FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
SIDELINES JULY 2014 41
Fred and David O’Connor in Kentucky.
Photo courtesy of Fred Thomsson
And now you’re going to
France! Have you ever
competed there?
I’ve never been to France.
I’m sure the venue will be
beautiful. I competed at the
World Equestrian Games in
Aachen in 2006 and in Kentucky
in 2010, and everything about
the World Equestrian Games is
first-class. From lodging to food
to transportation, everything at
both venues was first-class, and
I’m sure France will be the same
way.
In your opinion, what has the
Games done for the sport of
reining?
I think it gave reining the
stamp of approval, validation.
It put reining on the same level
as jumping and dressage, and
really made it a worldwide
event. We see reining now all
throughout Europe, in Asia
and South America. It’s just
skyrocketing. Reining becoming
an FEI event and being included
in the Games has been a big
contribution to that growth. And
of course having people like
[dressage champion] Anky van
Grunsven coming to compete
in reining and telling the story
of how difficult it is makes
people really appreciate the
sport. And then having a three-
time Gold medal winner at the
World Equestrian Games and
Olympics [David O’Connor] come here to ride in the Kentucky
Reining Cup and say, “This is a difficult game” brings approval to
the sport also.
About the writer: Darlene Ricker is CEO and Editorial Director of Equestrian
Authors, LLC (equestrianauthors.com), a company that writes and develops books,
articles and motion pictures about equestrian sports. A former staff writer and editor
for the Boston Globe and the Los Angeles Times, she was executive editor for the
Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 and will be reporting from the Alltech FEI
World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy.
Galloping Toward Normandy:
The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 are
August 23 - September 7.
Visit their website at
