Badminton Horse Trials 2023

[Marigold]

@punchy

I was also impressed, at first, that the ground jury pulled up OT. But then to learn they did it only on a hold… it makes me think that it would have been unlikely they would have flagged him down to stop him. Seems like it was a convenience thing. Still good, obviously, but I think they need to be braver about it.

I actually have the opposite impression of it. He was going to be pulled up either way (for a hold or for elimination), true, but the hold would have given the horse a chance to catch his breath and honestly I expect he’d have finished well - he didn’t have a ton left to do at that point (just the three more combinations and a couple single fences), and we know from the scoresheet that Oliver would have chosen to continue. A less gutsy ground jury could have held him, let him continue 20 minutes later, the horse would have finished looking good, and then there would have been an argument in favour of that ride being allowed to continue. The ground jury had an easy option to make this problem much quieter than it has become, and they didn’t take it. Good on them.

I have some compassion for Oliver. He was one of the first out of the box when the conditions took more out of the horses than I think many anticipated - SS was far from the only horse to get leg weary around that point. But my compassion for him ends where his compassion for the horse ends. It should have been his decision to pull up. I do think rounds like he was allowed to have with Cillnabradden Evo in 2019 gave him the wrong kind of experience, and taught him that nursing one home when they are that tired was an option when it really isn’t. If the ground jury had stepped in then, I wonder if they would have had to step in on Sunday. As a sport, it is nice to see the progress.

[Equibrit]

FEI;

EL (Eliminated):
 Dressage
 XC (for cross country test)
o Additionally please include for XC:
 XC-OT (Other, error of course, etc.)
 XC-R (refusal)
 XC-FR (Fall of Rider)
 XC-FH (Fall of Horse)
 XC-DR (Dangerous Riding)
 XC-AH (Abuse of Horse)
 XC-FOF (Fall on Flat, not Related to an Obstacle)

[wanderlust]

Some of his sponsors were also clearly deleting the MANY social comments on photos from Badminton that included him.

[wanderlust]

Some of his sponsors were also clearly deleting the MANY social comments on photos from Badminton that included him.

All I’m saying is that if the owner wants a kinder, gentler life for Swallow Spring, they can donate him to me with full assurance that he will lead a life of luxury as a 3’ fossils over fences horse for the rest of his natural life.

[sami-joe]

Yup.
Defender, deschmender.
OT, though she made the best of it, I did not enjoy Tamie Smith’s being bunged into a bus-sized vehicle minutes after her triumph this year.

Also, I qualified my source as “decent,” not infallible. It’s my son, who was apprenticed to a farrier who works at the event and has for decades.

[trakehners]

@wanderlust

All I’m saying is that if the owner wants a kinder, gentler life for Swallow Spring, they can donate him to me with full assurance that he will lead a life of luxury as a 3’ fossils over fences horse for the rest of his natural life.

My trainer is also accepting offers if anyone wants to send a very nice horse to a place where they’ll actually be treated well and stepped down from the 5* level at the appropriate time, lol.

[sami-joe]

Beautiful riding. I saw the brass buttons on her jacket shaking like leaves and her core holding tree-trunk steady.

[DLee1]

I’m on your side… in my large group of locals we all call it Rolex, though some of us tried the first couple of years to switch to Landrover.

I feel switching the name to Defender will be the end of calling it anything but Rolex.

[fivestrideline]

@DLee1

I feel switching the name to Defender will be the end of calling it anything but Rolex.

This. I’ll be over here on the couch calling it Rolex cause I’m not about to try to remember whatever new name is sponsoring it

[sami-joe]

Thanks.
I’m bummed that my son bailed for Ocala’s horse shoeing pastures this winter. Though I think it was stressful in the farrier tent(s), I know he enjoyed his two years at The Event Formerly and Forever Known as Rolex™️.

[Jealoushe]

I think most people call it Kentucky now, not Landrover.

But we should support the sponsors, after all without them we have nothing to enjoy.

It’s not a huge ask.

[yaya]

So instead of their overall Land Rover brand, they are going to name the event after just one of their models?

Or are they just highlighting the Defender model and still using the general Land Rover name?

[taketheblack]

Yeah I’m disappointed in the people who ride for her now. Of course she knew.

[DLee1]

Nobody I know in Kentucky calls it Kentucky.

[DLee1]

From what I understand Landrover is rebranding itself to JLR and Defender is one of the sub brands which I guess will be the Three Day brand… don’t quote me because I’m not 100 but there was a lot of talk about it during the event.

[yaya]

I hate the current trend of “rebranding”, especially to just initials. Totally loses all meaning!

[Jealoushe]

The world exists outside Kentucky nothing against it, it’s my fav place but here that’s what it’s called and what the Eventing podcast and others refer to it as

[OverandOnward]

@Marigold

I do think rounds like he was allowed to have with Cillnabradden Evo in 2019 gave him the wrong kind of experience, and taught him that nursing one home when they are that tired was an option when it really isn’t. If the ground jury had stepped in then, I wonder if they would have had to step in on Sunday. As a sport, it is nice to see the progress.

OT has been doing this kind of thing for over a decade. I don’t know when he first started in eventing or 5* eventing. But he was using main strength to force an always-overmatched chestnut around and no one stopped him then. Armada, I think?

I doubt anything that happens now would be seen as OT as other than a one-off that he can ignore. That’s been thoroughly reinforced. The sport is not consistent.

[OverandOnward]

@sami-joe

I did not enjoy Tamie Smith’s being bunged into a bus-sized vehicle minutes after her triumph this year.

I got the impression that Tamie bunged herself in.

Most competitors seem to accept the prize and turn smiling for photos. Tamie immediately zero’d in on the keys.

[skydy]

She also said “do I get to keep it?”. I think, referring to many car prizes where you get a year or two lease. She seemed exited about it.