GOING FOR GOLD

Along with the many world-wide spectators who will set their eyes on London, starting this weekend, for the Summer Games, I too will be watching and cheering on Team USA and particularly the U.S. Three-Day Eventing Team, writes Kim McCullough, Brand Vice President, Land Rover North America.

The competition kicked off today (Friday, July 27) in London’s Greenwich Park with the Dressage element of the three-part competition. That’s followed by the always-thrilling Cross-Country on Sunday and Show-Jumping on Monday.

Land Rover North America is the proud and enthusiastic Official Vehicle of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) – It’s USEF that selects the U.S team to compete in the Summer Games.
 

It’s a fabulous line-up of riders and horses making up the 2012 U.S. Eventing Team, all of which we’ve gotten to know really well during our involvement with the USEF.

I can’t tell you how excited I am to see Virginia native, Karen O’Connor, in the line-up. At age 54, Karen is the most senior rider on the team. She first rode for the U.S. in the 1988 Games in Seoul and will be representing her country for the fifth time. In this year’s competition she’s riding her 12-year-old Irish Sport horse gelding, Mr. Medicott.

Also competing in his fifth Summer Games is the immensely talented Phillip Dutton. Phillip, who’s 49 and lives in Pennsylvania, first represented his native Australia, winning back-to-back Team Gold medals in 1996 and 2000. He rode again for Australia in 2004 before changing nationalities and representing the U.S. at the 2008 Games. He’ll be riding Mystery Whisper.

Another Aussie ex-pat in the U.S. line-up is Boyd Martin. Boyd, who’s 33, has had a rough 12 months; back in May last year a devastating fire at his barn in Pennsylvania claimed the lives of seven horses. His mount this weekend - Otis Barbotiere - was lucky enough to survive the blaze.

Will Coleman, 29, is competing in his first Summer Games this weekend. I watched him finish an impressive fifth in this year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event on his horse Twizzle. I can’t wait to see him in action again in London.

Rounding out the U.S. team is 24-year-old Tiana Coudray, from Ojai, Calif. She and her horse, Ringwood Magister, finished a terrific fifth at the Barbury Castle Horse Trials in England last month. This was the last mandatory outing for the U.S. Selection Trials and Tiana and her horse were the highest placed American pair.

Our entire Land Rover family will be watching and cheering on Team USA throughout the London Games. Best of luck to all!

For live coverage from London and regular updates on the U.S. Equestrian team visit: http://usefnetwork.com/featured/Olympics2012/ or tune-in to NBC to get the latest schedule of event from London.