AUGUST 2002 - PICK A TEAM

Firstly an update on Guy Wallace and progress from Westmead Hospital in Sydney. Guy is still in the Brain Injury & Rehabilitation Unit. He is making slow but steady progress. Still unable to talk, however he is now eating a little through his mouth, seems more focussed especially when friends and family visit, and seems to be applying himself to the Rehabilitation exercises. He was always a compulsive worker with an unusual talent for goal setting. Just know we’re all thinking of you Guy.
The Australian Squad – Aussie based: (in no particular order)
David Middleton – Willowbank Jack
Tarsha Hammond – Fuzzy Logic
Olivia Bunn – Top of the Line
Sammi McLeod – Frederick Hunter
Stuart Tinney – Ava
Megan Jones – Kirby Park Hallmark
Reserves – Jessica Irvine-Brown – Belcam Aaberdeen & Christine McLeod – Masterprint
Oversea’s based:
Andrew Hoy – Darien Powers
Phillip Dutton – House Doctor
Brook Staples – Master Monarch
Lucinda Fredericks – Ballyleck Boy
Bill Levitt – Will Tell VII
Matt Ryan – Kibah Sandstone/ Balmoral Slinky
So these are the 12 Australian riders who are going to the wire in their efforts to ride for their country at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Spain in September this year. Not only is the struggle to make the final team of four going to be all consuming but then the selected four, once notified at the last moment, must then refocus and with blazing brilliance, as we Australians have never before done at a WEG, out ride the rest of the world and win our first World Championship Title!!! Yee haaa!! – go Australia.
So who would you pick? As I understand it we are allowed a team of four riders plus one individual. In the past we were allowed two individuals. Alas, the rules keep changing.
1. What about a brilliant go for broke team ride up of four combinations who could each on their day win an individual Gold Medal???
Sammi McLeod, Stuart Tinney, Olivia Bunn, Lucinda Fredericks
2. What about a very experienced team which would pretty easily guarantee a team Bronze.
Andrew Hoy, David Middleton, Phillip Dutton, Matt Ryan
3. What about an Australian Olympic formula with an Aussie based superstar backed up by very experienced Northern Hemisphere riders.
Sammi McLeod, Andrew Hoy, Phillip Dutton, Matt Ryan
4. What about a team of Northern Hemisphere dead certs.
Andrew Hoy, Phillip Dutton, Matt Ryan, Brook Staples
5. What about an Australian based team with a sharp cutting edge backed up by some truly seasoned riders.
Sammi McLeod, Stuart Tinney, David Middleton, Megan Jones
6. How about the best dressage team.
Sammi McLeod, Andrew Hoy, David Middleton, Megan Jones
7. How about the fastest cross-country team.
Tarsha Hammond, Bill Levett, Stuart Tinney, Sammi McLeod
8. How about the best Showjumping team.
Olivia Bunn, Sammi McLeod, Stuart Tinney, Brook Staples.
Every rider in the named 12 has a peculiar strength with some of the combinations having numerous strengths. Some of our very seasoned combinations will not win individually, however are going to be there at the end of the day come hell or high water. It’s actually been a problem for Australia to finish with a team and so post a score at the last four WEGs.
We do as a nation tend to go for broke. I personally do agree that the team should be selected to go out after a Team Gold Medal, not a silver or bronze. This philosophy will affect selection. Also worth considering is the cross country course is being built by well known Englishman Mike Tucker. So the course will be big, beautifully built and reasonably predictable. A predictable course certainly suits the Europeans, British and American teams. Unexpected difficulties are something everybody hates however it is here that the Australians are immediately more innovative and adaptable.
September in Spain………. I wonder how hot it can get at that time of year? Unexpected high temperatures always flusters some of those more traditional countries. Anyhow the style of the track and expected weather conditions will also be considerations when selecting this team. Finally that dreaded word soundess or fitness will also be a player. Getting horses fit for this level of competition is such a high risk nightmare. Of these twelve long listed riders it’s probably fair to assume that at least three of them will pick up some sort of niggling injury which will severely inhibit their preparation for this competition and so result in their non selection. That is a staggering 25% drop out even at this level. Just everybody touch wood. No matter what team is eventually selected, such is our depth that combinations that had every right to be selected will miss out (just ask Jessica Irvine Brown & Christine McLeod). The only way the Australian selectors are going to survive this Herculean Task is to select a Gold Medal Team as they have done for the past three Olympic Games. Without a doubt, somewhere in amongst all of those names, lies an Australian World Championship Title.
Cheers

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