[scooter]

OK, I have to speak up. I am a professional jumper rider. I live in Bedford NY, where Chris Reeve lived. I have tremendous respect for anyone who takes up the sport as an adult. Like skiing, if you dont learn the center of gravity/fall line thing while young it's almost impossible to acquire the feeling. That being said, having seen Chris ride, I will tell you that he had no business being on that horse on the cross country. There has been a lot of publicity lately in the US about the cross country phase of eventing because of the safety issue (several deaths and major injuries very recently). In my part of the sport (show jumping) the light weight poles are on safety break away cups so that is you even breathe on them the pole releases. In the x country, its telephone poles hard wired into place. Zero margin for error. Both he and his wife Dana were lovely people, and deserved better than what fate gave them. RIP.