Individuals who have tortured themselves with my inaugural ruminations on the 2007 World Cup competition here in Las Vegas will be happy to know that I am off of the desk and back on the ground. No sooner do I alight, than the competitors and the competition (specifically the dressage contest) are up in the air.

As you may see in the photos of the training session for the show jumping portion of the struggle, all of the US representatives look to be fit, fleet, and light on their feet. Of course, the rest of the world is here to win as well, so Richard Spooner, Margie Engle, Richard Fellers, Lauren Hough and the others will have to keep their standards and their hooves raised on high.

While the jumpers are literally up in the air, fans of dressage find their hearts floating somewhere between their stomachs and their throats as Andreas Helgstrand’s lady teammate, Blue Hors Matine, is called back for a final jog-up to determine whether or not she is fit for the fray ahead. Her review has been pushed back from Noon (as I type this) until 3:30 this afternoon. The tension is palpable.

The moment we in the press corps receive word of the re-inspection, word will be winging its way via your news source for all things dressage.

Don’t touch that dial, er, I mean mouse!