The Alternate Rider Question

With the setback experienced this morning at the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games Jog Test for our Canadian Reining Team, we have learned that Canada will compete as planned, however with only 3 members as opposed to 4. This new development begged the question, \”Well, don\’t we have an alternate rider?\” Via social networking –  you – our readers asked us exactly that.

Lance Griffin, owner of Dun Playin Tag, the horse that will be shown by Duane Latimer at WEG has kindly stepped up to offer us an answer:

Hi Everyone,
The reason for the lack of a fifth horse and rider is quite involved, but here it is.

Few people realize that all of the expenses for the horses and riders are paid for by the owners of the horses and while the rules allow for an alternate horse and rider,  just imagine being the owner of the fifth horse and paying about $17,000.00 to ship your horse and rider to Kentucky with only a remote chance for your horse to show. Almost impossible to imagine anyone doing this.

It is frankly just a lot of money to ask for with very little chance of you watching your horse show here and that is, in fact, after you have paid to send your horse to the national qualifier which this time was in Vancouver, BC.

As to the reasons for this being the process, you will have to ask Equine Canada and their Reining Committee.

Tonight the three remaining horses practiced for the final time prior to the games starting tomorrow and they all looked good. Only Vern Sapergia shows tomorrow and hopefully things go great for him.

More tomorrow after the show.

– Lance Griffin

If you want to catch some coverage on television from the World Equestrian Games, you can catch it on NBC at the following times:

Sunday, September 26 from 12:00pm-1:00pm ET
Sunday, Ooctober 3 from 1:00pm-4:00pm ET
Sunday, October 10 from 4:00pm-6:00pm ET