You make some good points. I was really surprised at the winning speed.
I would like to know whether the US team had an overall strategy to keep to a particular pace, based on the horses capabilites, and on the assumption that anyone who went out faster would not complete the course (seems reasonable to me, given the heat and humidity).
That the winner went "wire-to-wire" at the pace she did, in those conditions, was pretty incredible.
On Nov 10, 2008, at 7:55 AM, Nik Isahak Abdullah wrote:
.... Team UAE surprised all of us .
.....
I always thought our conditions would allow for a more level playing field but as it turned out the gap is even getting unbreachable .Even France has been relegated to the bottom row .
Last year's Sultan Cup winner's 14 kph and Maria Mercedes Ponton's 18 on a puny looking gelding ,is 2 different world .Steph ,who been now a constant visitor here and a small tropical ride expert , and I , we initially share the view anyone doing 16 would win the individual gold .Maria Mercedes and Nobby somehow has blown away that myth .
