Today the FEI released a list of confirmed qualified riders who have been put forward by their countries as potential inclusions for the Olympic Games in Rio. While we’ve known who was on the USA’s Olympic show jumping short list since mid-April, this list is more of a refinement of what we know than a shocking reveal. But there’s a few notable changes here, mostly concerning riders not mentioned previously, and an indication of who the reserve horses will be.
The Team USA List from the FEI:
Jessica Springsteen and Cynar are listed here, as are Georgina Bloomberg and Lilli, and neither were mentioned in the original press release. It’s relatively unlikely that previously unnamed members would end up with one of the final slots, but it’s revealing to see the two heiresses put through for qualification by the selection committee. Certainly, both have the potential to be Olympic team members in the future, and it’s surely an honor for them and their teams to have been in the consideration pool.
In terms of horses, the list indicates that Kent Farrington’s Gazzelle, McClain Ward’s Rothchild, and Beezie Madden’s Breitling LS are currently designated as the reserve horses. Beezie’s third mount, Simon and Laura Kraut’s Deauville S are no longer on the list.
That means that McLain’s mount for the Olympics is almost certainly Francois Mathy’s HH Azur, and we should expect to see Beezie with the 2015 International Horse of the Year, Abigail Wexner’s Cortes ‘C’. Watching these two horses face off will be thrilling enough, not to mention all the other nation’s horses!
This weekend is the final team selection event, and then we should see the team finalized shortly thereafter. Stay tuned to Jumper Nation for updates!