Best ride- Gina Miles over the last fence with a huge grin!
Glad to hear Caroline Powell had a good XC round, I missed that one. As a dressage person, I thought she deserved a much higher ranking after dressage.
I’m not going to play “Best rides. worst rides,” but I’ll play “Horses that I would like to ride/horses that I would NOT.”
The first group includes Marius (Romeike), Call Again Cavalier(Mary King) and Gazelle de la Brasserie (Karen Donckers). If push came to shove, I would probably be able to find stall space for Ismene du Temple (Dhennin) as well. I’m pretty fussy.
On the “Not for Me” list are Parkmore “I can leave from anywhere” Ed (Fox-Pitt), and Passat( Alena-----) , the Russian horse who only rarely picked up his knees. Poggio has never looks like fun, and Gamour would have had me running for the hills from the start box. There was another smallish dark horse who was pulling, well, enthusiastically over the first few fences. And just as enthusiastically at the finish. That couldn’t have been fun.
Loved the live streaming.
I loved the first and last riders to complete the course: Mark Todd and Mary King, respectively.
As for the worst, I don’t know. There were some scary rides and some disappointing rides, but everyone ended up safe.
I loved watching Ingrid Klimke go around. She seemed so in tune with her horse, it made the ride beautiful.
I also appreciated the Chilean retiring after two refusals. He realized that his horse was probably overfaced and not quite ready. You get to a big venue like that and you might want to make one more go of it, hope your horse goes over and say you finished, at least. He declined, realized his horse wasn’t up to it and walked off the course.
The Polish rider, Pawall, looked great also.
Just want to say…Go Poland!!!
The Russian rider who went early scared the bejesus out of me. He walked into the startbox and the harness on his helmet was so loose it was hanging halfway down his neck (hello, FEI steward, where are you?)And that big honking stud protector the horse was wearing…if the horse had slid on his belly over any fence it would have hung him up and flipped him. It truly looked like someone had rigged a Charles Owen safety vest under his belly.
But so many good rides, and I was so impressed with that young Polish rider. He is GOOD.
William Fox-Pitt is lucky to be alive after that last fence, IMHO.
Phillip showed his grit riding last in the rain. Connaught was wonderful, and wonderfully ridden.
The Germans and Australians are so good they scare me. Brits are back in full force, too.
Mark Todd has done NZ proud 
[QUOTE=3dazey;3432281]
Phillip showed his grit riding last in the rain. Connaught was wonderful, and wonderfully ridden.[/QUOTE]
I’m surprised there was less mention here of Phillip. I thought he did a wonderful job under pressure for the US. Just another day in the neighborhood for him and Connaught!
Gina- great job
Ingrid- great job…I want her horse
Mary King- also- loved to watch her
And- seeing Mark Todd go again gave me goose bumps. He is such an incredible rider. I never get tired of watching him, and what a treat to see him at another olympics.
And- totally off subject. Did anyone see the young Chinese guy’s dressage on the big grey horse? He was very tense at times, and having a bit of trouble with the atmosphere…but that horse is fancy fancy fancy. He wants to be my dressage horse!!!
[QUOTE=pwynnnorman;3432080]
Oh, come now! I’m saying this partly in jest – As maybe you did? It’s a cute/sly observation :yes: – but geez, why inject the soap opera into his motivations?[/QUOTE]
It’s actually something the commentators on the coverage I was watching said, and not my original observation
Mark Todd was brilliant. Mary King’s style of riding has never wowed me, but she seems like a wonderful horsewoman and certainly had an excellent ride yesterday. Shame that Phillip Dutton wasn’t faster but thought he rode well. Gina rode well. Pawel had a good ride 'round and what a big step forward for him after Athens! Clayton rode wonderfully as well.
[QUOTE=Thomas_1;3432017]
Gina Miles … On a horse that isn’t my sort at all for eventing and definitely not what I’d consider to be a cross country phase horse. A great big thing that isn’t athletic and is a bit one paced but by gosh he covered the ground well and was jumped very efficiently and effectively.
Mark Todd because as always he gave a fantastic master class in how to get a horse round a cross country course
Bad rides: Amy Tryon - Fought and pulled and yanked and heaved and took a couple of serious risks right from the off and then paid the price when the horse caught a knee. IMO dreadful irresponsible riding and appalling team contribution!
Andrew Nicholson - A rider I normally like. A horse I’ve always liked that worked his socks off but didn’t deserve to be pushed too hard at the end. Andrew was so concentrating on time he so poorly presented at the fence the horse didn’t know what he was supposed to do and so tried to climb over it and the inevitable happened. He didn’t deserve that on what is most likely going to be his last event before retiring.[/QUOTE]
I totally disagree with this assessment of Gina Miles’s horse. He’s very light on his feet and a superb jumper – otherwise he couldn’t have gotten around in the time he did. I’ve been watching this horse for years and he’s very impressive. He’s so freaking large he doesn’t look like he should be able to do what he does.
I was kind of shocked by Nicholson’s performance. Lord Killinghurst isn’t the fastest of horses and Andrew just ran him off his feet.
I’m glad Mary King had a good round. She’s an excellent rider – the thing I’d critique her for is oftentimes being too much at the end of her reins – it’s gotten her into trouble in tight combinations in the past. Besides you’ve just got to like her. Here’s hoping for good show jumping rounds. I’m especially pulling for Mary King and Gina!
The best rides IMO were Ingrid Klimke’s on Abraxxus and the German fellow who rode the grey called Marius. I know nothing about eventing and so can’t explain why, other than to say I thought they exuded competence.
Since everybody out there could ride rings around me, I hesitate to name a worst ride, but I will say Amy Tryon’s had me the most worried for horse and rider.
Great pix TW.
Amy Tryon worried me before her fall. I’m not an expert but should one’s entire lower leg be off the horse? I didn’t think so. Her left leg was off the entire time. I can’t imagine riding like that and not falling off all over the place. But she has to be skilled just to be where she is. It confuses me.
I loved watching the Germans on SJ and also that French Guy that was so happy after SJ.
XC - I was appalled at Amy Tryon’s riding. She yanked, was totally out of balance. Her horse looked strung out and frankly scary. I am glad neither were hurt in the fall. For one of the “top US riders” in the eventing… I would have expected better riding.
Karen O’Connor had the best save on staying on Mandiba. The horse looked stressed…but I am glad they finished.
I too wish they had shown the Canadians more. Sandra Donnelly stabled at the farm I live on before the games. I saw her walking along side the finish during x-c , but never got to see her go… bummer.
