Report from WEG

My Stable Life is back with a report on our Canadian Reining Team from the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky. If you\’ve been following along, you\’ll have already read about the preliminary arrangements that were made to get our Canadian horses down to Kentucky and you will have caught a glimpse of Vern Sapergia at 5 am in the morning (if you didn\’t see that one, check out the WEG Team Exclusive)

Team member Shawna Sapergia sent me this note on September 21:

\”Well Mike, Alex and myself are officially on our way!! I talked to Dad and the horses are all doing well. Just adjusting to the heat. Seems it\’s, oh about a mere 38 degrees warmer there in Kentucky then here – not including humidity.

The horses are leaving OK at 3:00pm today to travel through the night to arrive about 8:00 am, baring no complications.\”

Then I received this message from one of our Canadian grooms, Christa Turel, on the eve of September 23:

\”The weather is very hot and humid here. The horses are riding great, though! We just finished practice. Lisa and Vern are the first to ride on Saturday (25). Duanne and Shawna will go on Sunday (26). The grooms quarters are a long ways from the barns so Vanessa and I are getting a lot of exercise!\”

(The grooms for Team Canada are Christa Turel, Samantha Griffin and Vanessa Strotman.)

\”Things are very structured here. You need ID to get around everywhere because it\’s very tight security. We are stabled with only reiners so unfortunately, we don\’t get to socialize with the other disciplines. The horses are under fans and they have been getting electrolytes (to compensate for the heat). The grooms also need a steward to accompany us as we hand walk the horses out to the grass.\”

This morning, all reining competitors and their horses underwent the FEI Jog test at 8 am, Kentucky time. I received this note from Terry Griffin at 9:55 am, September 24:

\”Sad news for the Canadian Reining Team this morning. The Team is really going to miss Lisa Coulter and Western Whiz. Fortunately the Team can compete as 3. We are awaiting how this affects our Team for the order of go, which we will know this afternoon. We will update you with the draw when we have it.\”

Since the Canadian Reining Team will compete as only 3 members, this simply means all of our scores will count now. There will be no low score to drop. Stay tuned to My Stable Life for more updates from the World Equestrian Games. Tomorrow will feature the Opening Ceremonies where Canadian Paralympian, Lauren Barwick of Aldergrove, BC, has been chosen as the flag bearer for the Canadian Equestrian Team.

Barwick, riding her horse Maile, a 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, won the individual gold and individual silver medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games in para-dressage. A two-time Paralympian, Barwick was also named as the 2004 Equine Canada Equestrian of the Year based on her outstanding accomplishments at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, GRE.