2002 World Equestrian Games

How The Americans Fared

Riding in the number 11 slot as the first American entry in the Special, Guenter Seidel and Nikolaus 7 earned 69.600% for 17th place. The duo had a better performance than their Grand Prix test, exhibiting correct pirouettes in this outing, but still had mistakes in the two tempis and bobbled the transition from passage to piaffe in the final centerline. Seidel said philosophically that he had to look at the WEG as "just another horse show" to keep himself mentally able to cope with not being as successful as he has been in recent European competitions. He also noted how much the standards have changed - though his score was high and would have been cause for celebration at one time, now it doesn't measure up to his present expectations. "I can remember getting a 65 with Graf George and being beside myself! Or when I got a 59 or 60 with Foltaire!" laughed the two-time US Olympic Team Bronze Medalist. Seidel will not participate in the freestyle.

Sue Blinks and Flim Flam earned 73.20% for 9th place when they performed their test as the second entry for the US, going 18th in the order. The duo exhibited elegant piaffe, smooth transitions, and mistake-free one and two tempis. Coach Balkenhol hugged her and called her test "beautiful" while Chef Ransehousen told her, "You're a star!" Blinks said that since the Special counts only as an individual score, she was more relaxed than when her score counted as part of the overall team placing. "It was fun. I totally extended on the trot." Flim Flam had a hack in the morning before the Special and Blinks said that he is "in love" with his stablemate, Wilcox's stallion Relevant. As for her performance at the WEG so far, Blinks said, "The big improvement is to be good in the first test; to be good from the first day instead of having to evolve to a better performance."

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