McLain is not quite double Harry’s age, but pretty close to it.
Yeah it seems strange to me that he would have two horses within not a long time attempt the same thing. In the clip at WEF it almost looked like he asked for the distance. Of course, it’s really hard to tell because he’s an excellent rider so he may have just stayed with the horse really well. But he was getting into two point with the horse as it took off.
His fall was odd. You can tell he knew the distance was a little short since he really pulled back coming in. But the angle makes it hard to tell if the distance was set short or if the horse just jumped in deep and made a bad choice.
Somebody with decent search skills might be able to find a course for that class posted somewhere online that would have the footage of the combination.
I think I found McLain’s clip. It was the 3*** on January 19, 2025: https://www.youtube.com/live/9RfT3kKwPLo?si=StrNW16RKnMMUKVa
Go to minute 43:50 on the video.
And also, because I’m stubborn, here is the video from Spruce (only a clip, sorry)
Go to minute 9:55
McLain became a lawn dart. 🫣
Yowza. Those were both pretty darn unpleasant. Double ouch.
Thanks to everyone for digging up the clips.
Does anybody remember the fall with McLain Ward and Quimi del maset? I was just wondering if it was the same kind of fall.
Oh, that was awful. I hope he’s OK.
His horse is not together going in. He and other riders/horses have trouble with the color of the fence. Horse just trying to make it over vertical and depth perception was a problem between. Suggestion is to ride looking forward not skiing backwards and chop chopping over. Like other posters have said this horse is a tactful ride. But also a lot of rider/horses of all ranges were successful in negotiating this often used combo.
Another one went flopbot today, this time in an oxer to vertical two-stride. The rider looked fine and both walked out but that beautiful horse took a scary fall. There were 60 other horses in the class (1.50) and most had no problem.
It must be just bad luck but I honestly don’t remember so many horse falls back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was grooming. We had some trouble with the old-school solid water jumps and were frequently picking Margie out of some hedge or other but these dramatic somersaults were thankfully rare.
I was thinking yesterday during the qualifying class that it’s incredible that Margie is still at it at her age, and after the number of injuries she’s had. Huge props to her. Wow.
Horses see colors, depth, texture, and have a blind spot in front of them. Is this the same red, black, white Dodd fences you are seeing falls or blue and white?
My friend totaled through a blue and white oxer. Stayed on, no weeding through the bushes.
I’m impressed that she keeps on keepin’ on. She must have broken every bone in her body by now. As a short person myself, when I see her taking those enormous horses around a GP course, I can’t help but admire her guts and talent.
I’ve never been able to ride huge horses well. In my case at least, having short legs was quite the handicap. The balance required to make up for the lack of leg support was above my pay grade.
The woman commentator that quietly says “oh we’ve had a tumble, it will be a few to re-set” (that’s not verbatim). Whereas I was shrieking OMFG
That’s what I remember too
Ah thanks for the update. Sending good vibes to all. I replayed that fall and it looked for a split second rotational. Glad it was his back and not his neck!
That’s what I thought - two different horses yet the same situation leaving the line. Poor McLain