Michael Phelps - we have Baltimore in common, I am a member at the swim club where he swam as a kid (he still has some records there) and I’ve met his mom.
I’ve never met Rebecca Howard in person, but she once borrowed my boots via a mutual friend for a clinic she was teaching. They were old school boots without zippers… there’s also a hilarious video floating around of her trying to get said boots back off again :lol:
Oh, and my saddle was originally a demo made for Millarbrook farms. While I love it, it did not magically make me ride like a Millar. :no:
David O’Connor rode my horse many decades ago.
Boyd Martin - my son works for him.
My trainer used to train/show with the Millars when she was competing and Amy has one of the horses that were bred at the farm where I work and board. Jonathan used to come do clinics at our farm occasionally, before I was there 
Not that I’d be skilled enough to ride in them, but it would be fun to watch!
Not these Olympics, but I took a lesson on a bronze medal horse from Barcelona. Charlotte Bredahl lives a few hours up the coast and used to show locally quite a bit. For my birthday many years ago, DH bought me a lesson on Monsieur.
I would call Boyd Martin and Philip Dutton acquaintances in my previous work life. I have sold photos to Allison Brock of Roosevelt and talked with her several times. And Selten HW was at the barn that I worked for for several years. There are a couple of bloodline connections among other competitors too.
I know Allison Brock, and am proud to have kissed Rosie’s handsome nose. I’ve met Steffen, and Robert Dover, though I’m sure they wouldn’t remember :lol:
The Brazilian horse who went early in the order this morning is from the same breeder as my horse.
I saw home movies (yes, on actual film reels) of Vinnie, Kathleen Raines’ almost-Olympic mount (she was the reserve), taken in Holland when they were debating whether or not to buy him. There was a group of us in her mom’s living room and the consensus was to buy the “one with the socks.”
Lenny Krayzelburg, the famous back stroker, was a student in my general chemistry class. Very nice person. His lab partner was also on the swim and water polo teams and one day when we were chatting the lab partner said “I’m OK. But this guy? You will hear about him.”
Lucy Davis rode with the same trainer as a friend’s daughter so I have met her and her mom. Still remember the day she won both the 14/u PCHA Medal Finals and the Jumper Classic. Again, very nice people.
Showing HJ and especially dressage in Southern California, you inevitably run into an assortment of Olympians at shows. At one point we all joked that we knew everyone’s freestyles and their music. Not sure I’ll ever forget being in the same warmup ring as several riders from the previous Olympics, on my first-level TB.
One of the K2 (kayak) guys was a close friend in HS. We went to his grade 12 prom together.
My husband grew up with a couple of the track and field.
Ian is an old friend of my trainer’s. Just last weekend, we were at Palgrave in the golf cart and it crapped out on us. Ian hopped off his bike and gave it a little push to get going 
He’s a nice guy, stands out from a mile away in that cowboy hat of his.
My mother in law has met and chatted with phillip Dutton and has a signed poster of him. And I’ve watched him almost get himself smushed when he tried to mount from the ground this spring at an Aiken event when the horse decided he was not so into that.
We have some eventing members of the Olympic family from B.C. who all venters know:
David Wilding Davies
Nick Holmes Smith
Theresa Washtock
Chelan Kozak
Hawley Bennett
I rode for the Fox-Pitts during uni, and Tina Cook (our reserve) is local and hunts with us. Have interviewed Gemma Tattersall about the Olympics for a magazine, she’s really lovely. Once had a lovely phone conversation with Toddy about a job, and have ridden at Mark Kyle’s (IRE) yard. He let me ride his Athens horse, Drunken Disorderly. Such a nice man. Have also been to Lucy Weigersma’s yard to ride so know Padraig McCarthy (also IRE) a bit. Currently doing a bit of equestrian PR and Charlotte Dujardin, Fiona Bigwood, and Anders Dahl are among our sponsored riders so that’s a very tenuous connection but it’s there also my best friend’s brother’s best friend (phew) plays on the GB rugby 7s team; we had a new year’s party with him!
I drive by Indian Creek Farm almost daily. I also was an inch away from getting a position there, but I wasn’t ready to leave my full time 9-5. They are 1 of the 12 in on the syndicate of Blackfoot Mystery, and they have quite a few other upper level eventers with BNR’s. What a facility!
Many years ago when attending Indian River Community College in Ft. Pierce, Deena Deardorff was in some of my classes. She was on the gold medal winning swimming medley relay in the '72 Olympics. She swam the butterfly and also came in 4th in the 100 M butterfly at those games.
She was very down to earth and modest about her accomplishments.
Boyd Martin used my bathroom once.
Sadly I wasn’t home that day to lock him in the basement.
I know Laura Graves. My former boarder took care of her farm when she was in Europe the first time, and she coached both her and another friend and came to my barn to give them lessons. She has been to my house for a Christmas party as I host the annual Dover party and she loves my fudge…think I will have to bake her some!
Our cottage is very close to the cottage of the parents of Georgia Simmerling (Downhill skiing and now team pursuit cycling), since we’re close in age we’ve had the odd beverage together 
I used to be a groom at a facility that was hacking distance to Eric Lamaze’s. In the off season I’d hack one over, boss would hack another over, and I got paid to audit two private lessons, then we’d hack back. Eric is super down to earth.
I took lessons with and rode Laura Graves’ older horse the winter and spring she “broke out” at Gladstone and that summer before she went to Europe.
I really enjoyed working with her, adored her Sunny, but am so glad she didn’t have room for my horse when she moved to Apopka … I am happy to support her (and the rest of the team) and beyond grateful that the person I train with now is home
Adding – Akiko Yamazaki (on Lombardi) was the first person I ever saw ride 4th level! It’s worth noting that she’s a USDF gold medal rider herself.
