COTH Article by Beezie and John Madden

[MHM]

@trakehners

Hockey players are playing hockey regardless of which league or tournament they’re in, so I can understand why it matters more to them that they be able to participate in the Olympics.

The hockey players or tennis players or gymnasts or what have you can lose badly at the Olympics, but still usually come home in one piece. The horses and riders, sometimes not so much.

So it makes sense that the courses have to be set a little easier to accommodate all the participants from countries that don’t have as much depth in the equestrian sports as the heavy hitters.

I do think there has been a bit of a shift in the sport over the years. The very successful riders and owners who are most interested in prize money might not be quite as motivated to get on the teams for international competitions, and the people who can afford not to worry about the prize money might get more opportunities to be on the teams as a result. I don’t know what the solution to that conundrum might be, or if there even is a solution.

As far as the stylistic component of the article, I’m just glad to hear the views of people with résumés like the Maddens, regardless of how they express themselves. I would love to hear from them more often. They have a pretty unique perspective on the sport at this point.

[Bristol_Bay]

A perfect and easy fix.

[eclipse]

@MHM

The hockey players or tennis players or gymnasts or what have you can lose badly at the Olympics, but still usually come home in one piece. The horses and riders, sometimes not so much.

As an ex gymnast I’d just like to point out that a mistake can cost you your life …. Or more usually paralyze or seriously injure you! Yes in show jumping we also have our horse to consider and they can be injured or worse but nothing like coming down on your neck after missing on the vault or like myself, snapping my leg in half when I landed wrong in my floor routine

[MHM]

But the equipment itself is always the same in each competition, correct?

The beam is the same width, the vaulting horse is the same every time, the mat for the floor exercise is the same size at every competition, right?

The courses for the horse sports are never the same, other than maybe the dressage rings. So it’s always a more unpredictable situation, even before you factor the horse into the mix.

[Rel6]

Last year there were two public incidents of rider fatalities at competition in my state alone, occurring at heights ranging from 2’6" to 3’. The difference with equestrian sport is you see high risk, and even fatality, at a level far below Olympic-caliber difficulty.

@MHM - I totally agree with your point, and that reminds me of the insane story about the vault being set 5cm too low at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and no one noticing until halfway through competition: https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a37102221/blind-landing-podcast-biggest-gymnastics-mistake-olympic-history/

[MHM]

Wow, that’s pretty crazy.

You know if the jumps were set 5 cm too high, the horse people all would have noticed and raised the roof before anyone walked in the ring.

If there was a jump that was 5 cm too low, though, it’s possible nobody would have said a word. Lol.

[Rel6]

Ha very true!!

[eclipse]

Yes the equipment is always the same BUT you change the distance the springboard is away from the vault depending on the type of vault you’re doing, the brand of board etc! Trust me…. Many many injuries happen due to mistakes with equipment or misjudgment…q adrenaline or nerves take over….let me tell you the awfulness of misjudgment and coming down with your feet slightly apart on a 4” wide beam that is wood and is just barely covered with hardly any padding… it’s not like landing on a cloud! or you realize your coach hasn’t set the board correct for your vault and you realize you’ve overshot and your hands are missing ! It is a highly dangerous sport just like horse sports but in a different way and there have been many devastating injuries! Losing yourself while twisting is the most horrible feeling ever…. I cannot even begin to explain it…. And getting over that fear can be debilitating (gymnasts call it The twisties)

Riders hear horror stories of riding accidents…. Gymnasts hear their horrors…. Ski racers hear theirs! Each sport has their respective dangers and all we can do is respect them all and hope everyone comes back safe!

Edited to add…. They were damn well lucky there were no major injuries when they set that vault the wrong height! Saying only riders would know if fences are wrong just shows that you have no idea or respect for another highly dangerous sport…. Both and many more deserve the respect we ask of show jumping!

[MHM]

@eclipse

Saying only riders would know if fences are wrong just shows that you have no idea or respect for another highly dangerous sport

Where exactly did I say that?

Please quote the part of my post where I used the word “only” in that sentence.

[MHM]

@eclipse

Many many injuries happen due to mistakes with equipment

That’s not at all the same thing as having a different course of jumps set for the horse sports at every competition.

[Alterrain]

@Nikki

Horses with knock downs can still be schooled. There are lots of riders who end up retiring the round if the horse is struggling.

Yes, those are horsepeople. And there are a few “riders” whom we’ve mentioned here before, who do not. And those people should be eliminated. I totally agree with saying at, say 16 faults, or one refusal at the jury’s discretion the entry should be eliminated. I’m not talking schooling jumper- I mean in 2* and 3* classes, for example. ZB and KD (for example) should NOT be allowed to keep jumping these classes, crashing, scaring horses (and spectators) week after week after week. It’s not good for anyone and it’s REALLY not good for the perception of the sport.

[eclipse]

@MHM

You know if the jumps were set 5 cm too high, the horse people all would have noticed and raised the roof before anyone walked in the ring.

This was what I was reading …. And relating ….

[eclipse]

@MHM

That’s not at all the same thing as having a different course of jumps set for the horse sports at every competition.

Different sports but each arena gymnasts compete in is very different and not every competition is on what they call podium (you’re up on a balance beam then up again on a podium)…. Go on try it… all I want is for you to show some respect for another extremely dangerous sport and you act like jumping in the only dangerous one!

I’ve shown both and I can assure you competition in BOTH is dangerous and BOTH have stresses and issues that cannot be absolutely controlled at competition! Just because one has “equipment “ doesn’t mean nothing goes wrong …. Give me a break! Just like you can make a mistake on course gymnasts can make mistakes and both can have devastating consequences! Most of MY injuries were in gymnastics… mentally and physically 35 yrs later I still suffer

[MHM]

@eclipse

@MHM

You know if the jumps were set 5 cm too high, the horse people all would have noticed and raised the roof before anyone walked in the ring.

This was what I was reading …. And relating ….

I still don’t see the word “only” anywhere in my post.

Or in my previous post, which was on the topic of the lower level of competition at the Olympics in equestrian sports compared to other sports, out of consideration for some of the horses and riders involved.

Do they water down the equipment or the level of difficulty in gymnastics at the Olympics out of consideration for the lesser competitors? That was actually the topic of the discussion I was having with Rel6 regarding the horse sports.

Because it’s a horse BB.

[Nikki]

Oh I know who you are talking about. That Spruce Meadows round was dreadful.