By MARLEY LIEN-GONZALEZ
1) Exceptional Turnout
There are some things in our sport that take a turn for the worse with the passing of time, but turnout is not one of them. It may be a combination of better and more advanced grooming equipment, the rising luxury we afford our horses in care, attention, and maintenance, as well as vastly improving camera and video quality–all of which result in a supremely aesthetic viewing experience. A few horses really stood out as exquisitely beautiful and well showcased, but in general, it was one of the most shiny, healthy weighted, ears pinned forward looking groups of equitation horses I’ve seen.
Riders may fall away from rust-colored or red-coated tradition in the equitation, but it is so satisfying to see each and every of the 169 Medal Finals competitors take care in picking out their solid dark jackets, pristine tan breeches, shiny boots and helmet, and take pride in wearing their best attire. My ability to appreciate style, position, and execution was not hindered by a single rider’s appearance or apparel. In fact, they dressed so sharply it only elevated them. What a privilege to watch such beautiful horses and riders.
2) Kindness to Partners
Two minutes in a ring you’ve spent a year qualifying and training to get into is not nearly enough time. You can’t always account for what may happen in that time, and it’s not always an accurate representation of the best of a horse and rider’s ability. It can be so frustrating when things don’t go right for you at a final, but being a competitor is being a horse person first, and this year’s riders understood the assignment.
I watched so many put aside equitation ring etiquette to pat their horses, regardless of performance. Finals season is stressful to everybody, and the horses feel it too. They can become more reactive, more sensitive, and more skeptical–but that’s not punishable. To even make it to that ring is an accomplishment worth rewarding, even if the result is not what you hoped for. It can be done discreetly, it can be subtle, it shouldn’t cause a scene, but it’s so nice to see riders reach down to praise or comfort their partners.
3) Safety Vests
Some people think they should be banned from hunter and equitation rings, some people won’t get on at all without one–no matter what your opinion is on safety vests, option is the key word. If people choose to put one on to optimize their safety, potentially facing point deduction depending on what the judge’s thoughts on them are (not the case at Medal Finals–this year’s winner was wearing one), that’s their choice. It’s great to see so many on such a big stage, because the more they’re normalized and accepted at the highest, most prestigious levels, the more someone watching will think, “Oh, I don’t have to compromise my safety for any concerns about aesthetics; Some of the country’s top riders wear vests and they are still successful.” And that’s what we want.
4) Commentary for a Better Community
Ava Sterns, as usual, did a beautiful job with the commentary. What she brings, that I wish was more the standard, is personal knowledge about so many of not only the riders, the horses, but their relationship also. Money is such a tired conversation in our sport and still we look to dismiss good riding by saying, “Oh, well they should ride that well, they have all the money in the world,” or “Of course they ribboned, that horse cost so much it could win with its eyes closed.” Why do we spread that mentality when literally we all know very well that yes, money is almost critical to have in the industry, but it doesn’t guarantee instant and/or consistent success. The more money we think someone has, the more we discredit them as riders and the harsher we judge them.
To hear Ava share details about how long a partnership has been together, the horse’s background, things viewers wouldn’t necessarily know about the riders–that’s how we become a more sympathetic community. It’s about watching from a perspective other than a financial one, and humanizing the people in the saddle. To be more understanding, to be more compassionate, to feel the success and share in the excitement of a rider, we needed commentary like the 2024 Medal Final had.
5) No Lack of Effort
The equitation finals still remain one of the most challenging tests for young riders in this country. They are meant to draw the very best competitors to their farthest ability, and if you fall short of the winning mark, it’s still a feat to get through the course. This year’s riders and horses were so game. There was no shortage of errors or heartbreak, but there wasn’t a lack of effort. Some of the most impressive rounds I watched were not the winning riders, but the riders who faced obstacles in that ring and overcame them. And the horses were just incredible. The things they do for us will never stop amazing me. Covering a mistake, saving a life, making the right decision when the rider makes the wrong one–they put the effort in too. They have winner mindsets too. Some of those horses had to overcome their own challenges in that ring, and it was just so cool to watch them be able to do that.
There was fierce riding, there was “get-the-job-done-riding,” there was deep-seated, hard-fought riding; something I feared might be going extinct in today’s equitation, yet there it was. We must be going in some sort of right direction.
