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[RC] WEC: moving on - John Teeter

It was indeed a day. Check out these images from Ramona Deunisch of
Germany - a most beautiful capture of the day:)

http://www.ramona-duenisch.de/fotografie/ or
http://www.ramona-duenisch.de/

or and click on the coverage (how's your German??)

Quite the day yesterday. I'm still sorting through stuff (and the
whole of the Endurance City seems to be locked down -- go figure), so
we can't get final detailed results etc. We'll have to wait till
tomorrow for that.

I'm sure there will be lots of stories and such coming out in the
local press. I'll put links into that (mainly gulfnews.com if you want
to go look). But there are lots of people around writing lots of
things - and there are many more stories of the day floating between
the people.

Thoughts on the American strategy will peculate, but at least for
now, going out so slowly on the first loop may have been a bit
problematic. There was so much time differential between them and the
leading teams at 40km that the only winning strategy from there on was
based upon failure by the other teams (i.e.  that, by going faster,
the other teams would blow themselves out and the US would fall into a
medal because the faster teams lost horses. But there were so many
(14) teams running in front of the US at that point, that the odds
were against that strategy. Then, having to hurry in the last 3rd of
the event when it became obvious that there was just too much time to
overcome - well that was the hot part of the day where caution may
have been the watchword. I do hope the analysis and moving forward
part of the USAs evolving focus on team building and training helps to
understand what worked and what didn't in this effort. I also hope
that Paladin is safe and sound and all our hopes go to Bev - he's a
magnificent animal.

Of course Lenoard and Orfeo and Team Belgium were Ecstatic. Lots of
hugs and kisses and intoTheWaterTank all round. At that point they
were the in 2nd place (b/c the Australians still had one rider
out). Orfeo is the ONLY horse to have run in Dubai at both the 1998
and 2004 world championships. He finished both races and was on the
Bronze medal team this year!! He is a very opinionated animal - has is
his rider!!:)

Team Italy is a mystery to me. I didn't see much of them all day and
they moved through the competition as ghosts - they were always behind
the UAE by @20-40 minutes, and when the UAE lost it's team at gate 5
Italy was there to ride with caution to the Gold. Australia was steady
and confident throughout the day. Toby Crocket and Mal and Pam
et.all. were in/out of the press room with little tidbits and were
constantly in contact with their team strategists via cell phone. They
were definitely on top of the competition and were happy and free with
their thoughts, hopes, and opinions! It was great fun working with
them.

Team Canada finished 4th place following the first half of the US
strategy. They continued to ride to the conditions and their horses
(not the clock) in the latter part of the ride and finished 3 (with -
YAHOO - Daphne Richards and Cuchulain finishing with 20 minutes to
spare to take the Golden Desert Turtle Award!!) And for all those
Canadians out there -- "GO MOTO!!"

more in a bit (and stuff is moving up to the coverage site). check out
the images of the winner carrying the flag of the UAE. A guy ran out
on the course about 200 yArds from the finish and handed it to him. A
perfect hand-off at speed:) FEI's strict rules can be softened when
necessary:)

more in a bit. I do think that I'm going to have to go play with steph 
a bit this afternoon - all work and ... I may be getting dull...

johnt


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