Dressage Freestyle, anyone watching?

[slc2]

There was no way Balagur was going to get a 80. He is not that horse. He has NEVER done like that. You can’t have a horse walk into the Olympics and say, ‘Ok, so now that he is here, he is going to get much better scores than he ever did in his life in this company’. It’s irrrational. He just is not that strong technically. You don’t want to see his ride in a realistic light - why, i don’t know. Because he’s white? Because he has a Cinderella story? Probably. But we have just heard too many times, how perfect he is. Open up your eyes. I love the horse too and how he came from police horse, but come on. Really. Isn’t it enough that he did really well? Do you HAVE to scream foul because he didn’t win?

I agree with Eclectic. It was a beautiful freestyle and it was the best on the day. The level of difficulty especially. And I really like the simpler choreography.

I think people just hate Anky so much they can’t look at her rides with an unbiased eye. They just take all their emotion and hatred about her warmup method, and absolutely refuse to see what’s actually going on. They have built it up in their mind to where they believe she killed Idool, she is causing horses horrible pain.

Look with your eyes instead of your emotions. You are seeing what you WANT to see, not what is there. Isabel, non rollkur so you think, vs Anky, rollkur, so you think, which horse leaped back and did not piaffe? Well? It is because it isn’t about whether it is rollkur or not, it is just horses. They do things like that sometimes.

I won’t train my horse with extreme methods, but I ALSO won’t make my eye see something that is not there and distort reality just for my emotions.

[Elegante_E]

Interesting, for all his nerves, Isabel’s horse doesn’t need a groomd right by his side to walk out!
added: that’s for the awards ceremony.

[Bugs-n-Frodo]

Honestly, it would be nice to have an Olumpics without Anky. This was a good ride, I was not impressed with her music (the artistic aspect was dry, IMO) but the ride was super. My problem is that they tend to scre her rides off the charts even when they are NOT as good as that one was. It tends to make me a little tiny bit bitter. I though Steffen’s ride was VERY strong and the coreography was good. I would have scored it:

1. Anky
2. Steffen
   3 Isabel

Just one year though, it would be nice to give other riders a chance since, going into it, we all know Anky will take the Gold.

[Mike_Matson]

I’m looking forward to the 75 one-handed tempi changes by Anky on Salinero during the victory lap, just like Dr. Klimke did in the 1984 Olympics.

[Bugs-n-Frodo]

[QUOTE=Mike Matson;3455950]
I’m looking forward to the 75 one-handed tempi changes by Anky on Salinero during the victory lap, just like Dr. Klimke did in the 1984 Olympics. ;)[/QUOTE]

:lol: As long as she does not have to halt! :lol:

[Roan]

[QUOTE=Bats79;3455907]
Well it was choreographed to a t. Didn’t miss a beat and neither did the horse.

Was it worth 82+%? Sure - but only if Steffan P’s was worth 81% and Balagur’s was worth 80% in my opinion.

But the problem is with the scoring of the Special not the scoring of the Kur. Artistically she’s the best. Technically - not by a long shot.[/QUOTE]
Well said.

Eileen

[tx3dayeventer]

Is it normal for Anky’s horse to immediately have 4 bell boots put on after his test? Is he that hard to handle/excitable?

I am an eventer, so therefore I am curious.

I am in love with Ravel, wow he is fancy!!! And I LOVE his floppy ears!

[Elegante_E]

[QUOTE=tx3dayeventer;3455972]
Is it normal for Anky’s horse to immediately have 4 bell boots put on after his test? Is he that hard to handle/excitable?QUOTE]

It’s normal for Anky to face a near death experience during her “victory lap”. Wonder if they weight the bell boots to keep his feet on the ground.

[slc2]

I’m not, Mike. I think that’s a pretty sh**** thing to do to a horse after he has already worked hard enough that day. Klimke the great yadda yadda yadda but I think it stinks to play to the crowd like that after a horse has done his best work that day.

Elegante, you just have to find something to hate. Interesting. An american rider can do anything and they are ‘caring’ and ‘good’. A foreigner sneezes and they’re bad.

It is common now to use shoes that protect heels from bruises, but then bell boots should be on as much of the time as possible. Many people now use such shoes as a preventative. They work. I wish I had started doing it about 20 years earlier.

[SGray]

the “victory gallop” has changed to the “victory jog-trot”

[evenstar]

Ravel wins Silver in my personal Olympics

I award two sets of medals: one pair for Anky and Isabel to duke it out, and a set for the rest of the competitors, who seem to score on a slightly different scale.

Heike and Bonaparte left the door open just a bit for Steffan but not enough for him to overcome the GPS scoring. I would have loved to see him move up, but I’m also quite thrilled for Heike - she was so excited and happy with her medal in the awards ceremony.

I also noticed that Bonaparte is such a good egg that she rode her victory lap with her roses in one hand. I actually thought for awhile that Salinero would be led the whole way around the ring, fueling speculation (in my mind at least) that Anky could be pregnant again (:)), but he did go around quite nicely - no mad dashes or silliness.

Also, while it apparently is still not clear how Anky dismounts when Salinero never halts, we did get to witness that she can mount perfectly well while he is piaffing! (said with tongue firmly in cheek :D)

[tx3dayeventer]

[QUOTE=slc2;3455992]
You just have to find something to hate. Interesting. An american rider can do anything and they are ‘caring’ and ‘good’. A foreigner sneezes and they’re bad.

It is common now to use shoes that protect heels from bruises, but then bell boots should be on as much of the time as possible. Many people now use such shoes as a preventative. They work.[/QUOTE]

I hope that was not directed at me?!?! I thought her ride was great! I only wish I could ride like her! And he is obviously well cared for, look at that shine! I admire anyone that can ride dressage as well as the people that are in Hong Kong right now.

I have never seen her ride him and I was wondering. He looked quite excitable (ok he looked ready to explode) and I was curious if this was normal behavior for him b/c they certainly seemed prepared. Oh and the groom having to lead Anky around the first 1/2 lap in the “lap of honor” might have clued me in as well.

Ok I know that was not directed at me now. Thank you to those who explained he is usually a bit silly.

[Eclectic_Horseman]

@SGray;3456007

the “victory gallop” has changed to the “victory jog-trot”

Better than the “Victory Death Wish!” :lol:

[dressagetraks]

Ah well.

I really didn’t expect bronze for Steffen, but what an Olympics he’s had with that young horse. Look out, 2010 and 2012. Courtney, too.

Isabell gets the Nerves of Steel award and is the one whose riding has inspired me most.

But Anky deserved the win today.

Planning to see them live in 2010!!! Go USA!!!

[Mike_Matson]

slc,

Go back and read Klimke’s book about Ahlerich and how he properly prepared Ahlerich for the heat at the Olympics in 1984 at Los Angeles. That’s why Ahlerich still looks fresh on that lap of honor. And those tempi changes were not showmanship on his part - that was horsemanship and a demonstration of a true partnership between horse and rider.

[cottagefarm]

Is there a link anywhere that you can see the bloodlines, ages etc of the top 12 or so horses?

[vineyridge]

The Beijing Olympics site has the horse biographies in its competitor listings.

[petitefilly]

My heart is with Ravel and Steffen, what a pair. Anky can kiss my ___! :):):):):)

<like she cares!>

I also scored:

1. Anky
2. Steffen
3. O’Isabell of no piaffe in her horse. (He hates it! I bet he has an issue there.)

God Bless Ravel, he is a creature of supreme talent.

[mxkextended]

It was nice to hear Heike praising Steffans ride to her friends right after Steffans ride, something like, you couldn’t ask for anything better.

The bronze medal was definitely decided in the GPSpecial, but the scoring of the german judge looks rather suspect to me. Placing him about 8th in the Freestyle? compared to most of the judges who placed him third or even second?

[slc2]

He would be in good company if it’s a piaffe issue. Like for example, Gifted. He got to a point where he wouldn’t piaffe in the ring either. They do eventually figure out that mommy doesn’t have a whip, and that they don’t have to piaffe if they don’t feel like it.