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

When It Rains, It Pours by Lauren Lambert

Fair Hill 2009

As the Olympics are rapidly approaching, a lot of people are questioning if London will get a break from the rain.  Weather is a huge factor in eventing.  We don't have all weather cross country surfaces.  Rain and mud is part of the game.  I'll never forget my first time to Bromont trying to qualify for the one star at Young Riders.  It was an odd situation because I had already done Young Riders at 15, but afterward I was burned out and took a year and half break.  When I came back to riding, the qualifications had expired and Bromont was my only option to qualify. So we made the 21 hour drive over night to Quebec.  Then it started to rain.  And it didn't stop.  Many people withdrew, but I wasn't about to.  Baba Creek and I set out of that barn to do battle, but I wasn't prepared. 

That year at Bromont was the year before Derek DiGrazia took over, and we had to gallop to the top of the mountain.  Dad mentioned before I went out to take it slow out there and go clean, but when Miles hit the base of that mountain and wanted to run hard against the rain, I let him dig in.  By the time we reached the peak, everything was a sheet of white, I could hardly see.  There were only two jumps at the peak of that mountain and I had a run out both of them!  We descended from the mountain without a qualifying score.  As we packed up Sunday night, Will Coleman came around the corner to ask how the weekend went.  I told him about how I didn't ride well in the rain, his response stuck with me- he said  it wouldn't be the last time I would ride in the rain.

Fast forward three years, Fair Hill 2009.  Baba Creek and I are contesting our first three star.  The memory of walking out of the hotel Thursday morning seeing the rain pouring from the sky, it still makes me cringe.  This wasn't like the Bromont rain, this was a bone chilling Nor'easter.  Everything was a mud pit, especially the stabling and parking.  40 degrees and non stop down pour.  As I made my way to warmup Saturday, Sue Burnett told me to let my horse gallop on top of the mud.  As we set out, I did my best to find some turf to gallop on rather then slop.  Miles went all the way around that course but was pretty exhausted by final water complex and slithered over the roll top in.  That was the only time Baba Creek ever ran out of steam.  He was one sore puppy Sunday morning.  We passed the jog, and warming up for show jumping Jimmy told me to go in, ride forward, and my horse would forgive me... Ha! Already being a tad not careful in the show jumping, Miles and I went in there and had NINE rails!  We plummeted from top ten to 25th.  It was pretty mortifying, but the moral got better after a sip of wine and being awarded the highest placed first timer-AKA the only one crazy enough to run their first three star in the worst conditions possible and actually complete.  I can laugh about that disastrous show jumping now, especially after hearing Buck tell about his first Rolex show jumping when he only left two jumps up.  At one point, his horse jumped through an oxer and the front rail went over the horses head and landed balanced in Buck's lap!  He had to toss the rail aside to continue.  All kidding aside, cross country at Fair Hill that autumn left a scar.  Maybe it was the fact it was my first three star, but riding in those conditions and getting around was like going to battle and walking out alive.  Being out there on the front line, left with memories which only others who were there could understand.   Baba Creek would never have to run in those conditions again.  I probably will, but now at least I have some sold experience.

So will the weather be kind to our Olympians?  Who knows!  Weather is a huge factor in our sport; you gotta get out there and ride in the worst of it.  If you want to be at the top, sitting out when the going gets tough isn't going to get you far.  Eventing Is tough and the weather can make it down right scrappy.  Our team is made of hard working people who have trudged on in the worst of it, and come out the better for it.  I am very excited to cheer team USA on. Good luck to Tiana, Karen, Boyd, Will and Phillip - hoping some good weather finds you at Greenwich Park, but if not, you guys got this anyway!  Go USA!