Ann Romney’s Horse Rafalca Heads to the London Olympics
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ABC News (NEW YORK) — The Romneys won’t just be attending the 2012 Summer Olympics in London: They now have a horse in the race.
Ann Romney’s dressage trainer Jan Ebeling and the horse they co-own will head to the games after coming in third today at the U.S. Equestrian Federation National Dressage Championships in Gladstone, N.J.
Although an official announcement won’t be made until Sunday, Ebeling and Rafalca, a 15-year-old Oldenburg mare, are almost certain to go because of his third place spot. USEF spokeswoman Kathy Meyer said there are five dressage spots on the U.S. Olympic team.
Romney is avidly involved in the expensive world of dressage, sometimes known as “horse ballet,” and was on hand for the Olympic qualifying event. She credits horseback riding for almost eliminating her symptoms from multiple sclerosis, which she was diagnosed with in 1998.
This year marks the 100-year anniversary of dressage as an Olympic sport. This will be Ebeling’s first Olympics.
Kenneth Braddick, who runs Dressage-News.com and is an expert in the sport, called Ebeling’s ride one of “the best performances of his life.”
The Romneys are planning on attending the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. Mitt Romney’s role overseeing the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics is an important selling point for his campaign on the trail.
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