Ann Romney 'thrilled' by horse's performance in Olympics
Mitt Romney is back home, fending off accusations by the Senate majority leader that he failed to pay taxes, but part of the Romney family is still having an Olympics moment.Ann Romney stayed behind in London to watch her trainer, Jan Ebeling, and Rafalca, the mare she co-owns, compete in the dressage ring Thursday.
Ebeling and Rafalca, part of the U.S. Olympic Equestrian team, finished 13th in their first test — the individual grand prix competition — with a score of 70.243%. It was unclear how they would ultimately rank, as only half the 50-pair field had competed. The Los Angeles Times’ Helene Elliott reported that Romney pronounced herself "thrilled to death with the performance." Rafalca and Ebeling are scheduled to perform again Friday.
In a conversation with the New York Times after the competition, Ebeling said he was pleased as well. Rafalca, a 15-year-old Oldenburg mare, is “peaking at just the right moment,” he said.
“I think I had a very good ride,” Ebeling said. “I’m happy with it. I think my second pirouette started out a little bit large. She jumped off the line a bit and, over all, it was great. My piaffes were really nice. And that’s something that’s really improved over the last couple of months.”
(Pirhouettes and piaffes are among the dance-like movements of dressage. Formally clad riders in tails and top hats silently guide their horses through choreographed routines; points are deducted for riders who talk to their horses.)
Ann Romney’s involvement in dressage, particularly now that her horse and trainer are competing at the top international level, has been a boon to the sport’s public profile. The comedian Stephen Colbert declared dressage the “sport of the summer,” and sought training (dressed like a dude ranch cowboy) from one of the sport’s top coaches.
For the Romney presidential campaign, however, there has been a downside.
When practiced at the Olympic level, the costs involved in dressage can be immense. On the only complete tax returns the Romneys have released thus far — for 2010 — they declared a $77,000 business loss related to Ann Romney’s horse enterprise. That’s done nothing to help Romney battle the perception that his wealth has made it hard for him to relate to the struggles of average Americans.
In an NBC interview on the eve of the Games, Romney seemed at pains to distance himself from what for his wife is a dream come true. “I have to tell you, this is Ann's sport,” he told Brian Williams. “I'm not even sure which day the sport goes on…. I will not be watching the event. I hope her horse does well.”
On Thursday, to coincide with Rafalca’s first turn in the Olympics, the liberal advocacy groupMoveOn.orgreleased an ad spoofing the Romneys’ involvement in dressage, which it said would run in swing states.
Speaking as Rafalca, a girl with a snooty voice says, “After Mitt Romney repeals healthcare and ships your jobs overseas, I dare say your life will not be nearly as pampered as mine.”
Source :Latimes
