United States Eventing Association

We strike off again walking (and sweating) in the moist air. The rain keeps coming down and by now we are wet under our raincoats and we definitely need the works at a beauty salon. Hmm . . . but when Mike asks whether we want to see the rest of the course . . . I say yes! The next big challenge is the Great Wall of China. Okay, it looks quite new instead of hundreds of years old but it’s a challenge. It’s a wide, walled fence at the top of a small hill to slow riders down to prepare them for a drop on another bending line to what looks like to me a maximum corner spread. Again there are options for the riders. So far I think this course is wonderful in the way that it really challenges the advanced riders and horses but leaves options for the ones who need it.

We then strike out for the far corner of the course for the hidden jewels in fence carvings. And here it is truly a magical feeling as we finally reach the dragons. Flying, coasting all around us are big dragonflies! Droves of them are diving and hovering all around us as Mike talks about this fence which he calls ‘the sucker fence’. Sucker because of the oblique angles of the dragons and he feels where the riders might make a mistake if they are not on their game. Here again the rider can choose the slow way, jumping one and then coming around to jump the other or they can jump both angled, either as a one-stride or two. I am still caught up in the magical moment here and so is everyone with these soaring dragonflies. It’s a serene, mystical moment between dragons and dragonflies.

Today (Friday) is trot up and the first day I get to see the dressage arena. It is a grandstand with foggy mountain tops overlooking tall apartment buildings. Really extraordinary and my mind thinks of all those hazy Chinese paintings created so tenderly.

I can rest a bit easier too as my computer keyboard stopped functioning last night and I had to scramble last night to figure out what happened. Even though I am on a 13-hour time difference from home, my computer guru answered his email at six in the morning his time. Here I am photographing horses while he is on assignment photographing planes and hanging out with astronauts. After a few tries he tells me to get a new keyboard and plug it in and hey, we are in Hong Kong he reminds me! Hong Kong is an electronic capital and there is a Mac store five minutes away in the mall. Folks around here are tremendously helpful and since this was a British colony many speak English. The folks I have met are genuinely kind. The Mac shop gave me a keyboard to use for free while I am here and if I have time I can even get my Mac fixed at another location.

The Americans enter in fine form today. Fit, shiny and looking quite handsome, all the horses look in top condition. The judges did ask Dutton and Miles to trot twice but the consensus was an immediate thumbs up, much to our relief. A couple other riders from South America were not so lucky, but these horses were undoubtedly lame and better saved for another day. Still, a shame to travel all that way!

Today (Saturday) I wake up at 4:45AM to hurry and get dressed so I (and all media, officials, riders etc.) can jump in the line to go through security at the hotel. The line is long and if I did not have so much to carry I would have liked to walk as the venue is close to the hotel. This process takes about half an hour from start to drop-off point. I am given the South China Newspaper by a fellow photographer and apparently I made the news when I put my head into the dragon’s mouth during the cross-country walk. Silly fun.

Next I am at the dressage arena scouting the best locations to photograph from today. This is a challenge while the six spots around the ring are not so strategically placed and we are made to sit and I am afraid I will lose the horse’s feet behind the dressage ring and potted plants. I decide to spend the morning in the grandstand and photograph from four different spots around the arena.

Dressage starts an early 6:30 in the morning and Amy Tryon is the 5^th rider to start. The day is a foggy pinkish light as the sun tries to peek through all those clouds. Amy presents herself with all the polish and professionalism from all her years as an international competitor. Poggio does look like at first he needs to check this new place out with his keen eye but settles before he enters the ring. Amy keeps her cool and they complete a good test with no errors or bobbles. This is a good start for our team and sets a nice tone for the following riders to build upon.

Gina entered with the handsome McKinlaigh in fantastic form impressing me with their relaxed and ready nature. Her scores were fantastic with more than one 9 and many 8s. This is the Mckinlaigh that we have all been waiting for and all of Gina’s dedication to this phase is truly a delight to behold now here at the Olympics. McKinlaigh still is working on clean flying changes and this is the only spot that is not perfect. But wow, my heart flies for them at this wonderful achievement. She finishes with a 39 and her best dressage score to date!

The morning set finished by 10:00 and the heat was just starting to make us melt again with a show of sunshine. The next set started in the evening just when the sun had disappeared. Courageous Comet appeared unusually tense when he entered the grand arena and so he was not quite the relaxed horse he can be. Becky made a few passes in front of the TV camera to give him a chance to see this spooky thing. And so he entered the arena not quite on his game, but as the test progressed they just got more relaxed and disciplined. Becky and Comet’s scores kept increasing the entire time to push them up to second place individually and maintain our second place as a team, too.

The next rider was Australian Megan Jones and her horse Irish Jester and she put in a solid test to just inch ahead of Becky. There were many more good rides but we had to wait until the last ride of the night (Karin Donckers and Gazelle de la Brasserie) to get the final competition results for the day. The duo put in a gorgeous test and ended up very close to Lucinda Fredericks.

Now it is after midnight here and we must wake at 4:30AM or so to be on time for the morning dressage . . . Good morning all of ya’ll in America, we’ll catch up again when you have finished dinner.

My mind keeps seeing all those Chinese paintings with the foggy mountain tops, exotic birds and gently flowing creeks…