I don’t think that is a true video of Erynn Ballard. There are two horses, one bay and one gray, with that name. I did a search on CMH TV and could only find Ballard riding the gray. Also, the video appears jerky and odd looking. I think it is a fake.
This. Trainers have a hard enough time establishing boundaries as is 
so let’s be careful suggesting that those dedicating a no-clients day to preserve their own sanity is even remotely aligned with unsavory practices. Does it occur? Surely. Is the practice otherwise a benign industry standard? 100%.
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Interesting…this is the first time I’ve heard/seen it might be fake. I do know sometimes the screen doesn’t catch up to the current horse/rider, and sometimes the country flag is incorrect, but I’ve never seen a horse/rider combo incorrectly stated (not to say it can’t happen).
Also, if I were Erynn and this was a fake video, I’d be addressing that. She surely has to know this is circulating as her, whether it is or not.
Not arguing with you at all, just talking through the possibilities. Of course I don’t want to imagine anyone doing this to a horse…
I have no insider knowledge but I was puzzled and started searching for that ride on CMHTV, WEC and WEF and could find only Erynn riding a gray horse and another person riding the bay. So who knows.
It is not a fake video. Horsetelex and USEF confirm its a bay with results with Erynn Ballard.
@kenyarider there is no other horse registered with that name in USEF. So probably an error from CMH or a mixed up number if you’re seeing a grey going with Ballard with that name. The bay mostly goes with its owner, which is why you’re seeing videos of it with another rider.
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A rider/owner can have videos removed from any of those video services.
That is not a fake video and more than one FEI showjumping groom I am close with have nothing nice to say about Erynn or her horsemanship.
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I’m sorry to hear that. Are any of the top riders actually good horsepeople? Nice people? I’m beginning to wonder.
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A LOT of videos disappear on clipmyhorse! I have learned to screen recorded a few that i want to rewatch or share with a friend because they will be gone the next day when I look for it.
I’m not a fan of riding behind the motion like you’re water skiing fighting a horse’s mouth the whole time. Some people are throwing upper bodies over the fence heels up but fall on the back coming down landing on their stirrups and lost contact with mouth. All the flex and hinges that help a horse are lost. So there is a lot of recovery from landing especially if the rider is riding in a full/upright position through the combo.
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If anyone is interested the new Noel Floyd podcast has an interview with him about it. It’s how I knew to go searching for this thread here 
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I watched it. Does anyone know what was the distance between the fences?
I watched a few riders’ rounds before and after Harry’s fall. Vanessa Hood rode the combination perfectly as did Lillie Keenan. It wasn’t an issue for many horses and riders.
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Ok, watched again. The horse likes to jump from the left lead and will switch to do so. The horse did this and a pat stride to get over vertical. Looks like C got in too deep on the landing. Horse tried to make it out but back rail made it impossible. C needs to own the mistake and get the left lead issue worked out. Not blame the course designer and demand rule change.
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Harry Charles did his first 5* at Aachen at the age of 18, he has competed in 2 Olympics, winning team gold in Paris 2024, and currently 32nd in the FEI ranking list. He is 25 years old.
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He is very accomplished.
Lillie Keenan is as well. She is ranked 27th in the FEI ranking list and started jumping the 5* at a fairly young age too. She does have many years more experience and perhaps that factored in to her having no issue at the combination where Harry fell.
Everyone knows that every horse and every top rider will make mistakes. I don’t see Harry’s issue with the two stride combination though, when for so many people it rode just fine.
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@skydy - an indirect comment on ‘needs to work on sorting out his leads’. I probably should have just let it go… But I was feeling old and grouchy.
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Ah, understood.
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The horse is swapping to its left lead at every jump if it is approaching on its right lead. Maybe he’s working on that, but it did contribute to a fall.
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I went back and watched for that, very interesting. I wonder if it’s a training or a pain issue.
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I listened to Harry Charles on “Dear Horse World: It’s Harry Charles” piece on the oxer-vertical 2 stride. Two Olympic Gold Medalists McLain Ward and Peter Charles came out and said that the horse should never be confused and that the combination was too short and that it was poorly built. Both Charles’ and Ward are gold medalist. It’s on Spotify if you want to listen. In contrast Steve Guerdat came out asking “are we going to ban shadows now”. Frank Rothenberg (course designer for 2026 world championships) is opposed to that combination and won’t use it. Harry’s suggestion is that it either be banned or only put in 5* classes. I have never liked them and I have never jumped 1.45 because they just felt unsafe. It’s nice to see the up and comers like Harry Charles and Karl Cook being outspoken.
