The equestrian events at the 2012 London Olympics will get underway with the eventing competition on Saturday, July 28. The three equestrian events are dressage, jumping and eventing. Each event has its own unique team of riders and horses that will be competing for team and individual medals. The equestrian events take place on 183 acres at Greenwich Park, a Royal Park that dates back to 1433, located 20 minutes from central London.
The Dressage Team competes at the Grand Prix level, the highest level of dressage competition. Each horse and rider will perform a Grand Prix dressage test, which is a written test committed to memory by the rider, and performed in a rectangular area marked with letters to indicate where each movement is to occur. The judges sit at several vantage points around the arena and award the horse and rider combination with a score from 1 to 10 on each movement they perform. The best score wins which has a numeric total and is often expressed as a percentage of the total points possible. For example, Stephen Peters in January of this year won a Grand Prix test in Florida with 81.468%, an incredibly high score, and his personal best at the time. He will be representing the United States in London with his dressage partner, Ravel, a Dutch Warmblood gelding.
The Jumping Team will compete in an arena negotiating a difficult course of up to 14 obstacles set at a maximum height of 1.6 meters, or 5 foot, 2.99 inches. The obstacles vary in height and width in varying combinations that challenge the rider on how to best negotiate them. The best score - the fewest penalties with the fastest time - wins. It demands jumping high fences combined with speed and precision. The youngest rider ever to represent the United States in an equestrian event, Reed Kessler, who turned 18 years old on July 9, will be jumping in London for a possible US medal on her young mare, Cylana.
The Eventing Team will combine the skills of dressage and jumping with their forté - the cross country course. The eventing competition is made up of three parts. The dressage test comes first. It is not as difficult as the Grand Prix test the Dressage Team will perform, but equates to a 3rd level dressage test. (There is 4th, Prix St George, Intermediare I and Intermedieare II levels before you get to the Grand Prix level.) Next comes phase two - it's what eventing is all about - the cross country course. The horse and riders gallop and jump a 3.5 mile course of solid obstacles - banks, drops, water, and ditches and is a testament to the guts and athleticism of both horse and rider. The third phase, stadium jumping, is a course of fences inside an arena, but not as high or as difficult as the Jumping Team's course. All three phases' scores are combined to determine the winner. The US Eventing Team member Karen O'Connor at 54 years old is the oldest rider to represent the United States in London.
Seven men and six women will compete on the dressage, jumping and eventing teams. They are riding eight geldings, three mares, and two stallions. The smallest horse, Coral Reef Via Volo, stands 15.2 hands and is on the Jumping Team ridden by veteran Olympian rider, Beezie Madden. The tallest horse is Ravel, over 17 hands, ridden by Stephen Peters on the Dressage Team. Visit http://www.London2012.com/equestrian for schedules, team members and up to date information.
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Showing posts with label Games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Games. Show all posts
Sunday, 14 October 2012
Friday, 14 September 2012
Memories Of The 1976 Summer Olympic Games
I prefer the Summer Olympic Games much more than the Winter version for a pretty simple reason. I grew up in Texas and there were not a lot of chances to play much Alpine Skiing with friends. So as we prepare for the London Games this week I got to thinking about the Olympic moments and athletes that stick in my mind, and while they were all over the board I kept going back to the summer of 1976.
The movie Jaws
came out that summer but I didn't see it for a few more years because there was only a 1 screen theater in my hometown of Commerce and we rarely got 1st run movies. Jaws probably didn't make it to town until 1978 or 79'. I do vividly remember the big celebration on July 4th that year because it was the Bicentinnial year, 200 years of America!
When the Montreal games started in mid July I watched like a lot people did back then because in the pre-cable days there wasn't much else to watch at night on TV. As I watched I became captivated by a 14 year old Romanian girl who specialty was gymnastics, which was a sport that I had never watched and knew very little about. The way Nadia ComÄ?neci danced and how she swung around on those bars kept me glued to the Philco TV. She was in fact, beautiful in many ways to me. She went on to score seven perfect 10's and won three gold medals, including the prestigious All-Around. Nobody before or since, including American gymnast like Mary Lou Retton, gave me the same feeling about gymnastics the way Nadia did.
The 76' games also featured perhaps the greatest collection of American boxers of all time and I think I watched every match. Sugar Ray Leonard, Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, Leo Randolph and Howard Davis Jr. won gold medals and all but Davis went on to become professional world champions. They were every bit the Dream Team of boxing. Before you jump all over me about the 1984 American Boxing team I am aware of their greatness too. The 1984 team yielded a record 11 medals, including nine golds, also a record.
Philadelphia's Meldrick Taylor and Tyrell Biggs were among those to take gold, joining Mark Breland, Pernell Whitaker, Paul Gonzales, Jerry Page, Frank Tate, Henry Tillman and the late Steve McCrory. Evander Holyfield likely would have been the 10th gold medalist, but he had to settle for a bronze as the result of a controversial disqualification in a semifinal bout he was winning handily against New Zealand's Kevin Barry. But the guy that made the 76' team my favorite was Sugar Ray Leonard. Outside of Muhammad Ali I have never seen a boxer so graceful in, and OUT, of the ring.
I don't want to forget the contribution Bruce Jenner made to the Montreal games. Before Jenner I had no idea what the Decathlon was but after it was over I knew it was something I didn't want to try. Jenner won the gold medal and set a world record of 8,634 points, and like Leonard had a face and personality the cameras couldn't resist.
What are your favorite Olympic moments and people?
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The movie Jaws
came out that summer but I didn't see it for a few more years because there was only a 1 screen theater in my hometown of Commerce and we rarely got 1st run movies. Jaws probably didn't make it to town until 1978 or 79'. I do vividly remember the big celebration on July 4th that year because it was the Bicentinnial year, 200 years of America!
When the Montreal games started in mid July I watched like a lot people did back then because in the pre-cable days there wasn't much else to watch at night on TV. As I watched I became captivated by a 14 year old Romanian girl who specialty was gymnastics, which was a sport that I had never watched and knew very little about. The way Nadia ComÄ?neci danced and how she swung around on those bars kept me glued to the Philco TV. She was in fact, beautiful in many ways to me. She went on to score seven perfect 10's and won three gold medals, including the prestigious All-Around. Nobody before or since, including American gymnast like Mary Lou Retton, gave me the same feeling about gymnastics the way Nadia did.
The 76' games also featured perhaps the greatest collection of American boxers of all time and I think I watched every match. Sugar Ray Leonard, Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, Leo Randolph and Howard Davis Jr. won gold medals and all but Davis went on to become professional world champions. They were every bit the Dream Team of boxing. Before you jump all over me about the 1984 American Boxing team I am aware of their greatness too. The 1984 team yielded a record 11 medals, including nine golds, also a record.
Philadelphia's Meldrick Taylor and Tyrell Biggs were among those to take gold, joining Mark Breland, Pernell Whitaker, Paul Gonzales, Jerry Page, Frank Tate, Henry Tillman and the late Steve McCrory. Evander Holyfield likely would have been the 10th gold medalist, but he had to settle for a bronze as the result of a controversial disqualification in a semifinal bout he was winning handily against New Zealand's Kevin Barry. But the guy that made the 76' team my favorite was Sugar Ray Leonard. Outside of Muhammad Ali I have never seen a boxer so graceful in, and OUT, of the ring.
I don't want to forget the contribution Bruce Jenner made to the Montreal games. Before Jenner I had no idea what the Decathlon was but after it was over I knew it was something I didn't want to try. Jenner won the gold medal and set a world record of 8,634 points, and like Leonard had a face and personality the cameras couldn't resist.
What are your favorite Olympic moments and people?
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Thursday, 6 September 2012
The History of The Olympic Games
The Olympics were originally held in Olympia a city in Greece. The first recorded Olympic game dates back to 776 B.C. It only had one event which was the one stade race that was won by a cook named Coroebus. The first thirteen times that the games were played they only had this one event. With time they added more sports to the events. They added the hoplitodrome which is a footrace where the players would run with their armors and the pentathlon where athletes would compete in five different events which were the sprint, discus, wrestling, jumping and javelin. They had also had an event called pancration which was a mix of boxing and wrestling. It usually ended when one man would give up or was unconscious. As more and more sports were added they built more buildings to accommodate the people.
At first they only allowed the free men and boys that were Greek citizens to participate in the events. Anyone else was strictly prohibited including women who could have received the death penalty for participating. All of the participants had to pay all expenses out of their own pockets. When the game was over and a winner was declared he was given a wreath of olives and people threw flowers at him. He also received lots of material gifts from the people. This continued on for a few centuries until Rome conquered Greece and the games slowly declined until it totally disappeared.
In 1890 a Frenchman by the name of Pierre de Coubertin wanted to revive the Olympic Games. At first nobody was really interested and he was not successful. However he refused to give up and he opened up an organization called "Union des Societes Francaises de Sports Athletiques" or the USFSA. He held a speech during a meeting with the members of his organization on November 25, 1892 where he implored upon the people to revive the Olympic Games. However they were not interested and he was not successful. However he persisted and two years later he called another meeting of 79 delegates of nine different countries where he asked them again to revive the Olympics. This time he was successful and all of the 79 delegates voted for it. The International Olympics Committee was founded and they held their first game in Athens.
Today the Olympics are held every two years alternating between the summer and winter sports. A host city is chosen by the International Olympics Committee who then organizes the event according the Olympic Charter. It is a big honor to be chosen as the city where the Olympics will take place since it does promote the cities prestige and helps them financially. There are athletes from almost every country in the world participating in the events. The first winner of every event receives a gold medal, the second winner a silver medal, and the third winner a bronze medal. It is something that is followed and enjoyed by sports fans all over the world.
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At first they only allowed the free men and boys that were Greek citizens to participate in the events. Anyone else was strictly prohibited including women who could have received the death penalty for participating. All of the participants had to pay all expenses out of their own pockets. When the game was over and a winner was declared he was given a wreath of olives and people threw flowers at him. He also received lots of material gifts from the people. This continued on for a few centuries until Rome conquered Greece and the games slowly declined until it totally disappeared.
In 1890 a Frenchman by the name of Pierre de Coubertin wanted to revive the Olympic Games. At first nobody was really interested and he was not successful. However he refused to give up and he opened up an organization called "Union des Societes Francaises de Sports Athletiques" or the USFSA. He held a speech during a meeting with the members of his organization on November 25, 1892 where he implored upon the people to revive the Olympic Games. However they were not interested and he was not successful. However he persisted and two years later he called another meeting of 79 delegates of nine different countries where he asked them again to revive the Olympics. This time he was successful and all of the 79 delegates voted for it. The International Olympics Committee was founded and they held their first game in Athens.
Today the Olympics are held every two years alternating between the summer and winter sports. A host city is chosen by the International Olympics Committee who then organizes the event according the Olympic Charter. It is a big honor to be chosen as the city where the Olympics will take place since it does promote the cities prestige and helps them financially. There are athletes from almost every country in the world participating in the events. The first winner of every event receives a gold medal, the second winner a silver medal, and the third winner a bronze medal. It is something that is followed and enjoyed by sports fans all over the world.
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Wednesday, 29 August 2012
What of Economic Development After The Olympic Games?
It is amazing the process and the competition to host the Olympic Games. It's a big deal, and a big matter of pride and nationalism for the countries competing, and especially for the country or nation which wins the bid to host the Olympic Games. There is of course more prestige in hosting the Summer Olympic Games, than the winter Olympic Games for winter sports. But make no mistake either way it's a big deal. Okay so let's talk about this for second shall we, specifically let's talk about the economics of hosting the Olympics.
To win the bid to host the great games requires a commitment to hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars in preparation, new facilities, and guarantees from the hosting nation. The Olympic Committee will not choose a nation that they feel cannot perform, or will not pony up the cash, or doesn't have the political will to make it happen. That makes sense, and there are issues with security and all sorts of other things to worry about. It is an enormous undertaking for any nation, of any size, including the United States of America.
"London's Olympic Bet on Urban Renewal" was the title of a brilliant and reality based article by Cassell Bryan-Low published in the Wall Street Journal on July 21, 2012. The article had examples of Athens, Beijing, Barcelona, Sydney, and Atlanta Olympic Games, and how those areas faired afterwards, after all the fans had gone away, and the nuance of branded tourism faded. Today, in Athens, there is grass coming up through the sidewalks. "Athens, Beijing, and Sydney, all wound up with amazing sporting facilities and venues that got little or no use," after the games.
Now then, when a hosting nation wants to spend that level of money to put in those facilities and host the games they must sell it (the idea) to their population base as a worthy expenditure as it is the citizens who will foot the tax bill, because the Olympics generally does not make as much money as is spent. Therefore, regardless of the economic studies done to show that it will be a winning move for the future of an area or city, the reality is much different. When all the gold medals have been awarded, and everyone leaves, and as things return to normal, that's when the reality sets back in.
Perhaps more difficult than even hosting the games themselves is making sure that all the money spent does not go to waste in future periods, that is to say that this investment spurs on economic development in the area far off in the future; easier said than done. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.
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To win the bid to host the great games requires a commitment to hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars in preparation, new facilities, and guarantees from the hosting nation. The Olympic Committee will not choose a nation that they feel cannot perform, or will not pony up the cash, or doesn't have the political will to make it happen. That makes sense, and there are issues with security and all sorts of other things to worry about. It is an enormous undertaking for any nation, of any size, including the United States of America.
"London's Olympic Bet on Urban Renewal" was the title of a brilliant and reality based article by Cassell Bryan-Low published in the Wall Street Journal on July 21, 2012. The article had examples of Athens, Beijing, Barcelona, Sydney, and Atlanta Olympic Games, and how those areas faired afterwards, after all the fans had gone away, and the nuance of branded tourism faded. Today, in Athens, there is grass coming up through the sidewalks. "Athens, Beijing, and Sydney, all wound up with amazing sporting facilities and venues that got little or no use," after the games.
Now then, when a hosting nation wants to spend that level of money to put in those facilities and host the games they must sell it (the idea) to their population base as a worthy expenditure as it is the citizens who will foot the tax bill, because the Olympics generally does not make as much money as is spent. Therefore, regardless of the economic studies done to show that it will be a winning move for the future of an area or city, the reality is much different. When all the gold medals have been awarded, and everyone leaves, and as things return to normal, that's when the reality sets back in.
Perhaps more difficult than even hosting the games themselves is making sure that all the money spent does not go to waste in future periods, that is to say that this investment spurs on economic development in the area far off in the future; easier said than done. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.
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