The beauty of the show jumping competition was...

not limited to the powerful display of athleticism on the part of both horse and rider. The commentators were kind to the horses and riders, regardless of which country they represented. It was Team USA's competition from start to finish, but that did not stop the commentators from giving respect to other countries. According to American Gold,  they "were properly awed by the American squad's unprecedented performance, but they were equally generous in commiserating over less successful rounds by other riders." I have watched many Olympic sports over the years and I have yet to see as much love given to all of the athletes.

I recall watching a replay of the individual show jumping competition and seeing how Bill Steinkraus and Chris Schenkel were taken with Swiss rider Heidi Robbiani and her beautiful mare Jessica V. They were just head over heels for the duo that went on to win the bronze medal. It was a great day for America, but it was also a triumph for Switzerland. The below photo of Robbiani and Jessica has been republished with permission from The Chronicle of the Horse, www.chronofhorse.com.

A historic moment...

Coverage of equestrian at the Olympics has historically been sparse. You usually have to tune in to the off-peak hours to maybe catch a glimpse of a horse. However, the 1984 Games in Los Angeles were different. On August 12, 1984, the show jumping competition was broadcasted live from Santa Anita Park and horse enthusiasts everywhere rejoiced. The competition even proved enthralling enough for non-horse people. The jump-off that day between the American riders Joe Fargis and Conrad Homfeld was thrilling for everyone watching. Even though there was no question that an American would win the gold, everyone still held their breath when Fargis' Thoroughbred mare Touch of Class executed the final round flawlessly and claimed the Gold. Following the solid event coverage from ABC, the three show jumping medalists went on to a victory lap in the Coliseum, earning more attention than anyone ever thought possible. The following pictures have been republished with permission from The Chronicle of the Horse, www.chronofhorse.com.

Meet the love interest

Hannah Strong has forged a path for herself, which sets up the relationship between her and Justin Briggs, the protagonist of Miracle at Santa Anita. Hannah Strong is a prequel of sorts, so the story will only continue through MASA.

Gold medal moments at Santa Anita

Twenty-nine years ago today, the United States locked down the team gold for show jumping at Santa Anita Park. Great Britain and West Germany took the silver and bronze respectively.

Victory lap...

All pictures have been republished with permission of The Chronicle of the Horse, www.chronofhorse.com

Setting the stage...

1984...Los Angeles...Arcadia...Santa Anita

When most people think of the 84 Games, images of the huge Coliseum come to mind. Or maybe they think of Mary Lou Retton's triumph over the vault or Mary Decker's devastating fall during that infamous race against Zola Budd. Most people don't think of the equestrian events at Santa Anita, which is why I chose it as the centerpiece of my first novel.

It was during these first two weeks in August, that the United States Equestrian Team rode into history and captured the hearts of everyone who witnessed its stunning display of skill, athleticism, and spirit. My mission in writing this book is twofold. The first goals is to tell a story that entertains. The second one is to hi-light a sport that receives very little attention from anyone other than horse enthusiasts. Equestrian is a unique sport that sees male and female riders competing equally and the real athletes have four legs. I will be sharing more pictures from the aforementioned book American Gold. This story would not be possible without the support from Chronicle of the Horse and I am grateful to them for allowing the pictures to be used on this blog.

Sunset on an evening workout at Santa Anita, circa August 1984

This book is gold to me...

When it comes to research, it has been a treasure trove of information. My historical fiction piece Miracle at Santa Anita revolves around the outcome of a show jumping event at the 1984 Olympics. Unlike the flagship events like swimming, gymnastics, and diving, there is not an abundance of firsthand accounts for equestrian. Or if there is, I'm not skilled enough to find it. Wikipedia contains some information, mostly results of the competition. I found this out-of-print book through Amazon and it has yielded more gold than Google ever could on its best day. It is imperative for historical fiction writers to dig for authentic sources rather than rely on the Internet. Google is useful for many things and I'm not saying don't ever use it. Just acknowledge that there's much more out there waiting to be discovered.

All pictures from this book have been republished here with the permission from the Chronicle of the Horse, www.chronofhorse.com.