Conference noted::equitation

    I watched the 3 day Event last weekend and I can tell you that
    New Zealand got the Team Gold, GB got the Team Silver and Germany
    got the Team Bronze.
    
    I know that Blythe Tate for NZ got the Individual Gold and Ian stark on
    Murphy Himself for GB got the Individual Silver not too sure who
    got the Bronze but will find out the complete results tomorrow.
    
    I would like to know what other peoples opinions of the cross country
    course. 

    Congratulations to Lockie!  

Bruce Davidson on Pirate Lion won the individual Bronze medal.  The US team was
fourth.

    some more results:
    
    dressage:   1. nicole uphoff/rembrand with 1569 points
                   which means new world record (frg)
    
    		2. k. kyrklund/matador with 1482 (denmark)
    
    		3. m. theodorescu/ganimedes with 1464 (frg)
    
    		4. m. otto-crepin/corlandus with 1463 (france)
    
    		5. c. stueckelberger/gauguin de lully with 1432 (suisse)
    
    		6. s. rothenberger/ideaal with 1431 (frg)
    
    		7. ?. menkowa/dikson with 1421 (ussr)
    
    		8. ?. nathhorst/dante with 1409 (sweden)
    
    		9. ?. kowschow/bouket with 1372 (ussr)
    
    		10. p. laus/adrett with 1354 (used to be german, but
    		    according to paper now italian??????)
                                                     
         
    vaulting: all medals to germany
    
    equipe: 1. frg
    	    2. suisse
    
    if you want more details - maybe i can help....
    
    ciao,
    petra

    Re .2
    
    Thanks to an air traffic control computer failure and British Airways
    deciding not to fly to Boston last Saturday I was able to watch the
    endurance phase of the Three Day Event at the World Equestrian Games on
    the Eurosport Cable TV channel from the hotel where BA put us up. So,
    for the benefit of DECquestrians in North America and other places
    where there was no TV coverage, here are my impressions of the "cross
    country" course.
    
    The course was laid out in a city park in Stockholm - Franklin Park in
    Boston would be comparable. Only Phase D was televised, what the Roads
    and Tracks (Phase A & C) and Steeplechase course (Phase B) were like I
    have no idea. The endurance course was quite convoluted with many turns
    going up and down several small hills. Only three riders came home
    within the optimum time. The jumps/obstacles were what you might expect
    for such a competition, some quite original, others copied from other
    world class events. There were also fewer "easy options" in this course
    than in others I have seen. The most negative feature of the course
    were the narrow tracks between jumps and the closeness of the crowds to
    these jumps. I believe these two factors caused the surprisingly high
    number of refusals by the horses of experienced competitors. Even at
    Badminton where there are usually even more spectators the tracks are
    wider and the crowds are kept further back from the course.
    
    During the afternoon the temperature was climbing into the ninties and
    this also took its toll. A Danish horse collapsed and died after being
    eliminated at, I think, the 22nd out of 32 fences. The FEI is going to
    have to get a lot more sensitive and responsive to animal welfare if
    eventing isn't to be legislated out of existence as a cruel sport. This
    is the second adverse happening at the Equestrian Games after the
    exposure of "rapping" by the German show jumpers.
    
    As the TV commentators mentioned several times, it's very difficult to
    design a course which is at the same time challenging to top
    competitors yet safe for the less experienced riders from countries
    where eventing is not a tradition.

Thanks to everyone who posted results... I couldn't seem to find any in any
newspapers so this was a big help (especially the first through 10th placings,
the country and the scores!)

What were people's opinions of what they have saw in the 3-day, dressage, etc.?
I'd love to be able to see some of the dressage rides, however it might be
quite awhile before our local channels put anything on the tv.

Thanks again!

Linda

    re. .7
    
    linda,
    
    i think they will bring out a video with the events on it. if you
    want i could try to buy and send it to you..... that way you have
    all the important and interesting events on tape.
    
    ciao,
    petra

    I am putting in a few of my opinions.  I am from the Newbury office in
    Berkshire, England, and my viewing of the World Championships was a bit
    mixed, I feel that all the hype about it was a bit OTT for what I saw
    on the telly.  The Eventing was interesting, but the X-country course
    was yet to be desired, the jumps were nice and inviting and testing of
    course, but the jumps were on the WRONG terrain.....it was hot, hard
    ground and very twisting, the organisers should have thought more for
    this and have designed a more gallopy course, this is more testing YET
    kinder and more enjoyable to horse and rider......!!!!
    As for the Showjumping, I feel that especially the english team it is
    like watching the SAME go round and round time after time......when do
    we have new blood with freshness competing....instead of the ole'
    brigade....all the time.....I am not a great supporter of just pure
    Showjumping and in some respects in this country it is becoming a
    "cowboys game" with horses wearing too much gadgetry.....
    
    WHO AGREES WITH THIS....????  

    I too feel the same about the World Championships, especially the
    3 Day Event.  One horse unfortunately died after retiring from the
    cross country course, and there were many horses who suffered various
    bangs to there legs.
    
    Surely this is not what the World Championships are all about? 
    
    I think the organisers could have thaught more about the horses
    that would be jumping the fences and may me they would have built
    them on ground that was alot softer and terrain that was not so
    hilly.
    
    As for the showjuming I was very dissapointed, I think those horses
    need a medal not the riders for they had to have four different
    riders on there backs jumping a rather big and testing course. 
    
    I too think that there are to many gadgets used in Showjumping today
    many of it is totally unnecssary and restricting, it was really
    nice to see Greg Best jumping for the U.S.A, not having his horse
    all gadgeted up like some other riders.
    
    I think the dressage riders at the World Champs say it all - such
    a pleasure to watch and NO gadgets!