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April 19, 2012–Yesterday was definitely one of the most exciting days of my life. We started downstairs at 6:30 in the morning where a selection of us boarded a bus headed for Rockefeller Center. We then boarded a different bus – the official bus. It was a double-decker bus we exited on camera for the Today Show. We handed out flags to fans and were filmed doing the weather with Al Roker!
The atmosphere on the bus was so cool. There was really wide variety of Olympic hopefuls, all so immensely talented in different ways. It was really inspiring to be sitting with a group of athletes that would most likely represent the United States in London and hopefully medal. Everyone was really excited and friendly, wanting to get to know each other better. I chatted with Tim Morehouse, a silver medalist in fencing, Missy Franklin, the 16-year-old swimming phenom and a bunch of other hopefuls.
We then headed back to Times Square to kick off media hour. The three musketeers of the equestrian disciplines were Heather Blitz, Buck Davidson and I. We were in our own area with Buck’s retired champion Bobby. I didn’t know either of them very well, but we had a great time and I know them much better now! We were interviewed countless times by NBCNews Business and Sports, Fox Sports, CBS, MTV, Letterman and many others.
Participating in such a prestigious event really made my ranking on the long list seem more real. It has finally set in that the win in the trials really did happen and that it’s time to gear up and make a bid for London!
I’m in Florida until April 25 at which point we leave for Middleburg, Virginia to train at my trainer Katie Prudent’s farm. After that week of work we head to Kentucky for the first observation event. We’ll spend two weeks in Kentucky then we’re on to Calgary for Spruce Meadows and the second observation event. Hopefully with some luck I’ll be named to the short list that goes to show at Geestern in Holland and then in my wildest dreams the team heads to London!
