United States Eventing Association

Due to a few technical problems, we unfortunately received photographer Shannon Brinkman’s final blog a little later than we’d hoped. But don’t worry, it’s a real doozy! Relive all the excitement of watching our US team members compete in the final phase of this year’s Olympic Games. Enjoy!

Show jumping day is here and my body again is feeling all the pounding from the day before but alas my feet, oh poor feet! Last year at the Pan Am’s I knew I would not pass the vet inspection and this year again I have one GIANT foot. I think a good idea in the future would be to have a stand-by massage therapist for us crazy media folks so that we can shine again. I thought I arrived here looking pretty good and now that glow has passed and am looking closer to a frizzed out street cat with no place to go. No matter as it is the last day and running is not part of today’s agenda nor do I have to jog in front of the vets or judges!

We get to start our day slowly since the jog is at a humane 4 o’clock PM and thus this gives us all day to gather ourselves for the night ahead. The sun finally decides to come out today giving a beautiful glow to all the bright colors around the grandstand. Again I go early to pick a different but pretty backdrop to photograph the Americans.

Gina, the first to jog of our group for the final inspections, is smiling from ear to ear as she approaches the judges. Her goal was to finish somewhere amongst the top individuals and right now is sitting in a comfortable 5^th place. I know McKinlaigh is a fine show jumper and so today’s goal seems within reach. She trots her horse down and back to not hear ‘approved’. The judges see something they think needs to be checked out and my heart plummets. Phillip, Becky and Karen’s horses all pass without a further glance but we must wait for what seems like an interminable time for McKinlaigh. There is a part of me sort of screaming inwardly as my intuition is saying they have a very, very good chance to win a medal but I don’t want to say anything to anyone because I like keeping these sorts of things to myself until it happens. So my upset side is speaking ‘hey, no this is not suppose to happen today, it just isn’t’. The other weird thing is that it is sunny and yet a small dark cloud is hovering overhead sprinkling rain in what feels like tears. It feels like a karmic test.

I see Karen and Phillip run over to the vet box to see what is up. The American official Gretchen Butts is there and I see her shake her head no when they approach. Is this a ‘no, he won’t pass or a no, he’s fine?, I just don’t know because I can not see the vet box from my position. Finally, the vet comes out for a discussion with the judges and Phillip, the cool headed team player goes over to Gina to help with I think the way she jogs her horse or just a pep talk. Gina does have a bit of a disadvantage, as she is tiny compared to the giant 17.3 McKinlaigh. I also notice that she jogs her horse in an unusual way as her hand holding the reins is very close to his bit and if she is unsteady at all this might make the horse appear to bob his head. The tiny Gina melds next to Mckinlaigh’s shoulder and they really are one as they perform this task not eye to eye in height but mind. This time there is a short discussion, a nod and Brian O’Connor shouts ‘approved’. The weakness I feel in this moment is great but I can finally breathe again. Oh, this sport!

All us photographers go to quickly download images, eat some dinner and prepare for the show jumping starting after 7 tonight. This time passes rapidly, so I must learn the course and scout out the best positions to photograph. Tonight I have the luxury of quite a few horses coming through before the Americans so I can try all the different spots and angles and know where I want to be for our riders. The grandstands are nearly filled to capacity creating a buzz in the air for the last night. Karen will be the first to go of our riders and I am deep into the actual image making process sometimes zoning out everything except the visual experience. This handsome young horse looks fine doing his job and gaining more experience under his belt and from my perspective he seems right at home in this large crowd. Good Horse.

In a little while Becky and Comet come through and if you have ever seen the handsome Comet jump you shan’t forget it. He has a beautiful style over fences picking and arching his front legs over whether going cross-country or show jumping. There is something about him that is both dainty yet warhorse strong so it is a pleasure watching them. He does drop a couple of rails but they finish together their first Olympic experience.

The pressure is on now for our last two riders and the first to go will be Dutton and Connaught. He sits with that 10 point spread ahead of him and we have all seen anything happen in Show Jumping. Phillip always seems to ride with everything he has but tonight even though Connaught is usually good in show jumping he drops two rails. Dutton later said Connaught was distracted and indeed it is a full grandstand here with lots to see. The Chinese folks are gracious in their attitude and are definitely quiet but many are holding fans and so there is a fluttering sea of movement. Phillip still is high enough in the standings to come back for the individual round.

Gina enters the ring and I get that fluttery feeling again. McKinlaigh and Gina are great show jumpers so my hopes are high for the pair but still it might depend on how much McKinlaigh has recovered from cross-country. I fix my lens on them as they start their course. Fence one fine, fence two (looks like yellow cheddar cheese) check and on and on they sail easily and steadily over this course. Over the last, a big blue oxer, and hanging beside this fence is the Olympic motto: One World, One Dream. Yes, one course finished. She speeds away all smiles, hugging McKinlaigh’s neck. The pressure is on the other riders ahead of her as they still have the Team Medals they are chasing. All the riders ahead of her have one rail (or in one case two) down and this lands her in 4^th at the finish of this round.

We now have a small break as the course is redone and set for the individual portion of the night. I am so over the top tired I forget to grab a water and so now my mouth feels like a cotton ball. I am crouching near the arena with about 20 photographers (all men here but of course there are some women photographers too) to catch the individual show jumping. Stationed at the end of this lens row so I can get as many shots of rider’s ecstatic faces when they finish off the last fence. Dutton would have been disappointed to have dropped two poles the first round so his determination to have a clear round will escalate. He and Connaught jump clear. That’s Dutton.

Those butterflies return when Gina and McKinlaigh enter. How many events have been decided based on show jumping and whether those pesky poles will stay aboard their brackets???? McKinlaigh sails over this course easily, each pole staying put. This gives her the fortunate spot of watching the others tackle this last job. Megan Jones is in the bronze medal position and one pole comes down. Gina is hugging everyone now, ah bronze! Then Ingrid aboard the gorgeous black Hanovarian Abraxxas drops a rail and Gina goes into Silver position. Finally, Hinrich Romeike enters on his white Holsteiner and jumps the course clean. The dentist from Germany clinches the Gold and Gina the Silver.

Great ending for what turned out to be a challenging event for the Americans. I feel like jumping up and down but I gotta keep making photos for everyone at home to feel what is happening here. It’s surreal in this brightly lit arena, filled with Chinese people and a smattering of other countries. The award ceremony happens quickly with the team awards going first. It’s fun to watch the individual award winners get their medals as I think no one exactly knew where they might end up. Kristina Cook moved up 7 places after cross-country to finish in the bronze position and Hinrich is considered an amateur rider so he rides after work each day.

All three gallop around ear to ear happy and Gina, wow, she is just over the top looking surprised and splendidly pleased about this finish. Oh, I would be too! I think back to the first time I saw them compete at the 2002 WEG in Spain and they did well there too but have now built upon experience to ride in the Olympics! This is a fantastic finishafter many years of dedication on her and her family’s part. I imagine her with a giant Ostrich feather in her cap for taking the Silver.

At the press conference we are told that Dutton was eliminated. Eliminated??? I can’t imagine. The statement continues saying the horse’s jumping boots were over the FEI legal limit of 500 grams. This new ruling was put in place in February this year and slipped by being noticed by our American staff. I am very upset for Dutton as I know this was an oversight. And such a simple thing. Again I think: Man, this sport is tough!

Thank goodness for Gina attaining the Silver as it gives me something wonderful to dream about during my stay in Hong Kong and into the future. The next sport here is dressage and we don’t have much time to rest. I can’t sleep after all this excitement so I am up until 6 in the morning. Luckily, A massage place makes its grand opening today a few steps from the hotel. I show them my swollen feet and get a pressure point massage for my back too. The lady keeps saying something about my tender knotted shoulders and I try to tell her how hard I just worked. But I probably don’t need to say anything as the all the knots and swollen feet say it all. My job here is not done but the initial reason I came here, for the eventers, is. Now resembling a human being again its time to go see some dressage horses dance.

Look forward to seeing some of ya’ll jumping your horses stateside.