USEF Announces Eventing Team for 2004 Olympic Games
The
United States Equestrian Federation announced today the Eventing
team for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. The five horse and rider
combinations are as follows:
TEAM
Rider
Residence Horse Owner
Darren Chiacchia Springville, NY Windfall 2 Tim Holekamp
Trakehner
Stallion
Julie
Richards Atlanta, GA Jacob Two Two Jim Richards
Canadian Thoroughbred Gelding
Kim
Severson Keene, VA Winsome Adante Linda Wachtmeister
English Thoroughbred
Gelding
Amy
Tryon Duvall, WA My Beau Leigh Mesher
Thoroughbred Bob & Barbara Mesher Gelding
John
Williams Middleburg, VA Carrick Anne Williams
Canadian Thoroughbred Dr. Elise DePapp
Gelding
ALTERNATES
Will
Faudree Southern Pines, NC Antigua Will and Matt Faudree Australian
Thoroughbred
Gelding
David O’Connor The Plains, VA Outlawed Jennifer Taxay
New Zealand Thoroughbred
Gelding
Jan Thompson Purcellville, VA Task Force Jo Ellen Byyny
Thoroughbred Richard Byyny
Gelding
Amy
Tryon Duvall, VA Poggio II Amy Tryon
Thoroughbred Mark Hart Gelding
Heidi
White Chadds Ford, PA Northern Spy Heidi White
English Thoroughbred
Gelding
“The
riders on the short list from which the team was selected are a
very talented group,” said US Eventing Team Coach Mark Phillips
“Those selected for the team are the best of the best, however,
they will find the competition in Athens very tough and a big challenge.”
The
team and the alternates will ship to England on July 19th to train
with Phillips. On August 10th the team and one alternate will ship
to Athens. The alternate going to Athens will be named on August
9th. The Eventing competition in Athens takes place August 15th
through 18th. The dressage takes place on August 15th and 16th;
cross country on August 17th; and stadium jumping on August 18th.
For
the first time the cross country competition at the Athens Olympic
Games will be conducted over the “modified” cross-country
course. The traditional 20-mile phase of endurance tests, which
includes roads and tracks, and steeplechase, have been eliminated.
After warming up their horses, the riders will proceed directly
to the cross-country course at their allocated start time. As the
horses will tackle the cross-country phase fresher, the riders will
have new strategic challenges to consider.
This
modified course will be approximately 5700 meters, a shorter distance
than the usual international and Olympic level competition of about
7000 meters. However, there will still be approximately 45 obstacles
to clear.
“I
think we have a great group of experienced horses and riders. I’m
now looking forward to getting to England so that we can focus on
our final preparations for the challenges ahead in Athens,”
said Phillips.
On
Tuesday of this week at the Final Mandatory Outing, the final phase
of the selection process, Phillips sized up the Olympic competition,
“on paper the French and British have the strongest chance,
but at the Olympics you have to show up and shape up. If we go and
do our business we’ll be competitive.”
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