The French modern pentathlon team, not content to merely swimshootfenceriderun, wrote and recorded a pop song about their event.
How’s that for Olympic spirit?
[URL=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCTxOL9jYxc”]
“T’as les jambes et t’as la tête” (They made a video too.)
[QUOTE=tx3dayeventer;3412696]
Did this happen to be outside of San Antonio at a barn out by the Rose Palace?[/QUOTE]
It might have been 
I worked for a surly old guy and rode all of his sale horses until they were either deemed safe for the working students or talented enough for the head trainer 
It had it’s moments but for the most part was a great learning experience :winkgrin:
My very first riding instructor did modern pentathalon! She was a very good rider who competed sidesaddle regularly. She never made it to the Olympics though. I remember running with her and thinking “is this how fast she goes when she races because if I can keep up with her that’s way too slow.” That may have hurt her chances somewhat. ETA Trust me I’m definitely not fast. AT ALL.
The pentathlon course is a grand prix style course, set at 4 ft.spreads to 6ft,iirc. usually includes a couple cross country style elements and can be like 30 fences. the riders draw a horse get 5 min hack and literally a couple warm up jumps… typically Not set at 4’. they then go in and have to do the course…
Coaches observe all the horses go at a schooling show before hand and can take all the notes they want about how the horses go so the rider has a small idea ahead of time about which jumps their horse had trouble at. Horses that consistantly stop or are dangerous are eliminated before the draw.
But basically it’s jump a tough 4’ course on a horse you don’t know… which many people showing on the H/J circuit never have to do… and naturally 3 stops U are out… fall is out… of the entire event… riding used to be first event and so eliminated many competitors… not sure if it still is but compared to 20 years ago ALL of the riders are significally better…
the rider gets points based on his course time , the points from all events get totaled and then there is a long run (on foot,lol) at the end with the runners staggered by their point totals… first one across the finish line is the overall winner of the event. and yes this part can really turn in to a horse race ! (pun intended)
Both recent Olympics in the States offered a completely different set of horses for athletes to hack before the games just to get practice time in… so figure over 100 horses just to offer this event
BTW not so easy to come up with 60+ horses that pretty much can pack for this event… kudos to all the trainers and riders that pre-school and get the horses ready
IMA: I am guessing you rode with Col Russell ? he was a pentathlete himself as was Gen Patton… back in the day
and yes his barn is still near Rose Palace altho I believe the Pent training biz has moved to Colorado Springs.
[QUOTE=Lostboy;3418563]
The pentathlon course is a grand prix style course, set at 4 ft.spreads to 6ft,iirc. usually includes a couple cross country style elements and can be like 30 fences. the riders draw a horse get 5 min hack and literally a couple warm up jumps… typically Not set at 4’. they then go in and have to do the course…
Coaches observe all the horses go at a schooling show before hand and can take all the notes they want about how the horses go so the rider has a small idea ahead of time about which jumps their horse had trouble at. Horses that consistantly stop or are dangerous are eliminated before the draw.
But basically it’s jump a tough 4’ course on a horse you don’t know… which many people showing on the H/J circuit never have to do… and naturally 3 stops U are out… fall is out… of the entire event… riding used to be first event and so eliminated many competitors… not sure if it still is but compared to 20 years ago ALL of the riders are significally better…
the rider gets points based on his course time , the points from all events get totaled and then there is a long run (on foot,lol) at the end with the runners staggered by their point totals… first one across the finish line is the overall winner of the event. and yes this part can really turn in to a horse race ! (pun intended)
Both recent Olympics in the States offered a completely different set of horses for athletes to hack before the games just to get practice time in… so figure over 100 horses just to offer this event
BTW not so easy to come up with 60+ horses that pretty much can pack for this event… kudos to all the trainers and riders that pre-school and get the horses ready
IMA: I am guessing you rode with Col Russell ? he was a pentathlete himself as was Gen Patton… back in the day
and yes his barn is still near Rose Palace altho I believe the Pent training biz has moved to Colorado Springs.[/QUOTE]
I did and I helped get a bunch ready for the Atlanta Olympics. Just a side note…my husband went to Atlanta to ride some of the horses as a prep. He was the first person to fall off in the new arena. And the second person to fall off in the new arena That really amused him at the time :lol:
Sam Sacksen has been doing a blog for the local papers that his mom has been sending to me and what a fun read! Very intersting to see the process through the eyes of a competitor!
equine influenza caused chaos for Aussie modern pentathletes…basically easies explained by reading this…
the full story
I believe Angie found out THIS MORNING she can start…hope she has her bags packed!
Alex (the male rep) was dissallowed to compete, because EI prevented the showjumping phase from happening in his qualifiers.HOwever…his selection was sanctioned bt the international pentathlon association Remember Alex is AUSTRALIAN now…but used to compete for Kazakhstan…He was the GOLD MEDALIST at Atlanta…
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...01/2291012.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...02/2291801.htm
now…in relation to Angie
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...09/2298793.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...24/2313059.htm
But then dramatically
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...28/2316477.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...29/2317934.htm
and then
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...01/2321614.htm
hardly the most ideal prep!
One of the Chinese show jumpers, Zhang Bin, started as a swimmer in their kids training program, then a pentathelete, before getting on the Shangai equestrian team.
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/horsebytes/archives/145422.asp
In my research I found an article about the preparation of the horses for the Pentathalon. They will all be from China, unlike the European horses the Chinese team will be riding.
There is a two year preparation and selection process. I would imagine that after the games they would be in high demand as school horse. There are quite a few riding clubs in China - another show jumper, Li Zhenqiang, owns one - and they are hoping the Olympics will create a surge of interest.
I am really curious to see the horses.
WOW. I really want to try this sport. Does anyone know if there are any organizations in Canada?
Go to www.pentathloncanada.ca - links to the provincial bodies, too.
Good luck Sam at the Olympics, he is a nice kid!
The only video I was able to find. Very little jumping going on here snark.
There were some other riders in the pentathalon that were terrifying to watch. I remember there was a Japanese woman, who was practically laying down on the horses back every time she went over a jump. Between jumps her shoulders were swinging wildly from side to side at every stride. I was horrified. It’s a miracle she stayed on. The horse was a saint to put up with it.
Wow, that video…is he even doing a course or just running at whatever jump comes up first? So crazy. But I appreciate him giving the horse a pat at the end. That horse actually jumped cute a couple times.
I went a GM clinic where some of the pentathathetes rode. I think he helped them a lot. Although he did sternly comment to one of them “You may be a star in other athletic sports, but at this moment you are to behave like a horseman”. He was not happy with this guy who wasn’t having the easiest time with GMs requests. But I feel bad that they have to jump that high because most of us who ride at that level have been training for many years. Equestrian sports are not easy to just “pick up”.
love the French song… thank you
When is this event taking place? I’d love to watch and I hope Bold will provide coverage here in Canada…
If only there wasn’t the pesky swimming and running parts. That sounds like a blast! I never did Tetrathalon in PC (I hate running and lap swimming), but I love fencing and shooting as well as riding.
I do wonder about the horses for the competition, though. What a bunch of saints they must be.
[QUOTE=copper1;3407572]
My vet’s son is a member of the team and he grew up in Pony club and was National Champion in the Tetrathalon. He is a rider first and then learned the other sports. I know he has put a lot of effort into the game and I wish him all the best! I think the swimming and the riding will be televised on the 18th. I need to check to get an exact time.[/QUOTE]
Are you talking about Sam Saxon?
I was on some teams with him and his brother Ben (at eventing rally, and show jumping rally), and we took our C3 rating together.
Yep, Sam Sacksen a graduate member of Rolling Rock PC. The 20th is the MP
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