Sochi, 2014. Vermont represents. Per capita Vermont produced more Olympic athletes than any other state, with one out of every 48,000 participating. Second place New Hampshire had one out of every 147,000 residents.
I'm kinda not surprised we Vermonters outrank Florida in the winter Olympics.
But wait...
London, 2012. Per capita, Vermont ranks third in producing Olympians with one out of every 313,216 residents. Not very far behind first place Wyoming with their one out of 284,079.
For a small mostly rural state, I think that's pretty impressive. Is it a coincidence or a distinct byproduct of the lifestyle and sense of community we have here? I prefer to think the latter.
Then I throw a wrench into this... I can't find the current data, but as far as per capita ownership for horses, VT ranks very high. At one point I think VT did have the most horses per capita.
Sooo...does VT produce more equestrian Olympians than any other state? Denny Emerson and Mara DePuy are the only natives that come to mind. I can think of a couple of people who are trying their best to get there, and I most certainly hope that they do!
Is the community and culture the same for equestrianism as it is for other sports here in Vermont or is there somehow a disconnect?
