thx
I figured. It is ok. I need to be packing so we can get to WEG on Monday. 
[QUOTE=ZiggyStardust;5130028]
It’s back live now. Holy crap, there is almost no one in the stands.[/QUOTE]William Micklem’s take on it: http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/appeal-or-lack-thereof-eventing-dressage
I’ve actually always enjoyed the dressage portion. Somehow getting those XC machines to behave and perform nicely always sets me on edge. And it’s nice to see the technical correctness on horses that are built for three events instead of just specializing in dressage (give me a TB over a bulky flashy WB any day).
I had the pleasure of watching the Rolex (on the Internet lol) with my instructor and she was recounting tales of how eventing dressage used to be and how it was basically waiting for the next disaster to happen (and how sometimes it came down to the horse that just completed the test).
I don’t know if she was exaggerating as I’m very new to the sport, but I still like watching eventing dressage. I love the athleticism of these horses 
But, unfortunately, I can’t help but think of WNBA when it comes to eventing dressage. Technical, beautiful, athletic, but no where near the excitement and wow-factor of dressage (NBA) or even jumping/XC.
I remember the first Rolex I attended (Long ago :winkgrin:)
I watched Nina Fout and Three Magic Beans do their dressage test. Beans looked ready to explode! Talk about tension.
I happened to look across to the empty field a little later, and there was Nina galloping Mr. Full of Beans around and around!
The next day here he comes to the first fence , so excited he was switching leads like tempi changes,. Looked like he was skipping to the first jump “YEEE-HAW!”
Loved that horse, what heart!
Anymore, I much prefer to watch eventing dressage as opposed to so-called “real” dressage. The latter is honestly just circus pony tricks to me at this point. The former takes REAL riding and REAL training.
[QUOTE=War Admiral;5131544]
Anymore, I much prefer to watch eventing dressage as opposed to so-called “real” dressage. The latter is honestly just circus pony tricks to me at this point. The former takes REAL riding and REAL training.[/QUOTE]:eek: In what way.
I’m thinking that the eventers would be pretty pissed off if you were to tell them they weren’t doing “real” dressage!
[QUOTE=Thomas_1;5131563]
:eek: In what way.
I’m thinking that the eventers would be pretty pissed off if you were to tell them they weren’t doing “real” dressage![/QUOTE]
Read for comprehension. You’ve got me backwards. I’m opining the eventers ARE the ones doing “real” dressage!
At one time I would have disagreed with you War Admiral but not anymore. This rolkur business sickens me, especially when so many of the supposedly “best” riders in the world now ride that way. 
Beautiful, beautiful Comet. Becky’s tears made me cry.
Becky & Comet
Surely someone videotaped the ride and will put it on YouTube … oh I hope so.
LOVE this pair!
SCM1959
What happened with the last rider? Why did the judges stop judging? I missed the explanation. (The rider on the gray German horse, just before Harold Ambross, if I just heard that name correctly.)
COTH Live is reporting blood in mouth. FEI TV says E.
[QUOTE=War Admiral;5131544]
Anymore, I much prefer to watch eventing dressage as opposed to so-called “real” dressage. The latter is honestly just circus pony tricks to me at this point. The former takes REAL riding and REAL training.[/QUOTE]
A friend and I are both following the live coverage and were just discussing this same thing. The eventers we saw were, for the most part, moving correctly and using their backs, had beautiful halts and much better reinbacks than most of the “real” dressage horses. They just presented a more harmonious picture overall.
[QUOTE=War Admiral;5131572]
Read for comprehension. You’ve got me backwards. I’m opining the eventers ARE the ones doing “real” dressage![/QUOTE] I’ll put it another way then… or rather I’ll repeat … In what way do you think that “real” dressage is doing circus pony tricks? Perhaps you could go on to compare what you see as a circus pony trick to what you’re seeing in the eventing dressage phase.
[QUOTE=Thomas_1;5132284]
I’ll put it another way then… or rather I’ll repeat … In what way do you think that “real” dressage is doing circus pony tricks? Perhaps you could go on to compare what you see as a circus pony trick to what you’re seeing in the eventing dressage phase.[/QUOTE]
Well, okayyyyy, let’s see:
Horses that are lateral at one or more gaits (and I DON’T mean during lateral work) getting medals.
Horses that can’t track up behind getting medals.
Horses that are overbent and stressed.
Horses with the most unbelievably long feet - and I even saw one with long toes and steel Natural Balances on, on replay - which, if you think about it, amounts to almost the same package as on performance Saddlebreds - long toes, weighted shoes, hello? This is DRESSAGE??
It’s a freak show for the breeders, that’s all it is. :no: I hope everybody enjoys it, b/c I’m done. :no:
Which ones in particular were you seeing all that in?
Why do you think that’s akin to circus pony tricks?
[QUOTE=BAC;5131596]
At one time I would have disagreed with you War Admiral but not anymore. This rolkur business sickens me, especially when so many of the supposedly “best” riders in the world now ride that way. :([/QUOTE]
You know, it’s nice to see I am not alone in my opinion that eventing dressage is much closer to classical dressage than what is now considered the standard for upper-level/GP dressage.
If the COTH dressage folks ever see this, I’m a marked woman, but “their” version of dressage seems closer to something you see in circuses. A matter of taste, I guess, but old video of Klimke still makes me gasp. I don’t have that reaction to anything in the GP ring today.
At Rolex we got to see the eventing dressage back up to the test CDI dressage competition. The biggest difference I saw was how much more longitudinally flexible the event horses are. With the dressage horses there doesn’t seem to be much of a change in their top lines regardless if they are in collected, medium or extended gaits.
It makes sense that a horse that has to gallop with a long top line then collect and change shape for jumping should do this well. It concerns me that eventers might be influenced by “real” dressage to lose this quality. It becomes a safety issue.
[QUOTE=subk;5133912]
At Rolex we got to see the eventing dressage back up to the test CDI dressage competition. The biggest difference I saw was how much more longitudinally flexible the event horses are. With the dressage horses there doesn’t seem to be much of a change in their top lines regardless if they are in collected, medium or extended gaits.
It makes sense that a horse that has to gallop with a long top line then collect and change shape for jumping should do this well. It concerns me that eventers might be influenced by “real” dressage to lose this quality. It becomes a safety issue.[/QUOTE]
Totally agree with this. Many of the eventers actually extended to cover more ground equally with all 4 legs than most of the GP/freestyle tests I watched. Some of the GP horses seem to have compromised gaits, particularly the walk and trot, possibly as a trade-off for the collection schooling in the passage/piaffe. That was my speculation, anyway.
There were definitely event horses that did not step under well during medium/extended trot, for whatever reason, but this is not something I expect to see in a GP level horse (in my “intermediate” dressage level viewpoint).
