From Horse Illustrated magazine:

In the last hunter show I rode in, I was swimming in a sea of navy and forest green, surrounded by 30-plusl stately, mannered shows horses behaving wonderfully as they cantered around the arena. All except for mine, who thought he was at a horse party and wanted to whoop it up. There was no ribbon for us that day, but it did jog my memory regarding the preparation and strategy of the equitation division.

The video "A Day at the Medal Finals" depicts the medal division as a truly athletic endeavor, clearly separating the men from the boys (or the riders from the passengers, as the case may be). Equitation only takes the rider so far, and then the rest must come from solid basics so drilled into the equestrian that he or she can actually finesse them. Yep, hunter riding is not all "eq" and you certainly won't hear the most successful riders say they'll just "equitate in this class."

This tape takes you to the AHSA Hunter Seat Equitation National Medal Finals held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Done in a "day-in-the-life" format, the video goes over every nuance of the competition, from the day the riders arrive to warm up in the chilly fall air, then must sit while the order of go is chosen by the impartial computer, to the nerve-wracking warm-ups that must take place in the predawn hours before the first ride. Judges Cynthia Hankins and Ronnie Beard are credible commentators, providing good analysis of the course and the rides. Hankins describes how the course asks a series of questions of the riders, and it is up to the horse and rider to answer those questions correctly.

When the ride is done right, it is flawless and looks so easy. But the tape goes to great lengths to show the commonly made mistakes, which is what makes it so educational. With a terrific vantage point that clearly shows us the results of chipping-in, cutting corners, ducking and coming in too deep, it makes it easy to see what can be done better, and how our own riding can improve.

It has skillfill multiple-angle camerawork, excellent sound, a good music soundtrack and pace throughout. Just like a perfect medal round.

-- From the October, 1998 Issue of Horse Illustrated magazine