That horse was so sweet. He was like “you signed us up for this kid, so hang on we’re jumping”
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@Renn_aissance I’ll have you know that I’m not rooting for anyone in particular today at all, therefore I am absolved from all responsibility regarding the results.
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Sinead seems like a good sport. Hope she didn’t hit her head too hard.
Good! I am rooting for all the cute horses, in particular, and there are very many of them here today, so I think I can be satisfied with many potential outcomes.
I didn’t see Sinead come off due to dog interference- what happened?
She kinda chocolate chunked at the ugly wall and that horse’s jump didn’t look easy to stay with even with a good distance, and she just went airborne.
Beautiful ride by Maddie Tosh.
Ouch. Hope she’s OK. I would be so busy wondering what the hell I was jumping that I couldn’t find a distance to that wall, either.
Maddie Tosh just laid that down. What I loved best is that she hunted the first fence off of an open step and moved up a hair- so many have come around the turn, looked for it, and tapped the brakes to make it work. That set her up beautifully to just flow down that first line.
I really like the course today. I think the first line makes you set a pace and then everything is pretty much related with the exception of the two turns at the top of the ring, so as long as the rider can maintain their rhythm (easier done in blue jeans than in show clothes), they’ve had a good round. I appreciate that it seems to be more forward and flowing than years past that end up having a lot of forward and slow and back and forth.
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Yes, I think it’s one of my favorite courses in recent years. It is inviting, and it is just enough- it looks like it’s a test of track and stride management rather than a scope test. Even the horses who have put two in the first one-stride get out of the line without carnage.
I would like to know how 4AB-5AB measures. It makes me want to go back in time about 15 years and tack up my horse. He loves a line like that.
Well, it is 9:27pm from my bed in Indonesia and it’s crazy to me that when my jet-lagged self wakes up around 6am, they will likely still be showing. 
I get the best of both worlds: get to catch around 50 rounds and all the good stuff at the end with a full night’s sleep in between.
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Terrible morning for the rider who didn’t even manage to address the first jump. That’s an expensive braid job. I hope she has another year to give it another try.
By the way, I really like the combination line—the distances are set pretty conservatively, it seems, which makes it rideable just like a gymnastics: sit still and let the horse do their job, letting judges truly evaluate position.
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Paige Walkenbach’s horse has a bit of an unusual style- he sort of walks over the jump with the front end and looks like he is inclined to unfold early. I found myself holding my breath hoping he didn’t get a rail doing it. Nice trip for them both!
Add me to the list of people who like this course, other than that atrocity of a wall that I dislike for purely aesthetic reasons.
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I like the course - straight forward for those who have done their homework, but not deadly for green horses or riders.
Really want to point out that there are two associations that have opportunities for riders in college. The IHSA has been around for over 50 years and created riding in a team format in college and offers competition for all levels of riders. The NCEA is newer and offers opportunities for the elite riders, but does not hold competition for any lower level riders. Many riders at NCEA schools never ride in competition, while most IHSA riders get a chance to compete.
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Wait, why is Grace Russo on the ground? I looked away for a second and obviously missed something important.
That was unfortunate. She was having such a nice round!
Horse sort of half refused, rolled over the top of the fence and popped her off. Unfortunate.
She had an awkward distance and got popped out of the tack.
This horse is having a good ol’ sulk on his way out of the ring and he wasn’t even the one who fell off! Look at that cute face pouting.
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