NBC Announces Olympic Broadcast Schedule for Equestrian Events

It's getting closer! Have you ordered cable tv? Have you sold the family china on eBay so you can go to the big box store and bring home a wide-screen tv? Do you have all the takeout menus together in one drawer?

Oh, and it will be August: maybe invest in an air conditioner, too. You can always put it in your horse's stall when the Games are over.

Today NBC announced the broadcast schedule for equestrian events, if you can call it that. It's pretty loose. For some events, they just give a 12 hour broadcast slot and indicate that the event will be shown in that zone. In some cases---several cases--it's in the midde of the night.

Here's what they are promising right now:

Friday, Aug. 8
NBC and NBC HD, 8 p.m.-Midnight — Opening Ceremony

Saturday, Aug. 9
USA and USA HD, 2 a.m.-2 p.m. — Women's Soccer (LIVE); Women's Basketball (LIVE); Equestrian - Eventing Dressage; Beach Volleyball; Women's Fencing; Women's Shooting; Badminton; Women's Weightlifting


Sunday, Aug. 10
USA and USA HD, 2 a.m.-2 p.m. — Men's Soccer; Men's Basketball - (LIVE); Tennis (LIVE); Beach Volleyball; Equestrian – Dressage (Eventing, Day 2); Women's Archery; Men's Weightlifting

Monday, Aug 11
OXYGEN, 6-8 p.m. — Equestrian - Eventing Cross Country

Tuesday, Aug. 12
OXYGEN, 6-8 p.m. — Equestrian - Eventing Gold Medal Finals (Show Jumping)

Wednesday, Aug. 13
OXYGEN, 6-8 p.m. — Tennis; Equestrian - Team Dressage

Thursday, Aug. 14
OXYGEN, 6-8 p.m. — Tennis - Semifinals; Equestrian - Team Dressage Gold Medal Final

Friday, Aug. 15
OXYGEN, 6-8 p.m. — Equestrian - Jumping Competition; Tennis Semifinal

Saturday, Aug. 16
MSNBC, 5 a.m.-5 p.m. — Men's Soccer (LIVE); Baseball; Women's Wrestling (LIVE); Beach Volleyball; Men's Badminton; Equestrian - Individual Dressage

Sunday, Aug. 17
NBC and NBC HD, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. — Women's Basketball (LIVE); Beach Volleyball; Women's; Cycling; Women's Table Tennis; Equestrian - Team Jumping Competition; Rowing

Monday, Aug. 18
OXYGEN, 6-8 p.m. Equestrian - Team Jumping Final

Tuesday, Aug. 19
OXYGEN, 6-8 p.m. — Synchronized Swimming; Equestrian - Individual Dressage Gold Medal Final (my schedule says that would be the freestyle)

Wednesday, Aug. 20
Day Off!

Thursday, Aug 21
NBC and NBC HD, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. — Men's Swimming; Gymnastics; Women's Water Polo; Equestrian - Individual Jumping Gold Medal Final; Softball

As you can no doubt tell, these will almost certainly not be broadcast live, but at least some will be in high definition. NBC's web site says that they will be streaming many events live, but their web site has some pretty high tech requirements for hardware and operating systems. Most of us would need an expensive upgrade, if not a whole new computer and broadband connection, to make their specs.

So: you have two weeks to find the remote...And don't forget to send a donation to the USET! Visit www.uset.com and do it online!

“BARBARO: A NATION’S HORSE,” PREMIERES SUNDAY ON NBC

On Sunday, NBC Sports will debut "Barbaro: A Nation's Horse," a special one-hour documentary look at the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner, who touched the hearts of horse racing fans and animal lovers around the world last year with his fight for life before finally succumbing to injuries suffered at the Preakness Stakes.

"Barbaro: A Nation's Horse" looks back at the Thoroughbred's impressive six and a half length win at the Derby, his dramatic injury and his amazing will to live that captured the imagination of the public.

The program will air at 5:00 p.m. (ET) Sunday, the day that would have marked Barbaro's fourth birthday.

"Barbaro: A Nation's Horse" includes new footage of Barbaro's baby brother, who was born just last week. The as-yet unnamed foal shares both parents with the late Derby champion.

"Barbaro: A Nation's Horse," includes interviews with Roy and Gretchen Jackson, Barbaro's owners; Michael Matz, his trainer; Edgar Prado, the jockey who rode Barbaro during both his winning turn at the Kentucky Derby and at the Preakness; Dr. Dean Richardson, the head of surgery at the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center; and Peter Brette, Matz's assistant trainer who worked most closely with Barbaro.

DVDs of "Barbaro: A Nation's Horse" will be sold on NBCSports.com, with 50 percent of the proceeds benefiting the Barbaro Fund and the Laminitis Fund at the New Bolton Center. The Barbaro Fund supports ongoing patient care and expansion of the George D. Widener Large Animal Hospital, Penn Veterinary Medicine's world-renowned clinical, research and teaching hospital. The Laminitis Fund is specifically geared towards researching the incurable hoof disease that ultimately took the life of both Barbaro and the great Secretariat.

(News courtesy of NTRA)