Rafalca, a 15-year-old
Oldenburg mare owned in part by the Romneys, qualified as a member of the U.S.
Olympic team and will be competing in London in the dressage competition — a
form of ballet for horses and their riders in which the animals do pirouettes,
serpentines and Piaffes, which, according to the International Equestrian
Federation, is a “highly collected, cadenced, elevated diagonal movement” in
which “the haunches with active hocks are well engaged.” Rafalca, after
qualifying, flew across the Atlantic on a FedEx jet (no, they didn’t strap her
to the roof) and reportedly dined on an in-flight meal of watermelon.
Understandably,
Romney was wary about discussing dressage when NBC’s Brian Williams asked him
in London Wednesday about his equine Olympian. “You actually have a horse in
the race. What’s that gonna be like?”
“Well,”
Romney replied. “It’s — a big — exciting experience for my wife and — and for
the person that she’s worked with, the trainer of the horse who’s riding the
horse. And — obviously, it’s fun to be part of the Olympics in any way you can
be part of them."
Williams
followed up: “When is the event, and for those of us who don’t follow the
sport, what happens? Are there rounds that — of competition? Is there just one
chance? What happens?”
Romney
pleaded ignorance. “I have to tell you. This is Ann’s sport. I’m not even sure
which day the sport goes on. She will get the chance to see it, I will not — be
— watching — the event. I hope — her horse does well.”
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