Olympian Karen O'Connor has set her sights on this fall's Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, reports veteran groom Max Corcoran. O'Connor, who is sponsored by Kentucky Equine Research (KER), holds one of 16 spots on the 2010 Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team Short List with longtime mount and Olympic partner Mandiba.

Their next steps in qualifying for WEG will include dressage training with Oded Shimoni and competing in jumper classes at the HITS Culpeper Spring & Summer Show Series. Their next event will be the Richland Park Horse Trials in late August, before heading to the official selection trials, the Land Rover/USEA American Eventing Championships at Chattahoochee Hills.

Corcoran is responsible for O'Connor's top horses, and works with Karen and consultants at KER to assess each horse's different nutritional needs. Each one has to be catered to differently in order to perform its best.

"The most important elements leading up to a competition are overall health of the horse, starting with nutrition," Corcoran said. "Without proper nutrition you cannot have a healthy horse and a healthy horse is a sound horse. My priorities until that time are fitness and soundness as well."

KER products used by O'Connor team include EquiShure™, Restore™, DuraPlex®, Nano•E™, Triad™, Bio-Bloom™, and Hemabuild™, while feed is provided by KER Team Member Pennfield Equine Feed Technologies.