Coolest music was Belinda Trussell and Anton's, riding for Canada, who took the individual bronze and put Canada in line for the team silver. She has a beautiful move towards the end of her freestyle where she comes straight out of her canter work into piaffe, and it is just breathtaking. Mikala Gunderson from Denmark, riding My Lady, also had a very jazzy routine with her music from "All That Jazz." The mare clearly likes her freestyle and stayed with her music nearly hoof beat perfect throughout. I believe she finished fourth. I also liked Kasey Perry-Glass' freestyle very much. She has a very pretty, very correct horse, Goerklintgaards Dublet, who looks so rideable--a real pleasure to see him go. Laura's horse, Verdades, is one who seems to have it all, and their partnership bodes well for the US teams for some time to come. I didn't like her freestyle music very well, however. It is too much the same all the way through and is not especially catchy or magical. Since she has the horse power to be dynamic, someone ought to help her spiff up her music.
The Argentine rider Maria Florencia Manfredi, riding Bandurria Kacero, had the most exciting extended canter of the evening, evoking images of the beautiful pair galloping with abandon across wide-open spaces. Unfortunately, they have a very labored looking piaffe and it makes for a wholly different effect overall.
So glad I got to see these wonderful horses and riders. Learned a lot, coming home inspired.
