Our first Team Gold of these games. Hooray for the Reiners!!!
Canada 2nd, Italy 3rd.
Sorry about the results; this program won’t let me edit the title.
What I always love abour reining at the FEI level is seeing all those very Western QH pony names with very not-Western sounding riders. “Rudolph Kronsteiner riding Lil Dry Peppy” or “Irina Machalikova riding April Doc Olena.” 
I guess it’s the the same thing as the Europeans seeing “Tom Smith riding Greblefarbhenzengen.” 
I also love that Israel has a reining team. There’s just something about it that tickles me.
I’m just tickled that some legitimate western discipline has become recognized by the FEI, so that we can see an Israeli reining team in action!
Can’t wait to read some reports of the action, but I guess we have to wait until our intrepid reporters cajole a bus into transporting them! Their web blog sounds like they’ll be due a well-deserved vacation when they return from Aachen …
What I always love abour reining at the FEI level is seeing all those very Western QH pony names with very not-Western sounding riders. “Rudolph Kronsteiner riding Lil Dry Peppy” or “Irina Machalikova riding April Doc Olena.”
Thanks, Portia! Just checked in this morning to check out the threads, and your comment made my day! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Well, morning, anyway…
It was quite an experience being there at the reining competition. It was great, big fun, big sport. Well, not all the rides were what one might expect at a world championship, but - who cares. Several countries are not yet up to the required level, but nevertheless they did great - except may be the one that didn’t notice a counter gallop until people shouted rather loud at him to make him notice.
It was great to see the US and Canadian riders ride for their own country on their own horses. I’ve seen them perform on horses belonging to european riders, with also is a class in its own. No one who has seen Shawn Flarida on Steadys Dude last year in Mooslargue (France) will ever forget that ride, and there are lots of other great performances. But seen them riding for the honour of their own country topped everything.
And - the spectators made a day out of the competitions. No matter where horse and rider came from, they appreciated every good move and pitied every fault. It was great, a very special day. And we all look forward to the finals tomorrow.
I took lots of pics, but I have a friend staying over the weekend, so I didm’t have the time to put the pics online. May be tomorrow night, but surely on monday evening.
That so cool! I wish I could have gone to the games.
When I went to Holland I had no idea that they imported reining horses, until, that is, I went to a tack store and saw all of the western saddles and such. Then we went past a place that had all “western” horses, it was bizzare!
I, too, am tickled that reining is now a sport under the FEI!!!
