We're on the road to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for the 2013 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championships! We have two IHSA members on the ground to bring you lots of behind-the-scenes coverage. Here is a little info about our correspondents:

Madison Harris is a senior at Berry College in Rome, Georgia, studying Business Management. As team member of the Berry Hunt Seat team, Madison has held the captain's position of Historian for 3 years as well. On top of team, riding her Appendix Quarter Horse mare, Sassie, and participating in the IHSA Media Internship, she also started and manages her own photography business called MHarris Photography. Photography and horses are two of her passions and she is incredibly excited to be helping out with the Practical Horseman coverage this year in Harrisburg.

Nicole Mandracchia has been riding for over 10 years and is a working student at James and Robin Fairclough’s Top Brass Farm in Newton, New Jersey. She helps tend to the farm's 25 driving and jumping horses. She grooms and shows at major horse shows on the East Coast, such as HITS Saugerties and Ocala, Garden State, the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show, the Pennsylvania National and Lake Placid. She attends Centenary College and is the senior captain of the IHSA team where she has been competing in the Open level for four years. Nicole is planning to graduate in May 2013 with an Equine Studies degree with a concentration in Communications.

For the latest results and information about the 2013 IHSA Nationals, click HERE. Watch live streaming of all the action HERE.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Nicole Mandracchia's Blog: Final Hunt Seat Day at IHSA Nationals: I heard one of my favorite songs, “Titanium” by Sia, come over the loudspeaker this morning while all our horses were out schooling. I sang along with it for a few bars and then turned to one of my teammates with a smile. “It’s going to be a good day—this is a good song.” He looked at me like I was crazy, but I was getting good vibes.

As the saying goes, it ain’t over until it’s over. It seemed as though Centenary’s luck finally turned around today. Senior Cori Reich won the coveted USEF/Cacchione Cup title, something she has been working very hard for. This is the third time in five years that a Centenary rider has claimed this title; graduate Lindsay Clark won it in 2009 and graduate Marissa Cohen won in 2011.

It was so stressful listening to the announcer list the riders’ names in reverse order of placing during the awards presentation. Our entire team was there to cheer for her when her name was called in first place—we were all in tears. After all the ribbon pictures were taken, we stormed into the arena and enveloped her in a group hug. There are so many of us that I’m sure it looked like a stampede! Cori is amazing and we are so proud of her.

Our Open Flat rider, junior Kathryn Haley, scored a win for us in Team Open Flat. The judges did not call the riders back for further testing like they did last year. Instead, they asked the riders to drop their stirrups to the right and perform flatwork without them, including a lengthening of stride at the canter. Katie rode beautifully and with the same grace and poise that she always has. I wish I could flat as well as she can!

That win brought us to a tie with Goucher College for 5^th overall in the team placings, which was the same placing we received last year. Being one of the top five teams in the country is pretty good and we’ll definitely take it! Skidmore and St. Lawrence deserved the win—their riders were exceptional all week. Stanford University jumped to the Reserve Championship, which was great for them! The Savannah College of Art and Design was third and Mount Holyoke was fourth.

The show always does three sportsmanship awards to recognize three individuals who have worked hard all week to make Nationals possible. Rebecca Folk of Lafayette College won the Rider Award, Erin Githens of Lafayette College won the Coach Award and Centenary’s very own Amy Gregonis won the Volunteer Award. Congratulations to them—all were very deserving!

There’s also a Horse of the Show award given to the horse that has been the most consistent all week and has been a favorite among riders and coaches. Centenary’s King won this award, and he proudly posed in the winner’s circle. He will receive free SmartPaks for a year and won a beautiful bridle, which we want him to wear in his lessons every day. Centenary has had King for 7 years, and he has been such a great addition to our program. He has taught countless riders how to ride and always comes to Nationals with us. He also does ANRC Nationals, IDA shows at Centenary, IHSA shows at Centenary and Hunter/Jumper team shows. He a professional and knows his job well.

After the award presentations, we packed up our equipment and horses to go home. This was the last IHSA show of my college career—I graduate from Centenary in two weeks. It’s so surreal and I do not know where the past four years have gone. IHSA has been a part of my college career from day 1; I have always been committed to our team. I have learned so many essential riding skills competing in IHSA shows in Zone 3, Region 3. As a captain, I’ve learned the value of teamwork and how to run horse shows successfully and efficiently. I have learned how to get the best out of my team and encourage them to work hard and never give up. I’ve made so many life-long friends that I will never forget and will always keep in touch with. And most importantly, I’ve learned horsemanship skills that will last a lifetime.

Ultimately, we had a great year and that’s all that really matters. We were undefeated, winning every show all semester and we claimed the Zone 3 Finals Championship. None of Centenary’s success would have been possible without the help of all 60 people on our team, and I thank each and every one of them for one of the best years our team has ever had. I can’t thank our coaches Michael Dowling and Heather Clark enough for all their support and dedication to the team. All those no-stirrup lessons and practices ultimately made us stronger riders. It has been an honor to work with each member of this team, and I hope that they will learn as much from IHSA as I did.

2013 IHSA Nationals ended in a tie this year between Skidmore and St. Lawrence. Both coaches had wonderful things to say about the other team. Mary Drueding (St. Lawrence): "I'd rather share than lose the title. I'm incredibly proud of Zone 2 in itself. We have strong riders, strong coaches, and we all fight until the 8th class on the last day." Belinda (Asst. Coach of Skidmore): "This was a really special camaraderie and we're both thrilled to share the title within Zone 2."

© Madison Harris

I have to share this photo of my own team, Berry College, who claimed 6th place today. On a personal note, we have fought the past three years of my college career to reach Nationals and haven't made it as a team past Zones. This year, after an undefeated season, my team made it to Nationals. I have never been a part of such a hard-working and supportive group of people before and I was proud to watch them accomplish this goal. This was probably the greatest present I could've received at the end of my senior year. Go Vikings!

© Madison Harris

King, the Dutch Warmblood from Centenary College, won Champion Hunt Seat Horse of 2013 Nationals. What a beautiful guy!

© Madison Harris

I had the chance for a quick word with Peter Leone after the Cacchione Cup final. He stated: "The Cacchione final testing was Maclay caliber of skill. All the coaches and teams should be incredibly proud of their riders. I was impressed."

© Madison Harris

We have some fantastic video footage provided from a number of sources this week!

© Madison Harris

Running the in-gate at a horse show, especially Nationals, takes a large amount of skill and multitasking. I caught our manager, Chris Mitchell, in the middle of a vary precarious situation involving the balance of coffee and calling riders.

© Madison Harris

Everyone has a tendency to stop and check out the coveted Hunt Seat National Champion trophy, I know I have a couple of times.

© Madison Harris

Meet Lucy! Lucy is a 12 year old, Dutch Warmblood, who is owned by the United States Military Academy. After speaking to her owners, Lucy was found by a friend of the family and shared with them her remarkable talent as a jumper. Lucy has been a show-favorite this week due to her floppy ears as she listens to her riders. As her owner said: "She's known for it, and sometimes you can't really help how big your head is!"

© Madison Harris

While we're here with our teammates cheering us on, we have a tendency to forget how proud our parents are of us. As our number one fans since we start our careers, countless hours are spent watching ringside. They stick with us through the highs and lows, the falls, the smiles, and most of all, the moments that matter most. I had the pleasure of capturing Flavia D'urso's father watching from the gate as Flavia received her Champion ribbon in Collegiate Open Equitation Over Fences for Skidmore College. Not a single person could help but smile as he pointed her out in excitement and pride.

© Madison Harris

The final 10 riders from the Cacchione Cup line up for the awards ceremony.

© Madison Harris

Peter Leone is present today at Nationals. Winning riders have been awarded his "Show Jumping Clinic" book as a prize here. All 10 of the Cacchione riders received a book as a token of competition. Peter is a Member of the United States Equestrian Team and has represented the United States on numerous occasions including in 1982 when he helped the U.S. finish fourth in the World Championships in Dublin, Ireland, and in 1996 when he and Crown Royal Legato were part of the USET's Silver Medal team at the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.

© Madison Harris

Cori Reich, of Centenary College, becomes emotional as she is left standing in the lineup as the winner of the 2013 Cacchione Cup. After finishing 15th last year in the Cacchione Cup, Reich was ecstatic with this accomplishment. Speaking to her after the awards, she "thanked Heather and Michael for pushing her incredibly hard and expecting a lot out of her and her teammates. That's how accomplishments are made."

© Madison Harris

The Cacchione Cup is a wrap! Final standings were: Cori Reich, from Centenary (Champion), Flavia D'Urso, from Skidmore (Reserve Champion) and Blake Roberts from Virginia Intermont (Third).

© Madison Harris

Here's the mounting arena where the riders meet their horses. Afterward they make the walk through the tunnel to the competition arena.

© Madison Harris

April 28, 2013--The 2013 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final came to an exciting yet familiar conclusion Sunday in front of a packed house in the Scandinavum Arena. In the first of two rounds Course Designer Uliano Vezzani tested 23 horse and rider combinations over a demanding track composed of 12 obstacles that did not yield a single clear round. The number of competitors was then whittled to 17 for the 11 obstacle second round with two riders producing flawless efforts. But for a second consecutive year, four rounds would not be enough to determine a champion and again an American and Swiss competitor would jump-off.

The United States' Beezie Madden and Steve Guerdat of Switzerland each ended on a four round total of nine-faults. In a replay of the 2012 Final, Guerdat riding his 2012 Olympic Individual Gold medalist Nino Des Buissonnets, would be forced to jump-off against a U.S. partnership that was known for turning in quick and efficient trips. Last year it was Rich Fellers and Flexible but in 2013 Madden (Cazenovia, NY) and Abigail Wexner's impressive a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Simon were looking to keep the title in the United States.

Madden and Simon, the winners of Thursday's Speed Leg, entered Sunday's first round on a single fault in second place and were poised to jump a clear round until just rolling the pole coming out of the double at five. Their four fault round was good enough to move them to the head of the field going into round two. In the second round, the pair again jumped a beautiful round only to be marred by a single rail down (11A) and stand on a total of nine faults.

"It's been a fantastic week. The first leg was one of those rounds where everything came up. Friday, I was happy with the first round and I was kicking myself for the jump-off." said Madden recapping her performances earlier in the week. "I was disappointed (today) I would have liked to have gone clear in the second round but you have to shake that off and concentrate on the jump-off."

Guerdat was one of two to go clear in Sunday's second round to also lay on nine faults. The 2012 Final runners-up again entered as the first pair in the jump-off and set a lightening fast pace from the very beginning but faulted at the final two fences.
With Madden following him into the jump-off, Guerdat knew that he would need to produce a scorching time if he were to claim top honors.

"I know she's a very fast rider, so I had to try."

Once she saw that Guerdat had two rails down, the double Olympic Team Gold medalist knew all she had to do was leave all the rails in place and be careful to not exceed the time allowed. Madden and Simon returned to the arena for a final time and the hard-trying, careful gelding produced a steady clear to earn the 2013 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final title.

"The cards laid out right for me today. Steve made a great jump up on the leaderboard and the door was left open for me in the jump-off," said Madden.

The veteran rider has claimed many of the most prestigious honors in the sport including Team and Individual medals at the Olympic Games, FEI World Equestrian Games and Pan American Games. However, a Rolex/FEI World Cup Final title had eluded her until today.

"It's been a dream of mine to win the World Cup and I can't believe I've done it," said Madden. "It's a title I've always wanted to win and the closest I had been before was fourth so it was a nice jump to make."

Madden was joined by five other Americans in Sunday's final as McLain Ward, Reed Kessler, Karl Cook, Katie Dinan and Charlie Jayne also completed both rounds.

Three-time Olympian, Ward (Brewster, NY) produced a fifth place finish overall with Grant Road Partner LLC's Super Trooper De Ness on a score of 13 faults. In Sunday's first round the scopey 11-year-old Belgain Warmblood stallion jumped a near flawless round just adding four faults at the sixth oxer. The pair returned in round two with a podium finish on their mind but were one of many to get caught out in the triple combination adding four faults at 4C.

Rounding out the U.S. competitors in the top-ten was 18-year-old Reed Kessler and her 2012 Olympic Games partner the 11-year-old Belgain mare Cylana. Kessler (Lexington, KY) was making her Rolex/FEI World Cup debut this week in Gothenburg and produced an eight fault total in Sunday's first round after dislodging rails at fences 5B and 9B. In round two, she again incurred eight faults; rolling poles at 4C and 5.

Kessler finished in 10th place on 25 faults.

Directly behind Kessler in the 11th place was Karl Cook (Woodside, CA) riding Signe Ostby's 11-year-old Zangerscheide stallion Jonkheer Z to four fault totals in both rounds. They completed their first Final appearance on a score of 28 faults.

Completing the U.S. effort were Dinan and Jayne. Riding Grant Road Partners LLC's 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding Nougat De Vallet, Dinan (Wellington, FL) jumped eight and 12 fault rounds respectively to finish on a score of 38 in 16th place. Like Kessler and Cook, the 19-year-old was also riding in her first Final. Jayne (Elgin, IL) and Alex Jayne and Maura Thatcher's 10-year-old Zangerscheide stallion Chill R Z produced an eight fault trip in round one. But 20 faults in the second round left the 2012 Olympic reserve combination in 17th place on 44 faults.

Kent Farrington (Wellington, FL) also qualified to represent the United States in Sunday's final but chose to save R.C.G. Farm's Uceko for another day.

Chef d'Equipe Robert Ridland was pleased with the results of all the U.S. combinations this week.

"We're very excited; we made this a huge goal. This was a priority; not just winning but really doing better with all our riders in the running and we saw that today," said Ridland. "It was just icing on the cake that Beezie won."

For more information about the 2013 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final visit: http://www.gothenburghorseshow.com/

Follow the 2013 U.S. Jumping Team here.

The Gene Mische American Invitational, however, is completely different. Being in an NFL facility, Raymond James Stadium, (which has hosted the Super Bowl) IS A  key element contributing to a special experience for riders and fans alike.

Horse show judge Jimmy Lee, who has been to many Invitationals and attended the 41st last night, explained it this way to me:

"Just to walk into such an awesome place in the evening and the way they do the presentation, it's a great course and a lot of people from the community come to watch -- they really make it an event," he pointed out.

"Sometimes we just have a wonderful horse show, but it's just like the wonderful horse show the previous week, and the one we're going to have next week. With these long circuits, it's fun to say to someone, `What show were you champion at?'

`I was champion the fifth week.'

`But what was the name of the show?'"

Odds are, you won't get an answer to that one.

There's no such confusion with the Invitational; even riding in it without getting a ribbon is memorable. As Jimmy  said, "It's a production."

You just get one shot; there's no schooling, no warm-up class. It becomes a real test of horsemanship.

McLain Ward at the X-factor jump on the way to winning the Gene Mische American Invitational with Rothchild.

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

This edition definitely was tough; only McLain Ward, on the hard-fighting Rothchild, and 18-year-old Reed Kessler, his 2012 Olympic teammate on Mika, made it from the starting field of 30 into the tie-breaker.

Steve Stephens, who has designed the Invitational since 1985 (with the exception of one year) put his usual amount of thought into the route he laid out. There were several new fences, including the American Invitational pedestal, raised up on a red X (Steve was inspired by The X-Factor TV show), as well as a vertical/liverpool/vertical triple combination near the end of the course that took a lot of prisoners.

Why is an arrangement like that so difficult here?

Listen: Steve Stephens

So now you understand the circumstances, and why, for McLain, winning his third Invitational since 1998 has special meaning.

"This class is an institution for this country, this sport. I really hope people in the industry rally behind this and keep it going," he said. "It almost died a few years ago. I'm so glad to see (organizer) Michael Morrissey and his group of people and sponsors who have really made great effort to revive it, because it's very, very important to us as athletes.

"This is something unique and special and when I grew up, this was the most important class to win, this is what we coveted. I think that's important for future young riders; my children, one day, I hope."

The show also is a great experience for spectators, who come out in droves to walk the course,

measuring the height of the fences against the top of their heads, spreading their arms in the middle of the oxers to see how wide they are.

The crowd of 8,500 was better than last year and comparable to the number who came to Wellington on Florida's east coast last weekend for the $500,000 grand prix that ended the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. They do look a bit lost in the cavernous facility, though as McLain pointed out, "In anything other than a 65,000-seat stadium, it would look packed. But I think the stadium also makes the atmosphere a bit."

He sees the Invitational's potential for becoming a "destination event," such as Devon or the World Cup Finals in Las Vegas.

"That's what this event should be aimed to be," he commented.

"WEF is so great, but it gets so monotonous by the end, when you use the same jumps every single week. It's beautiful here," said Reed.

"They really put in that extra work to make it special, and it feels special from the moment you get here."

"There are so many things they do so, so well," McLain pointed out, noting that there are always different fences each year, and the organizers and Steve don't simply rest on their laurels.

His most memorable Invitational win, achieved during a 2008 night of rain, was on Sapphire. There will never be another like the mare, who retired last year at Devon in an emotional ceremony.

"For me, every horse is in the shadow of Sapphire. I miss her very much," said McLain, but Rothchild has found a way into his heart.

"It was a little bit of a lucky chance that I got him," McLain said, recalling he had gone to Europe seeking a horse for a student, and tried Rothchild.

"Francois Mathy, who we buy all our horses from, said, `I think it's a very careful horse.'"

McLain had a different opinion.

"I didn't like anything about him. All the way to the airport, I said, `No, no, no.'"

It apparently fell on deaf ears.

"I called my father to say I was home and he said, `By the way, we bought the chestnut horse. Francois says you don't know what you're talking about."

Well, look at how it's turned out. Rothchild is as competitive as his rider, and as he pins his ears back while he's clearing a fence, you can tell he's going for it.

"He's an every day competitor. He can go in a speed class, he can jump the American Invitational, he can jump a Global Tour grand prix, he can jump Nations' Cups," said McLain.

"He's very quietly amassed quite a record. In the end, he's become a very good friend of mine. He gives me everything he has to give me."

Rothchild, who is owned by the Dolan family's Sagamore Farm, also is "an unbelievable character. He's the sweetest horse in the world to deal with," said McLain.

That's when you're in the barn.

At the same time, "he's totally opinionated and it's going to be his way. He does not like other horses. He makes up for lack of classic style with determination. He can kind of do everything, which is a rarity in today's sport. You know, everything's a specialist. This horse is really the blue collar worker, but the blue collar worker won one for the team today."

McLain Ward hoists the Invitational trophy as second-place Reed Kessler and third-place Sharn Wordley look on.

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

Despite the fact that only McLain and Reed were in the jump-off, this was no easy victory, and there were a few others who came close to making the tie breaker. Sharn Wordley, a U.S.-based New Zealander, nearly did qualify but scored a time fault with Eric Lamaze's Olympic mount, Derly Chin de Muze, to wind up third.

And how did he get the ride on this horse?

Simple: "I got engaged to the owner (Ashley Fleischhacker)," he admitted, getting a laugh, as the beautiful blonde held the flowers he got during the awards ceremony.

Sharn had a mishap that put him over the 89-second time allowed.

"My horse drifted quite hard to the right at fence four and I rubbed my foot against the standards and I was kind of discombobulated and I kind of took a bit of time on that corner to get myself organized," said Sharn.

"I knew from then on it was going to be touch-and-go...I tried to catch up as best I could without jeopardizing having a rail. It was my first time doing the Invitational and I love it. It's going to be a focus for me next year. It's just so different...with so much atmosphere...it really is quite challenging."

McLain has gone from being one of the young guns to being the establishment, and they're all coming after him.

(Listen: McLain Ward

Invitational runner-up Reed Kessler on Mika

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

Reed is having a great time as an 18-year-old; becoming the youngest equestrian to compete in the Games last summer, and now nearly winning the Invitational in only her second attempt.

She had the disadvantage of going first in the jump-off, and was faced with the always difficult task of splitting the difference between having a fast time and making sure the fences stayed up.

"McLain is so, so fast; Rothchild, especially," she said.

"So I tried to lay down a really competitive round...to go in my comfort zone with Mika to make sure I put in a clear round. I tried to put enough pressure on without making a mistake."

She accomplished that, but by leaving out one stride and making a smoother approach than Reed did to one fence, McLain was able to better her mark of 43.37 by more than a second by crossing the finish in 42.10.

"It's so huge, it's such a prestigious class. I love walking the course and listening to people like Katie (Prudent, her coach) and Leslie (Howard) talk about the different horses they've won it on and the years where they had this (jump) in the course," said Reed.

"It's just such a historic class and has so many great stories behind it. It's great to say I've been second in the Invitational once," she continued, then smiled.

"I hope I can add a win."

The top three all liked the course, and praised Steve.

"He had some very young and green riders in the class, as well as Olympic horses and riders, he had to find a balance and I thought it was a good balance test," said McLain. Two or three, but under five (in the jump-off) is the right number for this competition."

The first Invitational I attended was in 1984, the year of the Los Angeles Olympics. Leslie Howard won on Albany and I thought it was neat that as I walked toward the stadium entrance yesterday, she was the first person I saw. We reminisced a bit about that experience.

Listen: Leslie Howard

There's always something different and intriguing at the Invitational, aside from the jumping. One area of the grounds is devoted to kids, with a petting zoo, horseless horse show and face painting. A Percheron was pulling what I call a Cinderella carriage (round and enclosed by artistic white metal strips).

Katherine Bateson Chandler did a freestyle demonstration with Alcazar.

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

During a break in the class, 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. dressage team member Katherine Bateson-Chandler performed a freestyle on Jane Clark's  Alcazar, not easy to do with jumps in the way and workmen pounding down divots all around her. But it was good practice for the horse, who will have to compete in a comparable setting (minus the jumps and workmen) if Katherine makes the squad for next summer's WEG in France.

Before everyone left the post-show party, always a relaxed affair and a good way to wind down from an exciting evening, I checked in with Michael Morrissey, head of Stadium Jumping Inc., which runs the show presented by G&C Farm.

Michael was Gene Mische's nephew, and devoted to him. Still is; he is keeping the Invitational going (and believe me, many people wondered if it could continue) in memory of Gene, the impresario who founded the Florida circuit.

Listen: Michael Morrissey

Don't forget to check out facebook.com/equisearch and facebook.com/practicalhorseman for more photos of the Invitational.
This was my last trip to Florida for the year. Like nearly everyone else, I'm heading north for the start of the regular season. I'll be sending postcards daily from the Rolex Kentucky 4-star at the end of the month, so be sure to look for them.

Until then,

I envy you guys, I really do. Shakespeare called jealousy the “green-eyed monster,” and that’s me these days. The reason I am so jealous is that some of you reading this are going to take part in rebuilding our U.S. Eventing Team from the ground up.

I never had that experience. When I joined the team as a rookie in 1966, it was a well-oiled machine—and in many ways a colder, more impersonal environment than we are used to these days. The U.S. Equestrian Team owned many of the horses, and riders were merely plug-and-play cogs. (I might be the only U.S. rider ever to be off the team, on the team and off the team all in the space of four days.) That was the way it was. We just shrugged and did not worry about anybody taking care of our needs. The way I figured it at the time, any fool who joined a team made up of Mike Plumb, Kevin Freeman and Mike Page was going to get a medal. All that fool had to do was show up for work every day, take care of business and learn as much as possible from watching these pluperfect players of the game, all future U.S. Eventing Association Hall of Famers. Remember, this was before Jack LeGoff had even arrived as our coach; he was the icing on the cake for us and a big reason for the U.S. team’s dominance of the international eventing scene for another 15 years.

Ups and Downs
But that was then, and this is now. Any sports franchise goes through highs and lows, and our present situation—no medals at the 2010 World Equestrian Games or 2012 London Olympics—is as low as the U.S. Eventing Team has fallen in a quarter-century. While our decline was as swift as it was precipitous, it is not the only time it has ever happened to us. We finished with team gold and Karen Stives won the individual silver in 1984 at Los Angeles; we were at the top of the eventing tree—­admired, respected and imitated around the world. But we went from the top to the bottom in one Olympic cycle. Only two years later, our team finished in disarray at the 1986 World Championships in Gawler, Australia, and we failed to even finish a team, much less medal, at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. That’s the way Olympic-level sport works: Sometimes you are the birddog; sometimes you are the fire hydrant.

Then the cycle started all over again. First the upside—Dorothy Trapp Crowell’s lone individual silver medal in 1994 with the incomparable Molokai. Next came team silver and Kerry Millikin’s individual bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, then team bronze at WEG in 1998. David O’Conner won the individual gold medal at Sydney in 2000 and led us to a team bronze medal. At the 2002 WEG in Jerez, we won team gold. Then Kim Severson and Winsome Adante won a silver medal and the team won a bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the late Amy Tryon and Poggio earned an individual

bronze at the 2006 WEG in Aachen and Gina Miles won an individual silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong on McKinlaigh. After that, though, no medals were earned at the 2010 WEG, and our team finished well down the line at the recent London Olympics. We have been riding shotgun down the avalanche, and now we are here at the bottom … again.

Let’s Come Out Swinging
We are in what baseball players call a “slump.” There is no denying it. While it is not what we wanted, it is what we have got, and we need to deal with it. I once asked Troy Glaus, MVP of the 2002 Baseball World Series, how he dealt with slumps. He said two very important things—­listen carefully, folks—to get out of a slump: “You go back to your basics,” and then he said, “You swing your way out of a slump.”

This is pretty important advice from someone who knows something about battling back from adversity, and we need to think about it. To get better, the first thing to do is to recognize we are not good enough. That’s a fact. You have to admit something is wrong before you can fix it.

The next thing to do is to look at your competition and figure out what they are doing that puts them, not you, on the medal ­podium. If you do that, you ­notice that each successful team has a system and their riders all ride in a similar fashion. If form follows function, medals follow form, and we need to match our methodology with sound basics. Taking a look at your competition will tell you how they are currently doing things and will inform your return to your basics.

It seems to me that in many ways we have written the book but lost the plot. In the past, the style with which our eventing teams rode reflected our systematic, sound, clear and consistent basic technique. I realize that any system beats no system, but if we are going to go back to our basics, we must first examine those basics. Before we start exposing our horses and riders to a certain progression of requirements, we should question those requirements …

Colic is frightening, and for good reason. It can come on without warning, often without an obvious cause. And while the vast majority of horses recover, most without surgery, it can be fatal.

If your horse colics, your actions can help ensure that he survives. In this article, Janet Johnston, DVM, a staff veterinarian who focuses on gastrointestinal disease at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, explains what to expect and how to handle this emergency. (For some tips on preventing colic, see “Block Colic” below.)

What You’ll See
The classic signs of colic tell you that your horse is in pain. Pay attention if he

• goes off his feed and shows little interest in grass.
• curls his lip, grinds his teeth or shows other signs of mild distress.
• doesn’t pass manure in a normal time span—overnight, for example.
• passes hard, dry manure or has diarrhea.
• paws the ground or stands stretched out with his legs parked out in front and behind.
• repeatedly turns to look at his flank or nips or kicks at his belly.
• lies down and gets up (or tries to roll) repeatedly or sits on his haunches like a dog.
• progresses to persistent rolling, which can be violent.

Not every colicking horse will show all these signs. Cases vary and, like people, some horses are more stoic than others in the face of pain. A little investigation may turn up other indicators. Check for

• abnormal gut sounds. “It’s a good idea to invest in an inexpensive stethoscope and be familiar with your horse’s normal gut sounds before he shows signs of colic,” Dr. Johnston says. Listen on each side by placing the stethoscope (or, in a pinch, your ear) at his flank, in front of and below the point of his hip. Normally, you’ll hear several gurgles a minute with a louder rumble every minute or two. Silence is not good; neither is excessive noise.
• elevated heart rate. Move the stethoscope to his chest, beneath his left elbow, to check his heart rate. (Or, without a stethoscope, find his pulse at the facial artery where it runs across the jawbone.) Using a watch with a second hand, count beats for 10 seconds and multiply by six to get the rate. A resting rate above 50 beats per minute indicates distress.
• abnormal temperature. A rectal temperature over 102 F may indicate infection or inflammation.

The signs don’t tell you what’s going on inside. Your horse’s gut may be distended by gas, blocked or even twisted. (See “Inside Story” on page 2 for details.) If gas is the only problem, he’ll be better when he passes it. But some other conditions are life threatening. Since you can’t know at the outset exactly what you’re dealing with, take any sign of colic seriously.

What to Do
“If your horse is mildly uncomfortable and quiet—not trying to roll—it’s probably safe to watch him for a short period,” Dr. Johnston says. “If he’s in greater pain or if his discomfort persists after an hour or two, that warrants a call to your veterinarian.” If you’re in doubt, call and explain your horse’s signs—it’s better to be proactive. Meanwhile,

• take food away. “Impactions are a common cause of colic, and you don’t want your horse to eat anything that might add to an obstruction,” says Dr. Johnston.
• keep a close eye on him. His signs may take a turn for the worse or seem to improve but then return, so watch for changes. “As long as he’s quiet, let him rest in his stall—constant walking just exhausts people and horses,” Dr. Johnston advises. But walk him if he tries to roll. “You want to prevent rolling because that could displace the colon, turning a simple gas colic into a more serious case,” she says.
• give a single dose of Banamine (flunixin meglumine) if your veterinarian agrees and you have this prescription medication on hand. Banamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, seems to ease belly pain and may help your horse weather a mild colic episode. “Some people advise against this out of concern that the drug will mask signs of a potentially surgical colic, but in my opinion, one dose won’t do that,” Dr. Johnston says. A safe dosage rate is 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight, or 500 milligrams for a typical adult horse, every 12 hours.
• don’t repeat the dose. “Keep in mind that it will be half an hour to an hour before the drug takes effect, so don’t give a second dose if your horse isn’t better right away,” says Dr. Johnston. “Higher doses and multiple doses may mask serious signs.”

Don’t wait to call the veterinarian if your horse doesn’t improve in a couple of hours or if his signs worsen or return. “Often people find the horse sick in the morning, watch him all day and then decide as night is coming on that it’s time to get help. That’s not good for anyone, especially the horse,” Dr. Johnston says. “In a surgical case, there’s a window of opportunity, a matter of a few hours, before serious damage occurs.”

You’ve studied the course diagram posted by the ring and memorized your route in the upcoming jumper class. The arena is now open for the course walk. This is the time to make decisions based on knowing how long and adjustable your horse’s step is, figuring out the striding along the course, and spotting unusual—and potentially problematic—fences. How you evaluate a course before riding it can be crucial for a successful round. Olympic course designer Steve Stephens offers insights on how to analyze the test to maximize your performance.

Every course has a heartbeat that reflects the designer’s style. As you walk the course on foot, ask yourself, “What is he doing out here? He‘s got a question that I‘ve got to solve.”

The answer is unique for each competitor who enters the ring because every horse has a different stride and his own challenges. Some might not like walls or liverpools. All likely will favor one direction over the other. Left and right turns change a horse’s balance and test your training skills, with lead changes and rhythm readjustments for the approach to the next jump. The better you know your horse, the better you can analyze the course to suit him.

The Science of Striding
The course designer also is thinking about how his plan will affect different horses as he puts together his route: “What is the short-strided horse going to do here? What is the big-strided horse going to do here?”

Sometimes when a course designer puts two fences in a row, he’s giving you the answer to his question by requiring a particular stride between them. If it’s five strides, that’s the answer. But other times he’s requiring you to make a decision. On one line, you might do five strides, while another rider will do six.

Walking the course, you have to know where your horse is landing to determine how tight a line is going to be. Most horses will touch down about 6 feet on the landing side of the fence. If your horse is scopey you probably will extend that distance to account for his ability to jump higher and wider, which will cause him to land farther from the fence. If your pace is stronger, you also will need to add footage to account for the arc of the jump. This is particularly important in combinations because of the set distance within one or two strides.

In figuring striding, a lot depends on the type of fences being used. For instance, 28 feet from one vertical to ­another in a one-stride is long, but it’s not dangerous because you’re not dealing with oxers, which require a greater type of effort. On the other hand, a tight distance inside at 24 feet 6 inches is such an easy question to ask. For a mid-level type of course, I am very comfortable making the distance 26 feet. It will feel long during the walk if you’re figuring on the average 12-foot length of a horse’s stride, but in reality, it would be a normal distance for vertical to vertical. You can leave your horse alone and just let him jump it with limited adjustments using your legs and/or seat.

For an oxer-to-vertical combination, 25 feet between the fences is a normal distance. Oxer-to-oxer is a whole different ballgame. For that, a very normal distance would be 24 feet. But by adding a foot and a half inside two oxers, bringing it to 25 feet 6 inches, it becomes a really scopey distance. Then it’s a “Gem Twist, I can do that” sort of thing. You won’t see this question in an ordinary Amateur-Owner class or a Level 3 jumper class (height 3-foot-6, width 3-foot-6 to 4 feet). I’ve probably done it in the American Invitational and the Gold Cup.

A designer also is careful where he uses that type of combination on the course. You can’t do it coming to a corner or out of a corner, for instance, because a horse needs a little bit more galloping, a power approach to it.

The U.S. got off to quick start on Wednesday with Richard Spooner (Agua Dulce, Calif.) riding Little Valley Farms' Apache and Beezie Madden (Cazenovia, N.Y.) with Coral Reef Ranch's Coral Reef Via Volo placing first and second respectively in the Akita Drilling Cup. While on Friday Kent Farrington (Wellington, Fla) and RCG Farm's Uceko captured top honors in the Encana Cup. Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo would also head to the winner's circle on Saturday as they topped the field in Suncor Energy Winning Round competition.

Morris was very pleased with the individual results of the U.S. riders collected throughout the week in Spruce Meadows. He also believes that the sport will continue to progress forward under the guidance of incoming Chef d'Equipe Robert Ridland.

"We had a great individual show," said Morris. "I'm very happy, Robert is young and from the new generation. This is a great transition and good for the country. It's perfect."

CN International Grand Prix

The United States closed out the 2012 Spruce Meadows Masters Tournament on Sunday with a solid showing in the final class, the CN International Grand Prix. Thirty-three of the world's best riders would start in the influential first round over Leopoldo Palacios intricate course. The top 12 combinations from that first round would move onto the decisive second round, which saw the height of fences raised over a shorter track. The U.S. had strong representation in that final round as Beezie Madden, Leslie Howard and Reed Kessler would vie for top honors.

Madden would jump midway through the order in the second round with Abigail Wexner's Simon after having incurred four faults in the first round. The 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding easily cruised to a clear round in the second round stopping the timers well within the time allowed.

The pair finished in second just two faults behind the winner Olivier Philippaerts and Cabrio Van De Heffinck of Belgium, who collected a single time fault in each round.

Finishing in fourth place was U.S. team veteran Leslie Howard (Darien, Conn.) and Utah. They were the first of the twelve horse field to jump in the second round after having lowered two poles in the first round for eight faults. The Utah Group's 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding produced a classy fault-free round that would propel him up the standings to finish in fourth place.

Kessler (Lexington, Ky.) and her own 10-year-old Belgian mare Cylana were the only combinations to navigate faultlessly over the first round. In the second round, the 2012 London Olympic Games veterans once again produced a classy effort but rails in the double combinations would leave them with an eight fault total and in fifth place.

Only Madden, Howard and Belgium's Ludo Philippaerts (father of winner Olivier) with Challenge VD Begijnakker were able to jump fault-free in the second round.

BMO Nations Cup

The United States was one of nine teams that lined up to claim top honors in the BMO Nations Cup held on Saturday afternoon. Clear rounds were at a premium over Leopoldo Palacios demanding track, with only Daniel Deusser of Germany producing a double clear. For the U.S. team of Ashlee Bond, Brianne Goutal, Kessler and Howard Saturday's class had added significance as they would be the final team Morris would lead into Nations Cup competition.

The U.S. team put forth a determined effort on an afternoon that saw up-and-down results for the Americans. They finished tied for fifth with the team from Canada on a score on of 28. Germany proved unbeatable finishing on a score of 16 in the extremely competitive class; where the 2011 champions, France, would not advance to the second round.

Bond (Hidden Hills, Calif.) led off the American effort with a confident trip just adding four faults with Little Valley Farms' Cadett 7 in the first round. In the second round, the 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding returned to the International Ring producing an eight fault effort.

Next up for the U.S. was Kessler (Lexington, Ky.) riding her Cylana, the pair produced a stylish trip in round one just rolling one pole for four faults. In the second round, their clear trip never looked in doubt as they easily cruised around the 12 obstacle course.

Goutal (New York, N.Y.) and Remarkable Farm's Nice De Prissey jumping in the third spot for the U.S. ran into trouble in the first round resulting in elimination and no score. The 11-year-old Selle Francais stallion returned with an improved performance in the second round with a 20 fault effort.

Riding in the anchor position for the U.S. was Howard. The veteran rider guided Utah to a 12 fault score in round one. Returning in round two, Howard showed all her experience producing an immaculate clear trip with the agile gelding.

For Howard being part of the U.S. team in final competition under Morris' direction was especially meaningful as they share a lengthy history together.

"Personally it was wonderful to be here with him in the team at his last show," said Howard. "It was so wonderful having been with the team 10 years, to be here for George's last show."

For results from the 2012 Spruce Meadows Masters Tournament visit; http://sprucemeadows.com/tournaments/orderAndGo.jsp?id=29

Follow the 2012 U.S. Jumping Team here.

Kent Farrington and Voyeur

© 2012 by Lawrence J. Nagy

The luxe life on the extremely posh East End of Long Island helps make the Classic a special way to end the summer. Yes, I know we still have a few more weeks to go until it's officially autumn, but this is Labor Day weekend and we're all going back to school or the equivalent in a day or two.

So the mood at the show is celebratory, making the most of the leisure time that is left. That's part of why the Classic is such a fabulous show, but it's more than that. The climactic $250,000 FTI Grand Prix, particularly, is one of the show season's highlights. It's staged in a massive grass arena (not many of those left), surrounded by VIPS and their extravagant table decor on three sides and a grandstand full of fans on  the other.

Today's edition of the FTI will be catalogued with so many other memorable moments brought to us by this special fixture. McLain Ward was trying for his second straight victory in the class on Antares F, and he ramped up by winning four classes here during the past week on several different horses. He took the $50,000 qualifier for the grand prix on Friday with Pjotter van de Zoennehoeve and was third with Antares F.

McLain also was the only competitor eligible for the new $200,000 Taylor Harris Triple Crown Challenge, to be awarded to any rider who could win the Wells Fargo Devon Horse Show grand prix, the FTI and the National Horse Show grand prix in November on the same horse.

I asked McLain about it after he won the $30,000 Pilatus Cup yesterday on Vocas (a great looking horse with a flashy dash of white in his tail).

Listen: McLain Ward

Unfortunately, the Triple Crown concept, laudable as it may be, was short-lived. McLain, in the unenviable position of being first to go in the FTI, had a lovely clean round with Antares, his Devon winner, until he got to the last fence, a skinny vertical set at 1.6 meters. It came down, accompanied to the ground by the groans of the crowd.

"I stiffed him," said McLain, who felt he had pulled up too much on the horse before the jump.

So the Crown is ended for this year. A show manager I know who shall remain nameless had told me the concept needed more flexibility, perhaps a rotation system like the Rolex challenge for eventing, which involves three events that have to be won by the same rider on any horse, and don't have to be won in the same year. Same rider, same horse, three in a row is just too tough.

Anyway,  McLain's round seemed to set the pace; no one was fault-free until Kent Farrington, ninth to go on the 10-year-old Dutch warmblood, Voyeur, his newest project. Kent has had some great ones in the last few years, Up Chiqui and Uceko, and now he's working on another project. After Kent, we had to wait 10 more rounds for another clear, this one from Shane Sweetnam, a U.S.-based Irish rider, on Amaretto D'Arco.

Shane Sweetnam, FTI Grand Prix runner-up, over the Hermes fence on Amaretto D’Arco

© 2012 by Lawrence J. Nagy

Several people came close; Cara Raether on Saskia and Jonathan McCrea on Colorado both were clear over the fences, but each had a single time penalty for exceeding the 91-second time allowed, which was not generous. Meanwhile, riders were being caught by the last line, an oxer a tight four strides from that number 14 vertical. Eight of them had it down. The course designer, Guillherme Jorge of Brazil, one of my favorites, said he debated long and hard about whether to put in number 14, or call it a course at 13 numbered fences. In the back of his mind was the time he did the $500,000 FTI class at the Winter Equestrian Festival, when 16 riders were clear.  That makes the first round boring, he noted.

By the way, everyone believes he will be the course designer for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but he hasn't been given a contract yet. And it's not like Brazil is crawling with top international course designers.

Molly Ashe-Cawley, third on Carissimo

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

Back to the Classic: The wait was even longer for the next (and last) clear round, Molly Ashe-Cawley, 32d on the roster in the field of 35. I talked to Molly while she was walking the course earlier in the afternoon, and she told me it likely was her last class (or one of the last) with Carissimo, since he has been purchased by a client. So it would have been nice for her to win, but it wasn't to be.

First in the ring for the jump-off, Kent sped around, as he does so well, and was clocked in 47.53 seconds for a fault-free trip. Shane had fence 13 down (now the third-to-last fence on the revised jump-off course) and a time of 48.04. I thought Molly might take the $82,500 first prize, but Carissimo stumbled through fence 13.  That slowed down Molly, who finished in 55.19 seconds. I talked to her after the class and she said, "I lost a sneaker," meaning Carissimo had lost his right front shoe, and that caused him to slip at the fence.

It was a special victory for Kent, because he had competed in the class 10 times and earned ribbons of all the other colors, except blue.

We talked about it afterwards.

Listen: Kent Farrington

Amateur-Owner Jumper Champion Lauren Ward had always wanted a pale blue Hampton Classic cooler.

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

You don't have to win $82,500 here to feel special. Earlier in the day, McLain's wife, Lauren, took the amateur-owner jumper championship on Oscar. I'm always interviewing McLain, so I thought his wife deserved equal time, or at least a little time. She is a lovely person, and it was nice to see her in the spotlight for a change. This was, understandably, a big deal for her, so we had a good time discussing it.

Listen: Lauren Ward

By the way, in case you're wondering why I cropped out the horse in the photo of Lauren, it's because she borrowed a horse for the award ceremonies. Oscar likes to win, but prefers to skip the presentation.
Lauren was second in a three-horse jump-off for the $25,000 David Yurman Show Jumping Derby for amateurs and juniors. It was won by Meg O'Mara, who also took the junior championship, on Sinatra IV. He's quite a horse; she won gold with him last fall in the USEF National Junior Jumper Championship. He has these odd blue eyes. That's why his name is Sinatra -- remember they called him, "Old Blue Eyes"?

One of the many fun things about the Classic is running into people you haven't seen for awhile. Among those with whom I renewed acquaintance was Sheila Johnson, whose daughter, Paige, is doing well in the jumpers now. Sheila is quite an entrepreneur, and has just come out with a line of silk and cashmere scarves. They will cost between $475 and $525, but part of the money will go to a good cause, a "homeless soccer team" that is another of her projects. These players are kicking addiction and some are moving from the homeless shelters to apartments they share with other team members once they can find work.

Sheila's husband, Arlington County Circuit Court Chief Judge William Newman, told me he was a consultant on the scarves, going over photos of what would be suitable and saying yea or nay. He made sure several of the scarves will be right for men, with their subdued colors and patterns; he plans to wear one with his overcoat.

Hampton Classic President Dennis Suskind with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Diana Taylor

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

I literally could write another 1,000 words about the Classic. It's a great place for people-watching (love the outrageously attired women who want to stand out in the VIP tent on Sunday; my favorite was the gal who showed up in a gown of gold sequins, so appropriate for Sunday afternoon in the country). The tree-shaded hunter ring on the other side of the VIP tent is a lovely setting, vendors have incredible wares (though I can't afford any of them) and the people who put on the show do an incredible job. I can't wait to come back next year.

In the meantime, I'll be busy with postcards this month and into December. Next Sunday, I'll tell you all about the richest day in showing anywhere in the world, at HITS in Saugerties, N.Y., a long way from the East End. Featured is the $1 million Pfizer grand prix, as well as the $250,000 HITS hunter prix and the $500,000 Diamond Mills hunter prix. I remember when a $10,000 jumper stake was a big deal!

Until then,

Via Volo put on the brakes at the second element of the ninth obstacle, ending rider Beezie Madden’s hope of an individual Olympic medal to go with the bronze she won in 2008

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

She was nearly three-quarters of the way through a course that 31 riders had aced when Via Volo decided she didn't like her plan to take a quiet eight strides from the Greenwich Mean Time oxer to the 1908 Olympic vertical, the first part of a double. Via Volo jumped left and landed with her legs as straight into the ground as if she'd been a nail pounded into a board. Beezie had no choice but to turn the mare and try the combination again. This time, Via Volo stopped at the second element, the 1948 Olympic oxer (London hosted the Olympics in 1908 and 1948, in case you don't understand the reference.) That meant elimination for Beezie from that round.

My first thought was, "Oh no, this is terrible for the team." But actually, it's okay. I should have said, "This is terrible for Beezie," because it does indeed mean she can't try to trump the individual bronze she won in 2008. But teams start equal tomorrow on zero penalties, and Beezie can participate in that competition, which ends Monday with a second round, followed by a medal presentation.

"Beezie's a fighter; she'll fight her way back," team member Rich Fellers told me. "We're all right." Teamwise, today's competition was designed to determine in what order the nations will ride tomorrow. But as Rich pointed out, that's not very important, because so many individuals who are not part of teams will be going first that all the team members can get a good idea of how the course rides.

In the end, there were 32 riders tied for first on no jumping or time faults (Belgium's Jos Lansink, the 75th and last rider who went after Beezie, was double clear.)

McLain Ward and Antares F had a perfect score in the first round of Olympic show jumping

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

The route by Bob Ellis was designed to let horses and riders get a feel for the arena, the fences and the crowd, without challenging them too much. The spectators, by the way, though they are decidedly pro-British (wearing lots of red and blue in all conceivable ways) are very fair and make each rider feel appreciated with their applause.

For the U.S., McLain Ward led off on Antares to find himself in that tie, and Rich did the same with Flexible. We were all waiting for 18-year-old Reed Kessler, the youngest-ever U.S. Olympic jumper rider, to make her debut, and she didn't disappoint. She and Cylana had no trouble with the fences, but they wound up with a single time fault, putting them in an eight-way tie for 33d. Cylana was a little excited by the atmosphere, more than 20,000 people in the stands, lots of waving flags and at one end, a big view of the London skyline. So we can all understand Cylana's feelings. But Reed was a little cautious with her, not wanting her to get out of hand or unnecessarily tired; hence the time penalty.

Rich Fellers and Flexible, the USA’s other double clear

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

Beezie was very sporting, as always, saying she thinks Via Volo will be fine and while it's disappointing not to go for an individual medal, she pointed out that what's important is getting another gold medal for the team, which would be the third straight. She and McLain were on both the 2004 and 2008 teams, always he as lead-off, she as anchor, bookending it, as he put it, for coach George Morris, who is retiring.

I don't want you to think Beezie was the Lone Ranger out there. Despite the large number of clears, some others had their own troubles. One was former European Champion Christian Ahlmann of Germany on Codex One, who finished but logged knockdown and refusal problems, plus 3 time penalties that added up to a total of 15.

Sweden's Lisen Fredricsen fell through the first element of the first double with Matrix, then hit the ground as her big gray galloped away, an Olympic nightmare. I'll probably dream about that this evening, should I ever get to sleep.

Great Britain's Peter Charles dropped two rails and was assessed 2 time penalties with Vindicat, putting his team in a tie for 10th. Britain's big star, Nick Skelton, however, was clear on Big Star. He's the favorite to take the individual gold, but we'll see how that goes.

The only team with four riders clear was the Netherlands; watch out for them. They tied for first with Sweden, Switzerland and Belgium, which had 0 penalties too, but only after dropping one of their riders' scores, which is allowed.

Reed Kessler, the youngest U.S. Olympic show jumper ever, with her father, Murray, right and coaches Katie and Henri Prudent

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

The U.S. is in a tie for fifth with Brazil, France and Germany, all of which have 1 penalty. Those time faults can be expensive and really cost you in the end.

I had a chance to talk with Cian O'Connor of Ireland, sent here after Denis Lynch was dropped from the Irish roster when his horse tested as hypersensitive, which is a no-no. Denis appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but no dice.

Why is Ireland always involved with a drama? Do you remember Cian winning the individual gold in Athens eight years ago? Do you also remember the soap opera that played out when his horse tested positive for a prohibited substance?

There was a stolen B sample and some  missing papers. Finally Rodrigo Pessoa, who had won the silver, got Cian's medal.

I asked if he felt retribution in being back at the Olympics; another chance and all that. It's water under the bridge, as far as Cian is concerned.

"I've had a lot of success since Athens," he said.

"It's great to be back in the Olympic Games. One thing I noticed, which I was delighted about, was the support of the crowd. It was absolutely fantastic. If I may be modest and say so myself, it was probably second to the British riders, probably because of success I've had with the team at Hickstead and perhaps some individual success at Olympia, I probably have a little bit of a following in GB too, which is lovely."

For this one, they dug a water jump in the middle of the Dixon Oval. I have photos (look for them in my gallery next week).

Water jumps are always featured in the Olympics, so the selectors need to test team candidates. A lot of Nations' Cups have been lost by "a toe in the tub."

And this time, it was Cedric, Laura Kraut's 2008 Olympic gold medal mount, who faulted at the water. And at two fences in the triple combination as well; ouch. Cedric was given a bye from the selection trials because of his record. But the competition is so fierce even a horse who hung out around the podium at the last Games doesn't get a free ride to this one.

When the selection process started, Cedric wasn't the only one who got a bye. So did Beezie Madden's Coral Reef Via Volo and McLain Ward's Antares F (as well as Sapphire, who retired Thursday). But that didn't mean they can lounge on the sidelines, munching carrots and admiring their glossy hooves.

Today's test showed that anything can happen. Anything. You can't ever count your Olympic chickens before they hatch.

Chill RZ had only a single time fault with Charlie Jayne up to win the second Olympic observation event.

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

The $50,000 Idle Dice Stake (which doubled as the observation event) was won by Charlie Jayne on Chill RZ. Maybe you haven't heard of this horse. Charlie had tied for 35th on the long list of Olympic candidates because Chill needed medication after having stitches before the trials, so his bay gelding missed them. But he's trying to make up for lost time, and finished third with a good double-clear Thursday. He wanted to do better today.

"I thought the course was big," said Charlie. "I thought the course was as technical as two nights ago, the water came up quick and that line was very difficult. It was a big round two nights ago and I think it was bigger today. By the last line, I think your horse still needed to have some energy left. I couldn't ask much more of my horse. I think he's a world class horse."

He's doing three Olympic observation shows, as opposed to the required two, determined to prove that Chill's quality is worthy of a trip to London. He did have a single time penalty, since his concentration was more on clearing the jumps than watching the clock, but no matter. He was still at the head of the class.

Charlie Jayne enjoyed his victory gallop in the second Olympic observation event on Chill RZ

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

Charlie and I talked a bit about his strategy and how he's focused on the biggest prize of all -- riding into the arena marked by the five interlocking Olympic rings.

Listen: Charlie Jayne

Michel Vaillancourt, who designed the course with the help of Tony D'Ambrosio and Robert Ridland (filling in for chef d'equipe George Morris), said this afternoon's course had a few more scope tests than Thursday's routes.

"When we came up with these two rounds, we wanted a balance between the two courses, so we could not ask the same questions over and over again," said Michel.

"Today, there were a lot more questions. I thought the horses performed extremely well. The arena did its job, even with some of the distances we set, horses were handling it really, really well because of the quality of the footing."

He noted that despite the need to ask all those questions, the horses needed to be fresh to show again. It was important to remember "it is after all not the Olympic Games. Today's course showed what the riders need to do to improve...it's still the road to London, it is not London yet."

McLain Ward flew over the water jump to finish second on Antares F

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

McLain Ward, the winner of Thursday's class in a tour de force with Antares F, looked very together with his horse until fence 11, a vertical at a liverpool five strides from a massive triple bar, the first element of a one-stride double combination. McLain blamed himself for taking the fence for granted, and perhaps thinking more about the triple bar to come than concentrating on the obstacle he was facing. A rail came down and he said, "I was a little upset with myself but he jumped better today than Thursday."

When you look at pictures of Antares, you may wonder what he's wearing on his head. Many of you had the same question about Karen O'Connor's Rolex mount, Mr. Medicott, and the answer is the same; a hackamore. McLain doesn't like the way the hackamore looks in the tack room (really! But if I felt that way, I'd just keep it in my tack trunk). However, he felt using it lifted him over a plateau and took his horse up a level.

Antares was second as the fastest 4-faulter, ahead of Christine McCrea and Romantovich Take One.

There actually was one fault-free round in the class. It belonged to Coral Reef Via Volo, but as was the case in Thursday's class, Beezie couldn't ride into the ring for a ribbon. She had three horses (Simon, with 4 faults and Cortes C with 8 were the others) but she was only allowed to ride two for the placings. She picked the other two, which meant Via Volo was just jumping for Olympic selection purposes.

The mare had a rest after Florida, a swollen leg and a skin infection kept her out of the ring, but she's obviously back in form now.

I think she'll definitely make the short list, and I have to say if Chill keeps going like he's going, he deserves to be on the flight to England with the other 11 horses too. But there's still Spruce Meadows to go for the last two observation events, so we'll see.

Didn't I just tell you that anything can happen?

Before the class, I took a tour of the grounds, saying farewell to Devon until I return in September for the dressage show (the dressage folks prefer that you call like this fixture "Spring Devon" as opposed to the Devon).

Gail McCarthy at the souvenir stand by the front gate. Note her Devon logo necklace.

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

Over the years, the quantity and quality of Devon souvenirs has increased exponentially. Should you be so inclined, you could dress in Devon logos from head to toe; hats, jewelry, flip-flops, hoodies, sweats (what would the American aristocracy who started the show have thought of that?), not to mention all the tailgating gear and home decor items. Devon is practically a way of life.

I caught up with Gail McCarthy, head of the souvenir committee (we consulted on the Sapphire souvenir T-shirt) and asked about the ever-expanding offerings.

Listen: Gail McCarthy

Devon is a great show. If you haven't been, you should come. Put it on your calendar for next year--there's nothing else like it in the country.

I love being here because it's an experience that goes beyond what's happening in the ring. And it's neat to see such an enthusiastic crowd There are people who have made the pilgrimage annually for decades; it's a Main Line of Philadelphia "must". They may never go to another show, but they wouldn't miss Devon.

Okay, now it's time for me to change gears. Next up is the Olympic dressage team selection trials as I change my camera settings from oxer to piaffe. Look for my postcard next Sunday.

Until then.