course I’ve seen him tackle in the past few years. It would be a very tough pill to swallow if he repeated the issues he had at the Pan-Ams & Tokyo sounds like it will be a similar style track, but about amped up a level (or a level and a half).

This is the core group that’s been training with the team consistently since the end of last year. No surprises for me on where everything landed. It really wouldn’t make sense to invest >6 months of elite team training in 4 riders and not take those 4 to the games, baring a major mishap which none of the 4 have had.

7 Likes

I’m interested in following Z. That horse doesn’t scream Olympic world class to me when you see what he’s up against…Chipmunk, Hale Bob, London 52, OTs two stars. BUT, he could be a sleeper who excels and performs to the task on the day.

3 Likes

Also worth noting that, by my clock, he was VERY late to the box at Kentucky. If you time his round on the full length XC replay, he obliterated the time.

He’s probably not going to win and individual medal, but he’s a fantastic team horse.

2 Likes

Agreed about Boyd. I was surprised by the order in which they were listed, but I agree.

I disagree with the past championship comment, only because Thomas had a 20 at Tryon and is still listed, so that’s clearly not a critical indicator. That said, I agree with you that it’s about top level form being a major factor. I do think that Mai Baum made a major mistake at Kentucky. He very genuinely committed to going over the fence, but if they made that error over something that wasn’t frangible, the best case is he’d have a heck of a time jogging the next day. Worst case they’d get hung up. The horse was being honest, but it was a major error in my book nevertheless.

I say all that about top level performance records and then end up confused about Bug. He had a very bold Burghley run (where Doug and Quinn fell, while we’re discussing it) plus two good Kentucky results since then. Bar her tumble at Tryon, he hasn’t had an xc jump penalty since March of 2018 (and has been selected to a team since). Sure, he’s not the absolute fastest, but he’s one of the most consistent xc horses they have and he’s 100% blood. Given that the others aren’t sitting on rockets either, surely that makes him a top contender for one of the hottest games on record, where no one will have a drop score?

Agree RE: Mai Baum. As I stated above, his Kentucky run didn’t fill me with confidence, though I know I’m the minority on that opinion.

I somehow missed that, thanks for bringing that up.

3 Likes