I have that feeling as well. What a day!
Exciting to watch, for sure. Incredible athletes.
1 Like
Tamie Smith posted an update on instagram that Rory is at the vet for further evaluation. It doesn’t say “fine” anymore…
3 Likes
Oh no, that’s really too bad. I was hoping he just stepped on a clip.
Him and Thomas looked super strong this year.
1 Like
No word on Emporium?
Nothing good.
Totally hearsay: a vet @SipTheTea9 posted on Twitter that a colleague who was spectating told him Emporium was “paddling when he went down” and that was a bad sign. He apparently was sedated and “winched” onto the trailer. Reading between the lines, he never regained his feet.
1 Like
i love our sport so much, and have so much fun at the Novice / Training level, and always loved watching the upper level riders compete.
So many fabulous rides today, but I am finding it increasingly difficult to enjoy watching or supporting the upper levels when one or two out of 50 horses suffer life or career ending injuries.
Emporium sedated and winched onto the trailer - i hope that horse survives to enjoy a paddock sound retirement
same hope for Tamra’s horse
24 Likes
Not a fan of the Nothing-to-See-Here chat on the live stream.
The lack of transparency may help the sponsors’ maintain their brands. It does less than nothing for the sport and opens us all up to serious critique from those who know less than nothing about horses.
Seemed as if I could see Jung’s wheels turning as he chose his words really carefully during his post x-country interview. He doesn’t seem like a man who likes equivocating or ignoring elephants in rooms.
17 Likes
Agreed 100%.
1 Like
He almost rotated at the first water, fwiw. When the commentators with what, 75+ years of experience between them? are talking about his round with concern… it’s not the sport at issue.
11 Likes
Amen.
We have an unsustainable business/funding model and that’s a tricky political needle to thread right now.
As I recall there were some knowledgeable professionals here. Does anyone have any better ideas than the current tax structure that makes donations, sponsorships, advertising, and investment losses (tax write-offs) the path to funding much of upper-level riding?
If the financial pressure to get horses to the top hampers riders’/coaches’ decision-making, there has to be a better way.
I think the powers that be need to get much more aggressive about policing dangerous riding or exhausted horses. Emporium was absolutely running through the aids the entire way around the course and it was only a matter of time until something happened. Same with Sarah Bullimore’s horse - not on the aids, jumping from a variety of scary distances, and then exhausted. Someone should have pulled her 3 fences before he smashed his face, nevermind letting her try again after that.
It feels like there was more intervention back in the dark days of the 2000s when all the rotational falls were happening. Seems much of that has been eliminated, but risk of severe injury and death shouldn’t necessarily be the litmus test for intervening - there’s a horse welfare component that also needs to be considered.
23 Likes
He did not stand up again. TBH, we all thought he didn’t make it through. It was horrible to watch him down.
1 Like
The live stream for the Kentucky CSI3* Invitational Grand Prix is up, if you want to switch disciplines for the evening.
6 Likes
I agree about policing dangerous riding. I don’t care how frangible the jumps are if a horse/ rider is overfaced, or horse is running through the aids and jumping dangerously then there is a high probability somebody is going to get hurt. Now not all accidents are caused by exhaustion or dangerous riding but lets get those accidents waiting to happen off course to compete another day. Maybe they need to step down, maybe they need to get more experience before they try this level. Making courses safer will not fix situations where you need to stop and try another day.
19 Likes
I am very sad that my first thoughts were likely spot on.
1 Like
Oh thank heavens, my husband is watching some Swiss cycling race, commenting on how tough that hill was. And the possible vertigo the riders experience. And how he would ride it. I walked into the kitchen and watched water boil, followed by poking a fork in my eyes.
12 Likes
Is there an order of go
