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Saturday, October 02 2021 / Published in General

Eventing with Boyd Martin: An Olympic Games Like No Other

I was lucky enough to compete at the London Olympics and the Rio Olympics, but I’d have to say that the Olympics we experienced in Tokyo was one like no other. Obviously, it was quite a tricky event to get prepared for: Exactly a year ago, we were ready to go and fired up to execute, and the Olympics were delayed by a year. Thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it was still quite tricky in 2021—even in the lead-up this year, there was talk that it might all be canceled. 

Beyond that, the American horses had a heck of a challenge even getting there: We flew to Germany to quarantine for 10 days before we flew to Tokyo, so it was a marathon to even get to the “starting line.” There was a fair bit of negative press leading up to the Olympics, but I decided to go with the mindset that I would enjoy every moment. I knew it would be awkward and inconvenient, but in future years I’ll look back at photos of the empty stands and all of us with masks on and think, What an extraordinary time. 

Tokyo itself was an unbelievable venue. When we got there, the first thing that really took my breath away was the heat and humidity. We had to ride early in the morning and late in the evening. Everything stopped in the middle of the day when it got really hot. In the 10 days leading up to our competition, we’d get a bus to the venue at about 5 a.m., ride the horses, go back to the hotel and swim, read books and have a nap, then go back to the barns for another session at 6 or 7 p.m. 

It was quite a small team compared to my past experiences: We had three on the team and Mai Baum as reserve. I feel like the riders all got on well and there was good, positive energy amongst the group of Team USA. 

The event was an exciting one: Team USA selected three strong horses and riders, with an emphasis on finishing a team. In other Olympics, sadly, we’ve had a few unfortunate rounds and America didn’t compete at team. Being completely honest, I went to Tokyo with aspirations of getting in with the top placings, but it wasn’t to be. Right from the start, things didn’t go well for me and Thomas, with a less-than-stellar dressage test, but I will say on cross-country he was very good and in show jumping our first round was brilliant. Sadly, in the last round of show jumping, to decide the individual placings, he definitely felt tired and overwhelmed by the massive course, and we had a couple of rails down. 

It was a bit of a weird feeling coming home: It was a moderate success, finishing the team in sixth place, but I felt a bit empty at missing my goals for a top finish. I can honestly say no stone was left unturned in my training and preparation, and it just didn’t come off on the day. This is the nature of competitive sport, and Thomas and I will bounce back. 

I feel like the USA is in a very strong position coming into the World Equestrian Games next year. The group of horses and riders that were at the mandatory outing at Great Meadow in Virginia was a good, strong group of nine or 10 horses. If they all keep trending well over the next year, America will be a force to be reckoned with. 

I will add that Thomas has been an incredibly special horse for me. I must give thanks to his owner, Christine Turner, for her ongoing support. Thomas is an absolute tryer and a very resilient animal. I don’t believe there are too many horses in the world that have done a WEG, Pan Ams and Olympics, as he has, and I feel like there’s still plenty left in the tank. He’s 14 years old and I think if I play my cards right, there will be plenty more big events in his future. 

Caption:

Boyd Martin and Thomas, owned by Christine Turner, competing on the cross-country course at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Photo by FEI/Christophe Taniére

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Tagged under: boyd-martin, eventing, summer olympics, Tokyo Olympics, Tsetserleg

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Sneak peep into the rest of October! 👀🍂 As Sneak peep into the rest of October! 👀🍂

As always thank you to out photographers for the amazing pics!
📸Portraits by
Kirsten Hannah
Julia Dags
Adrienne Morella
Melissa Fuller
Lindsey Long
Sara Farrell
Get your entries in for the TerraNova Dressage II Get your entries in for the TerraNova Dressage II CDI W & USEF National Level 5 dressage competition, hosted October 19-22, 2023 at TerraNova Equestrian Center in beautiful Myakka City, Florida. Conveniently located near Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota, TerraNova Equestrian Center is Florida’s premier equestrian destination.

Discover TerraNova’s peaceful showgrounds and luxury facilities for a world-class competition experience. TerraNova Dressage II is managed by Thomas Baur and Monica Fitzgerald and has quickly become a favorite venue amongst dressage competitors. 
National Judges:
Cindi Wylie
Anne Cizadlo

CDI Judges:
William Warren (4* / USA)
Elke Ebert (5* / GER)
Agniezka Majewska (4* / POL)
Debbie Rodrigurz (3* / USA)
Christof Umbach (5* / LUX)

View full prize list: https://www.terranovaequestrian.com/terranova-dressage-ii-cdi4 Enter CDI: https://equestrian-hub.com/public/show/165165 Enter USEF: https://equestrian-hub.com/public/show/184795 Closing date: October 12th – enter now!

#showterranova
HELLO OCTOBER!!! Kicking off the month with Intern HELLO OCTOBER!!! Kicking off the month with International-level dressage rider Amelia Newcomb. Who is committed to making dressage accessible to anyone who wants to learn and improve in the sport. With a mantra of “Dressage for All,” Amelia, her husband, Germán Schneider, and the rest of her team at Amelia Newcomb Dressage believe that anyone and everyone can learn to love their ride. 
With over 100,000 YouTube subscribers around the globe, Amelia is able to share her joy and 
enthusiasm for the sport with more equestrians than she ever dreamed of through her online training 
platform. Amelia’s curriculum breaks riding down into a simple, proven system that anyone can follow 
and get results, regardless of age, discipline or location.“My goal is to make good dressage training accessible to everyone who is interested in learning. One way I do that is by producing quality videos to educate and encourage dressage students along their dressage journey,” Amelia said. “The transformations that my students get are insane and my business is changing the entire sport of dressage and the way people learn to ride.”
While Amelia is a talented USDF Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist today, she knows the struggles 
associated with trying to make your way in the sport without abundant educational resources. “I grew up in Colorado, where there weren’t that many dressage resources available. I was so hungry for knowledge, I would go to big shows just to watch the big-named trainers work,” Amelia said. “That’s why, when given the opportunity to share what I’ve learned along the way, I decided to go for it and start my YouTube channel.” 
➡️Catch the full story at the link in our bio!! 
⬇️For more information, visit amelianewcombdressage.com and on Instagram 
amelicanewcombdressage

📸Photos by Lindsey Long, lindseylong.com
#Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
The WPCSA American National Welsh Pony and Cob Sho The WPCSA American National Welsh Pony and Cob Show is happening now! Don’t miss another second by streaming it live! 🐴

📹👀HOW TO VIEW THE LIVE STREAM
The WPCSA will again be streaming footage live from the ring at the American National Show next week. You will need two free passes to get to the feed this year.

1️⃣�The first is a USEF fan membership which you can get through this site:
Join or Renew | US Equestrian (usef.org)

2️⃣ Once you become a fan member, you will need to log in to the USEF Network on ClipMyHorse. A video demonstrating how to do this can be found here:
Existing USEF Fan - Watch the USEF Network - YouTube 

📸Pictured- Grand Champion Section B under UK judge. 
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