2008 Olympic Games

For many of the equestrian athletes heading to the 2008 Olympic Games, the journey to Hong Kong started decades ago.

Dreams breed determination.

Equestrian sports are one of only two Olympic sports where men and women compete as equals. There are three Olympic disciplines, dressage, eventing and show jumping. Each discipline requires a very unique set of skills. The thing they have in common is what is at the heart of the equestrian Olympic movement: the horse.

The horses’ journeys are as storied as the people who ride them. Some are bred for a very different purpose, racing or breeding or a different discipline entirely. This website will tell some of the tales of athletes, both human and equine on their way to the greatest competition in sport.

At least one member of each team is an Olympic rookie: eventers Becky Holder and Gina Miles, dressage rider Courtney King-Dye and show jumper Will Simpson are all riding under the Olympic rings for the very first time. This is Olympics number four for Phillip Dutton, but his first riding as an American. Dutton has two Team Gold medals on his bookshelf already. Amy Tryon and Poggio haven’t missed a championship team since the World Equestrian Games in 2002, bringing home four consecutive medals.

There is Brentina, the veteran mare on the comeback from an injury sustained in a gallant effort to clinch the Team Bronze medal at the 2006 World Equestrian Games. She and Debbie McDonald will take on the world’s best again in Hong Kong. Veterans of the 2004 Bronze medal winning team in Athens, with teammate Steffen Peters (who’s young horse Ravel causes a stir every time he enters the ring) and King-Dye: the dressage team looks poised to go one (or two) better.

Beezie Madden and McLain Ward have each strung together major achievements over the last four years with Authentic and Sapphire respectively, but an individual Olympic medal would complete their resumes. Teammate on the 2004 Gold Medal winning team in Athens, these horses (and riders) are four years more experienced. Madden was also the individual Silver medalist from the World Equestrian Games in 2006.

But individual Olympic honors are one of the few honors that they haven’t achieved.

Laura Kraut (another Olympic veteran − 2000) and Cedric swept the USEF Selection Trials for Show Jumping in March and although Cedric is somewhat inexperienced he has one of the bravest riders in the show jumping world to guide him through his first Olympic Games.

These and dozens of other riders from all over the world will be to be part of the Olympic dream in 2008. There are medals of all colors to defend and history to be made.

Kick on to Hong Kong!