Rebecca Howard's Riddle Master was the first horse on the runway today for Team Canada
Yes, we know we’ve used the title ‘Hot to trot’ for the first horse inspection many times before but it is just so apt for this morning’s trot up in front of the Ground Jury that we just have to use it again
The weather was beautiful, the officials suddenly really look ‘official’ in their smart uniforms (keep an eye out on TV for many Australian officials in their lovely outfits – Geoff and Jill Sinclair are two I’ve bumped into so far), the horses are gleaming and the riders are smiling. We’re all here, we’re all ready and everyone made it through (with some late changes to keep us all on our toes). It is now game on
Only two horses were asked to trot again for the Ground Jury and one was sent to the holding box; they were tense moments for New Zealand and the Ecuador when Jock Paget re-trotted the 17 year old Clifton Lush and Nicolas Wettstein went again with the rather feisty Nadeville Merze but both were accepted without further problems. Spain’s Albert Hermoso Farras was the only one held but on re-presenting they passed with flying colours while Sweden’s Anna Nilsson withdrew Luron due to his throat infection and Linda Algottson with Fairnet takes their place.
Spain’s Albert Hermoso Farras
Personally I’m really pleased that Albert made it through after he recently said about being Spain's only eventing athlete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games that "Eventing in Spain is like being a bull fighter in England" – hopefully he’ll provide some more little gems like that as we go through the competition
So, putting to one side the reason they say we do the first horse inspection and moving on to the real reason – who looked like winners in the best dressed department?
Here are a few thoughts and of course our awards
Team Canada
Canada kicked off proceedings and, after all they have been through with the ups and downs of selection, the all-girl team thankfully had no issues and looked fabulous in their white jeans and red tops. Team coach and selector Clayton Fredericks was, like many, wearing sunglasses, making it hard to tell if he was hiding a black eye from all the skirmishes
Sunglasses
Cool Clarke (above) and Ingrid Klimke (below) know how to wear sunnies
With the sun beating down even at 9am the sunnies were not only required for obvious reasons but also as fashion statements. We were glad to see the uber-cool Clarke Johnstone’s Adelaide sunnies make a re-appearance, Jonty Evans’ sunnies were bright green at one point in the sun but sadly didn’t stay that way (the Irish definitely need emerald green sunnies), Italy’s Stefano Brecciaroli, a man to watch out for in the dressage phase, defined Italian style by wearing sunnies with a hint of Mafia cool, but the best sunnies award definitely goes to one of the hot prospects for a medal, Germany’s Ingrid Klimke
The preppy-look
Sam Griffiths and Paulank Brockagh
Australia certainly took the biscuit for the ‘preppy-look’ in their green seersucker cotton blazers, finished with a gold embroidered coat of arms badge and burnished gold Australian Olympic coat of arms buttons. A unique feature of the outfit is also the lining inside the jacket which features each athlete’s name – you can’t lose that one!
Russia also went for the preppy look although until late yesterday they weren’t sure they would be wearing their outfits and of course the USA team looked like Ralph Lauren models
Shorts
Britain's Kitty King and Ceylor LAN
Of course it was weather for shorts and it was a close tie between Team GB and Switzerland for our favourite ‘boating look’. The Brits went for the more casual approach while the Vogg brothers added a jacket and tie
Switzerland's Felix Vogg
Shoes
If boating outfits were popular, boat shoes also made a big appearance. Australia’s green boat shoes matched their outfits perfectly but Karin Donckers’ red shoes got our vote
Super smart
Alex Hua Tian
Alex Hua Tian, dressed by Gieves & Hawkes, is also going to wow on the runway but the team from the Netherlands also looked fabulously smooth with the guys in suits with rust coloured waistcoats and the girls sporting very smart coats over white dresses
The Netherlands' Merel Blom
Best Quartermark
Another one to look out for in the next few days - Brazil's Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Lissy Mac Wayer
Best quartermark had to go to Brazil with their Rio2016 marks on each of the horses
The Abba effect
Sara Algotsson Ostholt and Reality 39
And then there was Abba ....
Sweden gets our award for the most unusual outfit which was a sort of Abba meets baseball player look. Only stunning Swedes could get away with that
The girls wore bright yellow silk tunic dresses underneath which there were lycra shorts and the look was finished by long socks. We’ll let the photos do the talking
