Community

So the Olympics are almost here. USEF has the teams all set, and has also created a TeamUSA section, http://www.usef.org/teamusa/home.aspx with rider bios, news, blogs, etc. Of course, you can find the Olympic news on this site as well under News (at the top) and then Olympics (on the right-hand side).

So, how many people intend to watch the Olympics? What's everyone's favorite discipline? Favorite riders? How do you think the horses will hold up in the heat of Hong Kong? Any other topics anyone wants to discuss?

Apparently, most of what we're looking for will be presented online and on the Oxygen network. DH has a computer hooked up to the new flat screen, so I hope to watch from a comfy chair. I'm not as up on the team as I should be going into this, but there's still time to learn. Is Hong Kong a muggy heat or a dry heat? Just wondering .. did I understand correctly that the team horses just arrived? A week doesn't sound like a lot of time to acclimate to the weather and the time change. But just because I'd have a hard time -- well, maybe that's just me. :-) Anyway, I would like to train my eye better to get more out of watching dressage, if that makes any sense. Is there a "Dummies Guide to Watching Dressage?" :-)

I am so rooting for Beezie Madden and Authentic!! Mclain Ward and Saphire, too.

For the dressage "delimma", a piaffe means trotting in place, a passage is an extremely elevated (kinda  like a Spanish Walk) gait, a pirouette is a turn on the haunches at the walk, trot or canterand a half pass is a sideways movement where the leg's cross. For more info just google each term or go to youtube.com. Though i like this website much better!

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