I’d be more concerned w knees.
Right? It looks like somebody driving their grandma to church on Sunday.
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I was thinking the same thing. I’d rather see the horses do a victory gallop myself. But I’m not sponsoring the event.
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Where is the groom’s award? The US national championship? The victory gallop?
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Oh, apparently I was too impatient, LOL.
Yes my comments about social media warriors are directed to the Facebook platform. COTH members are overwhelmingly rational, reasonable horse people who can understand complicated situations. We can admit that something is wrong, yet still understand the factors behind what happened. (The Kaizen person on Facebook has been plastered everywhere lately, with excessive righteous indignation).
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I’ll echo this. I think there’s definitely some knee jerk witch hunt response happening, but not from this crowd so much. I’m more puzzled that Happy Boy was held on course for possible blood, but no one (rider, vets, other members of the ground jury) thought that Phantom warranted a closer look after a crash like that and at least one other close call later in the course?
Edited to correct horse held on course.
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Maybe the commentators just turned over the PA duties to the ring announcer at that point.
Unless something has changed in the past few years, there is not a vet at every fence. And they do not have the authority to stop a horse - all they can do is make recommendations to the GJ, and it’s up to them to make the call. I have absolutely seen situations where the vets are concerned about a tired horse but the GJ allowed them to continue.
I can guarantee you that everyone (vets and officials) was keeping a very close eye on him after that happened. Not that it really helps with the optics.
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Just jumping in here, and I apologize if I am wrong, but Tim and Falco were not held on course. Happy Boy was held for possible blood. As far as I know, he was not injured. He was allowed to continue. Tim’s first horse, Jarillo, jumped around XC cleanly but was withdrawn today after having had an overreach. Hope I am correct on all this.
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You are correct. Thank you for pointing it out - I got mixed up.
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How do they determine highest placed youngest rider? The youngest in the top 10?
So who won? Chipmunk and rider? I was hoping Boyd would go 1, 2, 3 
. Just kidding, there were a few other horses and riders I’d like to see hit the podium too.
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That one seems fairly obvious?
Youngest rider that completes, I would think?
It was an honest question. Is it top 10? Is it top 20? Is it youngest rider who completed successfully?
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Eee. More glassware! Lol.
I’m just glad I wasn’t wrong about Happy Boy! I’m a big fan of Tim and Jonelle, so I follow along with their social media, which is the only way I knew that stuff. Jacky Green, who writes their news blogs, pointed out that Happy Boy is almost black, and it would have to have been a fairly catastrophic injury to see blood on him… She has a wicked sense of humor, though! 
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Boyd went 1/2/3 for top American finishers with his three horses.
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I’ll go search online for winner and placings.
Look at Chipmunk standing like a statue for the awards ceremony and his national anthem. What a good horse!
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