What a great performance. The riders were flexible and their ability to adjust while keeping their horses safe and sound? resulted in a silver medal for the US of A. Just a quick recap: four horses went and four horses finished in the following order: Valery Kanavy on Princessa, Cheryl Van Deusen and Steve Rojek, who spent the whole ride together riding Al Capone and Saavy. Gabrielle Mann and Big and Easy made it four to finish.
There were interesting moments involving going around cement piers with waves almost up to the D rings on the saddles and falling on underwater boulders on the 25+ miles of beach riding.
The horses came down quickly and there were no retrots for soundness or metabolics. The first three loops were 20+/- miles, with the last two were shorter.
It was lovely that we were mostly finished before dark, and an enormous thrill to finish so well. I believe
the competition was astonished that two of our riders completed the last almost ten miles 37 minutes!
I thought it was a wonderful job by the riders and smooth ground support throughout; and it is nice to have some new medals for the USA!
