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Five-star winner withdraws from Olympic contention: ‘There is not adequate time’

Pippa Roome Pippa Roome

    • Tamie Smith has ruled herself and Mai Baum out of contention for the US eventing team at the Paris Olympics this summer.

    Last year’s Kentucky Three-Day Event winner pulled away from his handler and “tweaked himself” before Kentucky this year and Tamie says there is now not enough time to prepare him before the mandatory US team outing at Stable View (21-23 June).

    “Leading into a much anticipated Olympic team selection next week and after deliberating with our team and Mai Baum’s owners, we have decided to withdraw him from team consideration,” said Tamie last week.

    “This was a difficult decision because we have felt Mai Baum would have contributed positively to the team had he been selected. Since his setback leading into Kentucky, there is not adequate time remaining for preparation and conditioning for him to be in top form for the team mandatory outing in a few short weeks. We are obviously disappointed, but always have his best interest at heart and will be looking to aim him for an exciting fall competition.”

    Tamie Smith, who does not have any other horses in contention for the team for the Paris Olympics, finished her message by saying she will be cheering on Team USA from Rebecca Farm, which runs the same weekend as the Olympic eventing, and encouraging them to bring home the gold.

    Tamie and the 17-year-old Mai Baum, who belongs to his former rider Alexandra Ahearn and her parents Ellen Ahearn and Eric Markell, were the alternates for the US team at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. Since then they have been ninth at Badminton Horse Trials and won Kentucky, as well as contributing to the US’s world team silver in 2022.

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    Pippa Roome
    Pippa Roome

    H&H magazine editor and eventing editor
    Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.
    Pippa Roome

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