In the final week of the Games I managed to break away from the hospital and see some more of the competitions, which was an unexpected treat! The cross country was definitely the highlight. The course was amazing and proved a challenging task. The carnage on the scoreboard speaks for itself–of the 79 competitors that performed in the dressage phase, only 55 got through to the showjumping phase. Some combinations were lost through elimination or falls on the course, and others failed to pass the second vet check.

On Sunday morning, before the showjumping commences, the horses must trot sound in front of the veterinary judging panel. After the grueling course of 28 solid fences, there were undoubtedly some people up all night massaging stiff backs, and icing and hot-packing sore and tired legs to get the horses sound for the scrutiny of the vets the following morning.  It is against FEI rules to give the horses any pharmaceutical drug during the competition, so eventing is a test of not only the horse and rider’s skill and ability to perform but also their natural endurance