him,” she says. “Unfortunately the buzzing excitement of the packed stadiums at the Olympics got Wizard really wound up and he was a bit nervous in his test. In the U.S. we don’t have many opportunities to ride in such large venues with so many spectators, and he was a bit overwhelmed. But, that being said, I was still happy with Wizard because I think he truly did try his best to stay with me during the test. The quality of work that Wizard has been giving me is fantastic, and looking forward, our plan is to continue to show him and expose him to different environments until he is comfortable with every different show atmosphere. We are also talking about maybe taking him to Europe next year to do some shows over there.”
Te Horses These young Olympians will always hold a special place in
their hearts for the horses that gave them their first Olympic experiences as well as for the supporters who helped them to achieve their dreams. When Wizard came to the McDonald’s barn as a five-year-
old, after the Thomases purchased him from Eggbert Cracken in Holland, it was clear that the massive horse and six-foot- tall Adrienne were well matched. Adrienne has been riding Wizard for seven years now. In 2008 they stepped up to the Grand Prix level for the first time together, becoming the 2008 Brentina Cup champions. “We have grown together and he has taken me places I
never thought I would go,” she says. “Neither Wizard nor I had had any experience at the Grand Prix level, so learning it together has been an amazing journey. Over these past several years we have traveled all over the country and the world together, and we are incredibly bonded now. Wizard is an incredible horse to ride because he has such an amazing and powerful athletic ability, but he is also a very emotionally complex horse. He can come across as aloof or even a bit aggressive when he first meets people, therefore you really have to earn his trust and affection. I have spent so much time with him now that I know his every little nuance and can read his every subtle emotion in his eye. The biggest challenge with Wizard has been to channel all of his power and energy, and to keep him mentally relaxed and focused.” While Reed wishes that her performance had helped the team finish in the medals, (she had two rails down and a foot in the water on her final round), she has only high praise for her mare. “Most of the horses you see at the Olympic Games are of a pretty high caliber, but I’d have to say that Cylana was the nicest of them all—of course I’m a little biased!” she chuckles. “Cylana is the ideal horse: she is very careful but also
incredibly brave. She has all the scope in the world and so much heart. She is so intelligent that when you teach her something, you never have to remind her of it again. Nothing makes her happier than competing and making her rider happy! She makes me feel like there is nothing I can’t do when I’m on her!” Tiana remembers that when she first laid eyes on Finn
as a youngster in Ireland, she knew he was something special. She had already achieved great success as a young rider, winning the Young Rider of the Year title an unprecedented three times with her horse King Street, but it was the striking young gray that would eventually launch her international career. She knew that there was a slim chance that the Olympic Games could be in their future, but also recognized the incredibly long odds that it would ever happen. “Finn has been incredibly talented and exciting and
promising all the way, but he has also been incredibly difficult!” she says, laughing. “All along I’ve had people think he might not make it as a big-time horse, because he’s so naughty!” Tiana is prepared to continue facing the challenges of
bringing out the best in her sometimes-difficult horse. “When we were named to the team it was overwhelming,” she says. “There is still so much more that needs to come together; on a really good day when everything is right I think he’s one of the best horses in the world, but we still have work to do to guarantee that that’s the case when it counts. Sometimes he
Ages of the Olympic Equestrian Riders
For all three sports this year, and for all competitors (regardless of whether they finished or not), the average age was almost identical.
Jumping: 37.6 (75 competitors) Dressage: 37.7 (50 competitors) Eventing: 37.6 (74 competitors)
At age 18, Reed Kessler was the youngest competitor among all three
disciplines. The oldest equestrian competitor was the dressage rider Hiroshi Hoketsu from Japan at age 71. The second oldest competitor was jumper Ian Millar from Canada, who was 65. There were nine eventers in their 50s and the oldest eventer was 58-year-old Carl Bouckaert from Belgium. Since most equestrians begin
The oldest equestrian competitor at the Olympics: Japan’s Hiroshi Hoketsu, age 71, riding his 15-year-old Hanoverian Whisper, by Wolkenstein II.
riding as a child or teenager, it’s safe to assume that it takes an average of twenty plus years of training to compete at the Olympics for an equestrian! But unlike most of the Olympic sports, you can compete for your country into your sixties and even seventies.
Warmbloods Today 19
Allen MacMillan/MacMillan Photography
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