End of season

From Maryland it was straight down to Santiago, Chile for the Pan American Games with team Brazil.

I knew it was going to be quite a tense week as we needed to get our Olympic qualification.  Whilst the team was more than capable of this, you never know what happens with silly errors and lame horses (as happened with the Japanese in Millstreet). 

The horses travelled over very well and when I arrived Team morale was high.  We had some good combinations in our team, and we were aiming at levels.

The venue was on a military equestrian set-up, and it was very impressive to see what they had achieved to get the venue up to Pan Am standards.

There were all sorts of arenas, indoor schools and very decent surfaces to ride on.  Alec Lahore who was TD said when he visited in September there was nothing much there to work with, so what the Chileans achieved was phenomenal.

Overall the team performed really well, winning Team Bronze and Individual Silver.  There were some personal disappointments, but I am hopeful that by Paris things will have improved again and we will going there with real ambitions, not completion ones.  

Julia Purgly had done an amazing job rallying the troops as Chef d’Equipe, getting everyone in the right place at the right time.  I think having managed Pan Am craziness she is more than ready for Paris.  

It was interesting for the riders to ride a Pierre Michelet course as he is designing in Paris.  Pierre really did a top job designing a course, it allowed some lesser experienced riders to complete and yet, although it was only 3* level cross country, it asked a few questions for the good combinations, and with a tight time was by no means a walk in the park.

The show jumping was also a good track, and was of 4* level.  It really asked some questions, although it wasn’t perhaps maximum dimensions and the riders really had to think as they rode.   I encouraged my riders to very much use the Pan Ams as a prep for Paris, and wanted them to imagine the pressure they will be feeling next summer.  I then of course wanted them to deal with it, and they certainly did, which bodes well.   

I would like to say 'Well Done Team Brazil' and 'Well Done Chile' for putting on a great competition.