Don't get me wrong, I think there will be plenty of clear rounds, and if we don't get any more rain (don't forget those Britney Spears wannabes... I haven't!) there should be between seven and 10 clear rounds inside the time. But if it rains, like Keb' Mo' says "thass a 'hole 'nother thing!" This is new turf, and it won't hold up to heavy traffic.
Just as an aside, this is yet another reason that I disagree with the current trend towards making courses more and more narrow: when you have heavy rain, you no longer have a level playing field, because a narrow fence forces every horse to jump off the same piece of ground. If it gets muddy, this is an obvious disadvantage to the horses that go late in the day.
Anyway, life ain't fair, so you gotta get over it and get on with it. Friday is just around the corner, and I have to look into my crystal ball, to see who I think the winning teams and individuals will be. I am cheating a little, as by then I will know what the dressage scores are, but you gotta take every chance you get. In the meantime, I need to take me some of that all-purpose brown nerve tonic and get on with it. Have a good night, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
BTW (that's computer-talk for "By The Way"--pretty cutting edge, huh?), if my luggage ever gets here, and I am not too computer-challenged, I will try to post some photos of the cross-country course tomorrow... but no promises. When that nerve tonic gets in your eye, there is no telling what happens next!
Jim Wofford has represented the U.S. in eventing at three Olympics and two World Championships; he has won the U.S. National Championship five times on five different horses. As a coach, he has had at least one student on every U.S. Olympic, World Championship and Pan American team since 1978. He is a regular columnist for Practical Horseman magazine.
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