9. She is one of the most tactful riders you've ever seen, and you can see her horse giving to her and trying for her in every move. In her own words, "My first weekend, my horse was a little tired. But he never says no. He never, never says no."8. Her stallion stood absolutely immobile on a loose rein while Tina kept one hand over her heart and the other hand on the buckle of the bradoon rein during the entire national anthem at the awards ceremony while the other horses circled nervously around Colecto or even had to be held by their groom while their rider was still mounted.
7. Colecto's stable mate and "girlfriend" is a miniature donkey that Tina got as a Valentine's day gift.
6. Tina refers to her horse as her "best buddy."
5. Among many other accolades, her team mate Steffen Peters stated she and Colecto have "the international picture that we like to see-- there is no doubt."
USEF team members for the FEI World Equestrian Games Todd Flettrich, Katherine Bateson, Tina Konyot, and Steffen Peters. Photo credit SusanJStickle.com:
4. Before her tests at the Festival of Champions, Tina casually walked Colecto calmly around the outside of the ring, occasionally giving his neck a pat, while waiting for the bell to ring.3. For their victory gallop at the Festival, Tina galloped Colecto energetically forward on a long rein or at times dropped the reins altogether. Photo credit SusanJStickle.com:
2. She and Colecto V have had 11 consecutive Grand Prix wins over the last year, including Aachen, Germany.And the number one reason to admire Tina Konyot:
1. She lets her stallion and international level dressage mount be a real horse by trail riding, allowing him to play outside a stall, and by being an all-around excellent owner to her beautiful boy Colecto V.
