Olympic Fever and Other Things by Joe Meyer

Kia Ora

Topliner

Apologies about this blog being so late. Plenty has happened since my last blog.Topliner won us our first Mini Prix and we have been to Chatahoochie and Full Gallop.Chattahochie was great as ever. The grounds and stabling are quite incredible. The slow roasted Brisket was also a real highlight for someone new to the south like me! 

Sponsor plug this month is Equilibrium www.equilibriumproducts.com

They make a fantastic range of Tri Zone boots as well as many other products. The all sport boots have been brilliant in Florida in the heat and the sand. And another favourite sponsor ECP www.equinecomfort.com. They make the best saddle and correction pads around. Mostly in merino wool. There is a new range of Air ride pads for GP, dressage and jumping. They dry in minutes and are a must for the heat. 

Summer Training

Olympic fever is on us now. It's always an exciting build up from start to finish.

Selections as always have been controversial. The Australians have been in uproar over their team and understandably.  Resident Australians want a home grown team. Their selectors have chosen some current form and experience.  Hamish Cargill has written amusing articles about the fact. He maintains that they are down now to a bunch of Lorry drivers  The facts are.... Australia has 15 eligible combinations for the Olympic games. This is no mean feat for a nation far from the eventing Mecca of the northern hemisphere.  This depth that has been created is to be applauded. If Aus does not fire this Olympics then look out next WEG and Rio De janeiro.  America will have a strong team in Phillip, Boyd and Karen. I'm really pleased to see Will Coleman there and am apprehensive about Tiana.  My reason for this is I know the events in Europe very well and would like to see her with more consistent form. I do however understand that the Olympics is a game of 5 players. Dressage position is key and risks must be taken.  Germany and Great Britain have awesome strong teams. People talk about Micheal Jung being beatable but I will stand corrected if anyone does put one round him.  New Zealand has mustered what they can and it's not to bad either. The home grown is being saved for later and the team have been working hard.   Mark and Andrew are legends and the latter has a great horse. Jock Pagent on great form. Let's hope that he does not get overexcited in the show jumping like at Rolex. Caroline is a fantastic friend and fierce competitor. Jonelle Richards as determined a person you have ever met. I wish them all huge luck. Good luck also to my Brazilian best friend Ruy Fonseca. Also I can't quite believe the situation of Carlos Paro. He was called up to Greenwich only to find out his accreditation was not filed properly and was sent home. I can't even think of what he is feeling now.  On a personal note I'm sad I don't have horse power and form for this Olympiad but look out Rio!

I have been teaching all around the Eastern United states lately. I have made some great new friends and have some fabulous new students. Thanks to all in Ohio, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Right now I'm on my way home from Maryland. On the way up last night I was sat next to a really cool big bloke called Dan from Nashville, Tennessee. He was in the music business. Believe it or not we had lots in common,  him helping young music stars and me with riders. It was fascinating. Now I'm on the way back. I'm next to a lady with a cat! That's right her cat is in a little crate between her legs. At least he's well behaved . I dread to think what our adopted cats One Eye and Junior would do on a plane! Definitely soil themselves.  

Riding with Dad

My beautiful daughters Lexi and Vivi are here in Florida right now. It's been a great summer for  them so far. Disney world, Silver Springs water park, riding Snip and swimming at home. So pretty tough for me too! Thanks to Jen Carter in advance for what think will be a pony mad friendship between Lexi and Riley Carter.  

That all for now. I will blog again soon after the Games and will cohost  the eventing radio show with Samantha Clark then too. I'm really looking forward to that. 

I will be glued to the Tele over the next few days. Good luck again to all my friends and may the best man/ woman win. 

Harae ra 

Joe

Kia Ora From The Globe Trotting Kiwi Joe Meyer

Joe & Topliner

I'm in the airport again. Close my eyes and sounds like I'm in Barcelona. Open my eyes and I'm actually in Miami. I'm on my way to a clinic in Pennsylvania. I have a two hour layover here in Miami. Airport food normally makes me puke but I have found a nice little place for breakfast and my spanglish is coming in handy skinny guy ( me ) manages to snag three seats on the plan next to three fat ladies all in together looking envious. Have done my best spreading out act, well practiced on Transatlantic flights to stop anybody moving in. Starting to like this airline.....

Red hills was quite the occasion. A great event and fantastic hospitality. One little whinge on the first day was the dusty arenas. The bloke on the drag was wearing a mask. Good thinking! I choked my way through the first day. The rest of the event they were really good. I can't quite understand the pro rata pay parking system. $200 for premium with no water or hook up seems foreign to me. Perhaps Red Hills could do something about this for next year. 
Slagging off aside. Red Hills was a fabulous event. The going as first class and we even ran Violet Rain around barefoot! 

Classic Imp placed second. He is ever consistent with a prize every time out and why nobody has bought this horse yet is beyond me. Violet Rain had her first preliminary for third prize barefoot and all. She has now been sold.  Sarah Masachie snapped her up. I still get to compete her from time to time which will be fun. As they say you can't beat a good mare and she definitely is one of those, even going on to win her first class at a hunter show two weeks later with her new owner.  Lough Rynn also had his first prelim and Alexander his second. They were both very good but just out of the money. Many thanks to the sponsors and organizers. We look forward to Red Hills next year with some upper level horses and sporting our fancy new Maui Jim sunglasses.

My Clinic at Groveland Farm the following weekend went well. Only one person cried (not my fault) and no air jackets blew up. Strange how this can be the measure of a good clinic! I have now some great new friends and students. I have another XC and SJ clinic there on Memorial Day weekend. Check my website for info.  Many  thanks to Jill Lukens and her family 

My foray into American Grand Prix jumping has had some mild success. Although I'm still pretty wet behind the ears when it comes to the rules here. Not knowing I had to stay in the ring to jump off was a new experience at GP level. We must have looked a bit Mickey Mouse learning the course at the ingate! Anyway Nora Macdonald Yaney's Topliner jumped an awesome double clear for firth place in our first effort at HITS. We will now move up to the $25.000 level around here and maybe take him with us if we travel north for events this summer. 

I was disappointed to hear and read the criticism of the Karen O'Connor top hat drama at Red Hills. I strongly advise wearing a protective helmet at any level of riding. Until the FEI rules change it is still up to the competitors own choice as to whether they wear a top hat or helmet. Some may call the critical comments a pro active way to get helmets on heads, and others would call it peer pressure and bullying. It's still a choice and  freedom of choice is a quality that I very much admire about the U.S. Let's not let the U.S. turn into a nanny state like many other countries have become. 

This months sponsor plug goes to ECP and MacWet gloves Equine Comfort Product ECP. Do a massive range of Saddle and half pads in merino wool. They have just released a synthetic cross country pad called the 'air ride pad'  It's similar to the competition  E.. G... ( any guesses?) I tried one last weekend and it as great. Give it a go you will be converted. MacWet are my long time glove sponsors. I used to just strap them on for XC but now I use them everyday. They are just brilliant for the hot and humid conditions here in Florida and the U.S. and they truly are non slip. 

Rocking Horse came and went last weekend with another prize for Classic Imp. He will now take his chances against the dressage queens in the CCI1 star at Ocala. Lough Rynn  got a gold star for his XC effort and seems to be quite a natural and also came home with a rosette.  Tulip who is the niece of Snip is still wild and unruly and if she takes as long as Snip to develop I can expect a good dressage test in about three years!  It was a little more quiet this weekend without Texans there. They have gone back to their own country, Texas,  to be world famous in... Texas. I do really like it when everyone is down in FL so see you again next year. 

For all you people who think that us professionals don't fall off much well you are very wrong. Bruce Davidson and Kyle and Jen Carter kindly let us use their XC facilities. A galloping horse and me walking  sheepishly behind has become a more regular site. I hope everyone got a few laughs and only my pride was hurt.

It's warm down here in FL now but life goes on and we are off to show horses in an hour. I think I will have a quick swim first though. 

Until next time. 

Hare Ra 

Joe's website is www.joemeyereventing.com

You can also follow him on Face book and Twitter

Joe Meyer
www.joemeyereventing.com 

+44 (0)7768477974 UK

+1 (352) 6155907 USA