Ann Romney watched from the edge of her seat in the VIP section as her horse, Rafalca, made her Olympics debut Thursday morning in London.
“She was consistent and elegant. She did not disappoint. She thrilled me to death,” Ann Romney told The Associated Press after the performance.
Presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney was in London to watch the Games' opening ceremonies with his wife, but has since returned to the United States and will likely watch Rafalca on TV from the campaign trail. President Obama's spokesman said last week that
Obama might watch Rafalca perform, as he was interested in seeing "every American entrant perform well."
Rafalca’s and rider Jan Ebeling’s score in the dressage event was 70.213, and Ebeling called the performance “great.” The initial performance put the duo in provisional fourth place, according to the AP.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the liberal group MoveOn.org have both used Rafalca in
attack ads that hit the Romneys on their personal wealth.
Dressage has also become the butt of many late-night jokes, although both Ann Romney and Ebeling have said they laughed at the spoofs of a sport sometimes referred to as “horse ballet.”
Ebeling
told USA Today he was glad for the media attention.
"It's given our sport an opportunity to be seen," Ebeling said.
Ann Romney has spoken often about her own love of riding and belief in its therapeutic qualities. Romney became a dedicated horsewoman after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998.
