The long trip to Tokyo is well underway for most of the horses and riders competing at the postponed 2020 Olympics, and our North American contingent of horses has safely arrived at CHIO Aachen on the westernmost side of Germany. Here, the horses, grooms and riders will stay in pre-export quarantine before catching one last flight to Tokyo on July 20.
While the riders and support teams aren’t on a full lockdown in Germany, Doug Payne’s groom Courtney Carson tells us that social distancing and Covid protocols are very much in play. The venue itself and the stabling is locked down to public access, granting entry only to credentialed personnel. Covid testing is also being done every two days. Some of the riders have already arrived, with the rest scheduled to trickle in over the coming days (riders like Doug, who is squeezing in some FEI show jumping before he goes, no biggie).
Let’s take a look at some of the arrival social media from Germany! We’ll continue to round up social media posts and other perspectives from the road to Tokyo, so stay tuned right here on EN for all things Olympics.
Breakfast in Aachen
Posted by Jan Henriksen on Friday, July 9, 2021
And lastly, a sighting of fellow Team USA members Adrienne Lyle and Salvino, Tokyo-bound as a part of the dressage squad: