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WEG Pratoni 2022

I stopped following Doug on social media a while back but just now did a bit of stalking - he posted on FB on July 13 that “Quantum is ramping up for a big fall season. He scored a 32 in the 5* test B on Sunday at the Carolina Horse Park and #jumped around the 1.35m today like a champion at [TIEC].”

Sure sounds like he was aiming Quantum for Pratoni at that time and right now is still showing entered in the 4*S at Great Meadow.

I don’t know DP at all but it seems that he is playing the long game with his young horses. So maybe he wanted some more events under his belt with Quantum before riding in a team for the championship. When you are riding for a team there is a lot of pressure to complete with minimal time penalties and maybe he thought that wasn’t the best long term plan for the horse. Bummer though!

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Doug does not have that philosophy with his horses. I think other riders had better seasons this year. Everyone named definitely earned their spots, and I think it was a good team picks wise.

this looks like a great mix of experience and future talent.

I do not know Colleen’s horses - Vermont over Golden Eyes?

JP left off the squad, maybe her two eligible horses had issues or maybe the Canadian Selectors decided not to put her on every team, just bc she had some of the best CDN results in the past.

Is Doug Payne’s mother one of the judges?

Read an article not too long ago saying that Marilyn Payne was not going to commit to judging any of the top level international competitions as long as Doug and Holly might be in the mix to go as competitors.

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No, Marilyn is not judging. There are only two US officials, the head of Veterinary Services and one of the FEI Stewards.

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It’s strange, because if you go back and look at Doug and Quantum’s scoring/performance at Kentucky, it’s a stronger result against a deeper field than Lauren and Bug’s result at Luhmuhlen. Thanks to Thomas’s rails in SJ, Doug and Quantum finished just ahead of them. Of course, Boyd and Thomas are a solid pick, he and Tamie were the ones I felt like should have been a lock.

Liz Halliday is another that you thought might appear at least on the alternate list, although I can understand the selectors perhaps doubting that Deniro Z was truly ready in time for WEG or having vetting concerns, and Cooley Quicksilver is greener than Bug.

So, my next question is, do you make Tamie a team rider, or do you have her compete as an individual and let her really go for a podium position?

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Deniro Z seems to have foot issues currently. It sucks for LHS but he probably needs some time to recover and grow his little footsies.

BUG is made for this course. He is the horse I would want to be on to tackle it.

I wonder if they wanted to take horses they know travel well. I’ve heard its a long hard journey to Pratoni.

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I’d 100% have Tamie on the team and have Lauren as the individual. I’m guessing they’ll put her later in the order (either 3rd or 4th out) so if it’s gone well to that point, she can take a real cut at the time. Having a drop score makes a huge difference.

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Good point! I’m so glad they kept the drop score for WEG, I hated not having that at the Olympics.

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Agreed!

I believe Liz Halliday-Sharp is listed as an alternate with Cooley Quicksilver.

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Thank you, you are right, I saw the social media posts and missed the press release with the full group of alternates:

  • Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle , a 2010 Warmblood gelding owned by Nina and Timothy Gardner
  • Buck Davidson and Carlevo , a 2007 Holsteiner gelding owned by Katherine O’Brien
  • Phillip Dutton and Sea of Clouds , a 2011 Thoroughbred gelding owned by the Sea of Clouds Partnership
  • Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire , a 2010 Oldenburg gelding owned by Carol Stephens
  • Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver , a 2011 Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by The Monster Partnership
  • Boyd Martin and Fedarman B , a 2010 KWPN gelding owned by the Annie Goodwin Syndicate
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I am not that confident about Lauren at major championships when representing the USA. she fell off at Rio Olympics and the WEG at Tryon. For years when Ian Stark has commentated, he always talks about her riding with stirrups too long and it’s affect on her balance. Hopefully Lauren will shorten her stirrups and stay on.

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Sometimes, my memory for details is poor, but in this case they are crystal clear.
Lauren’s fall at Rio was a horse fall. She was riding Veronica. She took the direct route to a vertical gate that had caused problems for almost all who attempted it - so many that the NZ chef had directed Mark Todd to go the long route. Lauren was later in the go, went direct, and she and the US paid the price.

I am hopeful that Pratoni will be redemption for Lauren riding in US colors.

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So everything you’re basing it on is over 4 years ago lol

Take a look at BUGS FEI record; https://data.fei.org/Horse/Performance.aspx?p=83044E4FF1C96129A421DF0FFFDF5029

Hasn’t had an FEI XC jump penalty since 2018!! Dressage typically aside from the odd naughty day is under 30. Made the time at Maryland. 5 time at Luhmuhlen because he trotted a jump lol exact same time at Kentucky 5*

He is actually one of the most consistent horses on the team.

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She fell off at WEG because Bug tripped on the fence and almost went down. She stayed on sideways until he had to make a sharp right turn to follow the course. She was hanging off the left side and didn’t have much of a shot, at that point. I don’t see how anybody could have stayed on.

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Team placing is always first and foremost on the selectors minds. The team is how they qualify for the Olympics. So the heavy hitters are going to be on the team. I would say will would be an individual or maybe Ariel.

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If we want to watch this, are we going to have to deal with Clip my horse?

Clip my horse….I was just going to ask the same thing. Is anyone going to give it a try again. I hate to give them my credit card. But wondered if they had fixed the past issues with credit cards.

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