I wonder if Jan's riding injured had anything to do with her horse being lame at the finish. I'm remembering a ride where I broke a stirrup leather and rode about 5 miles with only one stirrup. The horse was fine, but at the NEXT vet check, he came up lame. All from my being off balance for those few miles. That said, I saw Jan on the ESPN coverage as she was getting ready to go out for the last loop. She looked alert and focused and centered on the horse. Certainly, getting back on the horse and continuing was the thing to do (barring broken bones or serious injury). Jan knows herself as well as she knows her horse and would not have continued if she didn't think it was safe for thhem both.
I think the team did a great job. It was an exciting race and I was tickled to be able to follow it so closely! Am I disappointed we weren't in the medals? Yes, but that doesn't translate to a criticism of anything the riders, chef, or crews did. I am proud of them all!
Robin Everett
From: John Teeter <johnt@xxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [RC] Poor Showing at WEC---cross posted
On Nov 11, 2008, at 9:17 AM, Christina McCarthy wrote:
> It was commendable for Jan to go on. Lesser riders would have > stayed at the check, but she went on.
how very true. Jan has bruises (in the shape of horseshoes) in multiple places - she's on antibiotics as the cuts and scrapes are beginning to become infected - she got back on her horse in the dark with the help of her team-mate and rode another 8 hours to the finish. She is as tough as any endurance rider in the world, as game, and as competative. A lesser rider would have been medivac'd out from where the crash
happened.
