The owner certainly should have pulled him, but I believe the rider should have been able to recognize a problem and be able to place the horse’s welfare above her own. I realize that would be very hard for anyone to do under the circumstances, however I hold good sportsmanship (and horsemanship) much higher than ANY competition.
1 Like
Honestly, I feel like most of the riders have only a vague idea of how to find a distance or create the right canter. The rounds reminded me of ones I’ve seen at schooling shows where people just run around on the forehand and point at the jumps. Which is mostly fine at low heights when you are just learning, but you would think these guys would all be more skilled at this level.
It also made me think of those videos where the western rider swaps horses with a show jumper. If the western rider is capable enough, they can at least steer the horse around and stay on (and all the commenters cheer about how western riders can ride anything), but the more educated eye can tell that while they stay out of the horse’s way, that’s about all they are doing, they are mostly just a passenger.
9 Likes
I wonder if it would help if they gave them more time. That way the speed factor is gone so they can just focus on jumping clean and they can take the time to get organized. I feel like part of the problem was once the horse refused the riders just got sloppy because they were just trying to complete the course within the time limit.
4 Likes
While the punch itself was not harmful per se, it was unnecessary and reflective of her attitude, abusive because it was rooted in frustration and unnecessary, and of course part of the pattern of her giving such awful advice to the rider to hit the horse harder when anyone with a lick of sense could see that what he needed was to be calmed. Listening to the coach in German was actually making me angrier than watching the rider.
17 Likes
These reporters are not riders, and they are talking about the mess at the in gate, not the actual warm up. Thus the confusion about the coach punching the horse during “warm up.” The horse was napping, getting light in front, and not truly bucking, either–but reporters see misbehaviour and say “bucking” because that’s the only word they know.
Also, she didn’t actually scream, but was audibly sobbing. The passage makes it sound like she was screaming at the horse; she wasn’t. The coach, however . . . .
2 Likes
THIS. While she wasn’t the most educated rider, I have defended her on the fact that she wasn’t actually hauling on his mouth (I know the photos look ugly, but she really wasn’t) and wasn’t “wailing” on him. But I am very critical of her lack of control, which also led to what physical harm she caused (grinding with her seat, more frequent use of the crop) and to the fact that once things went even slightly wrong after the horse had conceded and decided to try for her, she melted down and he was over it again. Her voiced displeasure and blaming the horse afterwards (rather than blaming the Russian ride’s and her own riding inexperience and poor riding) was also problematic and why I say she was at fault.
7 Likes
I am absolutely horrified. That poor horse. No other words. Those riders and coaches should be ashamed.
12 Likes
Genuine or just CYA? Probably a mix of both.
Here’s the statement from the pentathalon’s governing body: https://www.uipmworld.org/news/uipm-official-statement-horse-welfare-and-athlete-safety-modern-pentathlon?fbclid=IwAR11WBAKPdEB2235hlXTOYNiUob778JGbHDoaN32C0cVfBLYPsBCqBtuzuM
While the number of refusals and falls on August 6 was slightly above average, the Olympic Games is designed as the most challenging of all competitions. The experience of Annika Schleu (GER) and Gulnaz Gubaydullina (ROC) on Saint Boy was unusual in high-level Modern Pentathlon, especially for riders of their proven ability.
That said, UIPM has a duty of care to all participants in the competitions it oversees; this includes the Olympic Games and it includes horses.
Not only will UIPM conduct a full review of the Riding discipline of the Women’s Modern Pentathlon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, it will also reinforce the importance of horse welfare and athlete safety across the entire global competition structure. UIPM regrets the trauma suffered by Saint Boy in this high-profile incident and has penalised the coach who violated the UIPM Competition Rules by striking the horse from outside the ring.
Although no athlete or horse was physically injured on August 6, the best possible safeguards must be in place to minimise risk in future. [SummerRose note: I guess they don’t consider bruises/a sore mouth/possible crop welts injuries? I guess they’re only considering damage to be an injury if it requires vet/medical treatment.]
Changes in Riding were already in the pipeline due to the new Modern Pentathlon format coming into force in 2022 for the Paris 2024 Olympic cycle. Horse welfare and athlete safety will be at the centre of this process and the UIPM 2021 Congress in November will provide an opportunity for UIPM’s national member federations to participate in a collective effort to secure the future of Riding in Modern Pentathlon.
7 Likes
Yup.
A coach encouraging the horse from outside the ring?
Unacceptable.
I’d be embarrassed if my trainer had to do that.
3 Likes
So, can we as equestrians do anything to influence this? Is there a way to make the horse portion be regulated by FEI?
I also think limiting each horse to one round only would be a simple rule change that could make a big difference.
14 Likes
This is supposed to be a test of a cavalry officer able to shoot, fence, run, swim a river, and pull any horse out of a picket line and ride it. Most cavalry officers in the early 1900s rode every day and the horses were ridden every day. That’s not the case anymore.
5 Likes
Ramblings from someone who has nothing to do with this sport - The number of horses available that can safely jump this height, while still having a sense of humor needed to deal with a rider with a limited tool box and skill set is very limited. That number gets even smaller when you add in that someone has to make their horse available for this.
So, one of the reasons this phase struggles is because the chances of having horses who are appropriate for all riders is slim to none.
(And then add, you own a perfectly fine horse, who is great but does not have quiet enough sense of humor for this type of rider, who then gets bashed all over the world because the riders make your horse look difficult and then they go about blaming it all on your horse. )
I think if they want to continue with horses they need to either lower the fences (which makes the pool of available loaner horses much larger) or have the riders bring their own mounts, their own mounts are put in the draw pool (or they ride their own horse).
22 Likes
Maybe we all get in crazy good shape in the next four years and get ourselves onto the team in 2024 so the spots don’t go to bargain triathletes.
12 Likes
Agreed on lowering the fences… IMO it should be like a foot lower. I also think the time limit should increase. Give them 5 minutes to complete the course for all I care or make the course 4 jumps long… and make it like a beginner hunter course.
I don’t agree that the riders should have to have their own horses. A similar setup is done in IEA and IHSA and those work great and this shit wouldn’t fly in either of those so it’s not the concept that’s the issue. IHSA and IEA are both great programs for underprivileged kids to get show experience because you don’t have to lease or own.
So yea it COULD work if they wanted it to.
13 Likes
Will preface by saying that I didn’t watch the pentathalon, didn’t think I could stomach the riding. When I was a young teen, I rode with an excellent instructor who was asked to coach a pentathalon athlete (from what I remember, he was either a team member, or attempting to make the team).
I saw could be described as one of those “riders who were sheer muscle and force and guts,” as mentioned by @Thames_Pirate, on a freight train horse who would keep going no matter what, including right through the fences. Major bit with a martingale, hauling on the horse and driving it simultaneously.
It was pretty obvious, even to me at that age, that merely staying atop the horse and muscling around the course was all that mattered. Really made a negative impression - I’d never seen anything like that before, and hesitate to even call it riding. I can still picture it in my mind’s eye.
He had zero empathy or finesse, the total opposite of how we were being taught. I give the guy credit for realizing he needed help from our instructor – although how much difference could a couple of lessons make – and he didn’t seem like an cruel or evil person, but I never want to watch something like that again.
The idea of pentathalon sounded cool, but the reality not so much.
14 Likes
Perhaps not own/develop their own horse. Maybe it should be up to the athlete to procure a mount. Listen … they get all their other gear… I’m sure their guns and swords and other equipment is expensive and top of the line. Familiar and something they practice with and know. Why make the only living breathing facet of this competition an unknown ? And used multiple times. Also. You can ride like crap to a 3 foot fence too.
4 Likes
Because that’s part of the sport. You have to do the best you can with the horse you are given. There’s nothing inherently bad about drawing a horse you don’t know because it works in IHSA/ IEA and it’s a really great experience for the riders. Even the horses get miles and they learn to have a sense of humor. But the jumps are tiny nobody gets and the rounds aren’t this terrifying.
5 Likes
Yes I’m very familiar with IHSA. But obviously you are talking about a sport solely focused on riding skills. This OLYMPIC sport not so much.
1 Like
What a train wreck, I’m really surprised there weren’t more injuries. The equestrian component needs an overhaul, ideally removed completely, or at a minimum changed to remove the risk to both equine and human. Really hoping the organizing body will listen and act on the criticism while they review the Equestrian phase.
What I don’t really understand why falls refusals and demolished fences don’t count as elimination? If this truly is the peak of the sport shouldn’t riders be competent enough to stay on and not plow through fences?
I’m more amazed at the amount of saintly horses they could find that can perform at that level. Really this sport is not fair to them, the consistently missed distances and tight spots made my heart hurt let alone all the spurring, whipping, and jabs to the mouth. Not fair at all, these horses are at the butt of this sport 
ETA: IMO it’s really through sheer dumb luck that none of these horses produced a bolt (flight) response. The German rider should be thanking Saint Boy that all he did was plant his feet. Because the alternative could have been an emotional state where he would plow through objects and people, and then what? Ground crew would get hurt, the horse could get seriously injured and objects destroyed…
24 Likes
I guess I just don’t agree that you need to solely focus on riding to be good at the sport. I actually really love that our sport gets exposure and non traditional riders get to experience it. It just needs an overhaul to be a hell of a lot safer.
1 Like
