Okay, I've had a second look at the Olympic jumping course (and had plenty of 
leisure to take notes as Leslie Burr Howard got 14 faults on her round -- 
what did I tell you about green horses?).
The first three 'easy' fences are two rustic-looking oxers and a vertical.  
Then there's the first line of fences on the course, the Liverpool (which has 
the Statue of Liberty on the standards, not the lifeguard's towers as I said 
before), followed by the 'Kentucky Triple' of two white board fences and 
barn, and ending with an oxer.
The next line is the Mount Rushmore wall and then the water jump.  After that 
there's a bending line to the gate/wall option fence, and ending with a 
vertical decorated to look like adobe.  The last line is the 'beach' jump 
with the lifeguard towers (a vertical), a double combination with a sort of 
woven-palm fronds look.  And the last jump on the course is the 'fan' 
vertical with the space-shuttle standard.  
I missed some of the jumping while I was getting ready for work (boo) but I 
saw "Leapin' Leslie" with her young horse Extreme.  Extreme peeked at the 
Statue-of-Liberty Liverpool long enough to throw of the timing for the triple 
combination, so she a plank off the first white plank fence and stopped at 
the second.  After re-taking the combination successfully, she had a foot in 
the water, and I think she had a rail down somewhere else, so she ended up 
with 14 faults.  
After that, Jan Tops of the Netherlands with Top Gun went clear.  Go figure.  
Oh, and if you have tons of money, then head for Conyers, because there is 
plenty of space available in the expensive seats.  The cheap seats in the top 
of the stands are packed pretty solid, though.
So it's great to see *something*, but I can't wait to hear Laura's report 
from the Dressage venue.  I'm particularly interested in Metallic, ridden by 
Robert Dover, who by all reports is a real ham.  He may be too green to do 
much at this Olympics, but watch out for the future!
-- Jan
--- QM v1.31 
---------------