This post is honestly as naive as it sounds. I know there’s controversy about her bit choice x country, and flash tightness, but she had an almost 10 point lead over some of the best horses and riders in America.
Is it the horses she has access to? Her methods ? Her trainer ?
The horses. It’s eventing dressage not dressage dressage. Also she is proficient in an arena. We see her deficiencies out in the open. One can be brilliant at dressage and totally loose it galloping in the open.
Practice?
Well that XC round took about 5 years off my life.
just watched Wellington, first time watching ML live and that was the worst ride of the day, for loss of balance, pulling…er no, not pullling jerking on her horses face over and over, ad nauseum, ugly piece of riding, ya congrats on your win ML
Any replay of the xc round?
I assume everyone riding at that level (and any level for that matter) puts a tremendous amount of work in, but it just seems like she can pull these amazing scores out when she randomly shows up and I was intrigued.
Eventing Nation has a short clip of a hairy moment.
It was really hard to watch after the previous rounds. Is she “back” just to try to snag an Olympic team spot?
Granted, I didn’t watch this ride (and have zero interest in doing so), but her previous dressage tests have been very… robotic? On the horse’s part.
I could speculate as to how one would get a horse to behave (or not) that way, but that’s all it would be.
If that kind of riding is winning, I’ll happily be a loser every day for the rest of my life.
“I’m so naive, I’m going to ask a question about a rider I know is super controversial and start a train wreck while I sit here with my Bambi eyes”. Please. No one here likes her and you know it.
This was the best dressage test I’ve seen her do. Her seat (for dressage) has really come a long way since she first started in eventing. The horse was really forward, in good balance, and nicely supple laterally & longitudinally. However, the improvements in dressage didn’t translate to XC today. They were not on the same page in XC, which is too bad as Marilyn’s XC riding has generally improved a lot in recent years.
That XC round was appalling.
Thanks, good lord that was tough to watch…
I don’t mean to steer the thread off-topic, but why did so many riders withdraw either before SJ or before XC? Is it because it’s early in the season and they were just using the first and/or second phases as practice? (I think someone said the dressage was a five-star test, so a good chance to prep for Kentucky). In any case, it was good to see Powell and Foxwood High again.
The ride was only 3 minutes and 23 seconds long.
And yet I’m all-over body-sore from cringing so many times.
And then there’s the (&$# commentators who chat along with the ride as if this is all normal and acceptable.
I said I knew she was controversial and not liking her has no effect over the fact that she’s winning obviously. I’d like to know how she wins, shouldn’t we all ?
also I’ve seen more people defending her than the opposite on Facebook so just because “no one here likes her” in your opinion doesn’t mean that’s reality.
And for the record my eyes are more like Rapunzel from Tangled.
It’s been an ongoing conversation in the sport as to why and how some event riders’ success in the dressage phase doesn’t translate into safe and effective cross-country riding, and if changing the scoring method (or anything else) can address the issue.
Really disappointed for Buck after he had such a great, scrappy ride, and he’s been through so much recently.
Here’s a link to the full livestream replay of the cross-country phase.
ML reminds me of Anky. Winning despite ugly riding.
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