Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials 2022

[AskMyAccountant.17]

Did anyone catch, I believe it was the commentary by Pippa, but someone correct me if I’m wrong, this was a post-ride interview in the vet box. Her impression of the course design and use of frangible technology. She was very careful not to say that frangibles were bad, if anything a great safety measure. However, she felt that course designers were taking the liberty to make every frangible fence/table maximum because it was frangible. She inferred that some of her prior Burghley horses, may not have had the scope to complete the same courses today. My impression was that perhaps a course designer PRE-frangible technology may have made an open oxer less than maximum towards the end of the course, whereas now that same fence, once made frangible, was set to the highest standards.

I can see this. Perhaps, the answer would have been (as a rider) hey, lets not get too heavy on these max jumps even though we have safety technology. For example, would Kitty have had the frangible if the jump had been set lower? The counter-argument would be at the top of the sport, it should all be maxed.

My impression, obviously frangible technology is incredible, it allowed us to have a very difficult course that the very top horses accomplished safely. However on a spectrum from 0 too easy, 5 perfect, 10 excess asked. Maybe this course’s arrow was tapping on a 7/8. I would hope each course designer takes the opinions and results and improves upon the next course.

[OverandOnward]

@AskMyAccountant.17

However, she felt that course designers were taking the liberty to make every frangible fence/table maximum because it was frangible. She inferred that some of her prior Burghley horses, may not have had the scope to complete the same courses today. My impression was that perhaps a course designer PRE-frangible technology may have made an open oxer less than maximum towards the end of the course, whereas now that same fence, once made frangible, was set to the highest standards.

If so this is against all of the principals of UL course design. Or at least it should be.

The test is not to max out the horses so a few don’t make it over the spread. With the logic that it’s ok because the frangibles will let them down gently (sort of).

I doubt this was what Pippa was suggesting. It would be good to hear her clarify her remarks.

[punchy]

@OverandOnward

@AskMyAccountant.17

However, she felt that course designers were taking the liberty to make every frangible fence/table maximum because it was frangible. She inferred that some of her prior Burghley horses, may not have had the scope to complete the same courses today. My impression was that perhaps a course designer PRE-frangible technology may have made an open oxer less than maximum towards the end of the course, whereas now that same fence, once made frangible, was set to the highest standards.

I doubt this was what Pippa was suggesting. It would be good to hear her clarify her remarks.

Seemed to me that’s exactly what Pippa was suggesting. With good reason, too, I would say.

[OverandOnward]

@punchy

Seemed to me that’s exactly what Pippa was suggesting. With good reason, too, I would say.

You edited my remarks to leave them as seemingly about what the previous poster was saying, rather than what I was saying.

If you want to make a point about course design, do that. Without mis-characterizing someone else’s point through editing.

Here are my full remarks with my last comment referring to what I said, not what someone else said.

@OverandOnward

If so this is against all of the principals of UL course design. Or at least it should be.

The test is not to max out the horses so a few don’t make it over the spread. With the logic that it’s ok because the frangibles will let them down gently (sort of).

I doubt this was what Pippa was suggesting. It would be good to hear her clarify her remarks.

[punchy]

Sorry, I was just trying to avoid a long repost, not edit you. But I don’t see how your full comments change anything.

[AskMyAccountant.17]

I’ve watched the entire event from start to finish that I bought, I’ll see if I can get a full screen recording, or at least transcrive the exact verbiage.

I got it,will upload shortly

[AskMyAccountant.17]

Uploading screen recording on Youtube now, but I took the exact transcription. If you have the Burghly subscription on the 6-hour video it is hour 1:16.

Tim Price walks up, congratulates, they both make comment on how big it was,

Interviewer: “… did the course catch you off guard?”

Pippa:“Well I think it has to be honest with you, I get nervous because its absolutely , this is my opinion, I do think with the safety pins, it makes them build absolutely as wide and maximum as they can and I think Tim and I are from the old school where we had no safety pins on the fences so we ride them to clear them and you know I’m sure if the pins were not there im not sure they would have built them quite so wide and so many of them”

Interviewer: “that’s interesting”…”you think subconsciously it plays on the course designer”

Pippa (tilts head/nods and looks at interviewer): “eh, put it this way when I was young , a lot younger and I came with the like of Sir Barnaby and those horses… I think they would have struggled to jump round, the courses are, I know they are taking every precaution to be safe which is absolutely brilliant but these are big jumps, big courses to jump round now, and you have to work had…” then begins talking about her particular horse.

[Jealoushe]

I watched her interview, it sounds to me like she thinks course designers are making the fences bigger where normally they wouldn’t be quite so big based on location or time on the course etc.

I thought this when Badminton ran. I think if some of those fences were an inch or two smaller a couple of the horses wouldn’t have fallen.

Pippa is extremely knowledgeable and experienced so I hope they take her words into consideration.

[vagabondrider]

Not that this matters, but when I heard Pippa’s interview I thought she said “Sir Barnaby and Bits & Pieces.” She had a pinto horse called Bits & Pieces that she competed at the top level early in her career. Like Sir Barnaby, I believe he was less scopey than her later horses.