sounds like a great class...shame that marcus beerbaum didn't do better...mclain is such a gifted rider....remember..you can choose your friends,not your family...he cannot help what his dad,barney ward did...barney was doing hot deals long before his mom chris was pregnant with him....actually, if you get animal planet...there is a show called busted...it has the whole story on what tommy burns,paul valliere,marion hulick,and barney ward were doing with horses...i think his dad might still be in jail....as for the "tacks in the run downs"....that is one of the oldest tricks in the book...or they staple carpet tacks to the tops of the jumps to "tune"the horses up...unfortunately,this practice has been used WORLDWIDE for years......i remember mclain being cleared of all charges....
but anywho...sorry that made headlines over there...you should see nick skelton,the irish team,and the good old whittaker boys in action...you have to understand...it is a sport...but these days there is so much money involved...about 25 years ago...the sport toned down...and the business took over.......thats' like anything in the horse industry....too much money involved....

but i'm glad that all your favorites did well...glad that baloubet did well....his sire galobet a was one of the greatest horses of all time....great in '84....you should go back and look up the games in 84!!!!great class....conrad holmfeld with abdullah...joe fargis on a touch of class...leslie on albany!!!! great team!!!!!!!

again,thanks for the update...if i find more info i will pass it on