session in the pristine Rolex Stadium crafted especially for the 2010 World Equestrian Games. The following day was our first round - table C, faults converted


speed. After more that a 2 hour rain delay (again, courtesy of those spectacular lightning storms) to kick off the week of competition, Wakyra and I jumped and quick, clean round for a long purple ribbon under the lights. The total USHJA Zone10 contingent of three riders (one was on a


Young Rider Team), meant that Junior rider Hannah Von Heidgger and I would combine with USHJA Zone 8 (Colorado, among other states) to compete in the two round Nations Cup format for Team Finals. My lovely mare and I were second in our rotation, and when I was on


deck, almost perfect timing, there was, yet again, going to be another rain delay! I begged my way into the ring before the storm hit and left it all on the line jumping an incredibly scopey 3a-b-c cleanly, but then dropping three other rails along the way. An hour later, our Team was coming back in 4th place of 6 teams. Wakyra came out for our second round not quite looking like her


however seemed ok. Given her lion heart and some aggressive rides on my end, we posted a necessary score for our Team, though quite a bit higher than I would have liked. With our combined Zone 8-10 Team in Medal contention, Wakyra was not permitted to go back to the barn, less she miss her victory gallop! However, 30 minutes after I came out of the ring, she was still in a


white foam, and no amount of cool towels seemed to do the trick to cool her off. With Macella's speedy senses tingling that something was awry, the plump Irish Steward rushed the vet over to temp her and get the paperwork started to administer fluids immediately. Despite her excessive sweating, and with the approval of the show veterinarian, she was deemed okay to walk into the Rolex Ring with a red Reserve Champion ribbon around her neck, helping me claim the Team Silver Medal! It was quite a remarkable experience to be thrown together with a


Team at random, and end up with a Silver Medal at the hardest com- petition I'd ever faced. As a Team, we participated in a post Medal ceremony press conference, which was very exciting, even though my jokes were really under appreciated. How bitter sweet that Silver Medal since the award was earned


with mixed emotions as clearly Wakyra had paid the price physically. She perked up after 20 Liters of fluids helped rehabilitate her poor dehydrated body, but it was then we discovered she had at some point pulled a muscle in her back. It's most likely she hurt herself jumping through that triple the first round, as we were a little deep (thanks to a hard spook away from an active photographer). With a little growl and jungle riding from me, the mare double hitched to jump both the “a and b” oxers cleanly and get us out of there alive. It's genuinely heartbreaking to me that Wakyra hurt herself in that


Nations Cup, not because that meant we had to scratch from the Indi- vidual Finals, but because she pushed herself to the edge of her physi- cal abilities to do her job for the little girl sitting aboard her who loves her so much. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt my horse, but accidents unfortunately happen. I know I'm just beyond lucky that she soldiered through an injured


back to jump the second round and that fortunately she'll be going back to Macella's picturesque barn for layup and to watch me come up the driveway while she awaits another bareback "training" ride! She deserves the time off and the tubs of carrots and apples I will bring to her.


◊ USEF “B”, PCHA”B”, SFHJA “A” & “B”


USEF “A”, PCHA ”A”, SFHJA & LAHJA “A” & “B”


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