I concur.
This is what bothers me the most about the new Olympic format without a drop score. People may be more inclined to ignore their better judgment and try to continue, either between rounds or in the middle of a round, when the horse is not up to the task at that point on that day.
I’m sure it was a tough enough decision in this case, even when there was not a team aspect involved.
King Edward is amazing. Can’t wait to watch him go head to head with United Touch S and Ilex at the Olympics.
That horse really tried hard for him today!
Congratulations to Henrick and King Edward. He appears to be someone who puts his horse’s wellbeing first and it shows. In show jumping we have people like him and Skylar Wireman and in dressage you have the likes of Kittel and Helgstrand who just want to “win at any costs” and don’t really put the horses first. I know there are those in SJ who are not the greatest, but in the last two days the heroes appear to be Skylar and Henrik and it is nice to see.
Team or not, horses always need to come first.
How do we get Skylar some more horses? If I had a Grand Prix horse I’d send it her way.
Skylar wasn’t competing as part of a team. Her decision to withdraw is not only preserving the horse, it’s for her own safety as well.
The year’s WC finals - in jumping and dressage - certainly have been unusual.
Understatement.
Yes, that has been already discussed above.
Also, for those who have not had a chance to read the results, Kent Farrington had the best American finish in fourth place overall.
Wow. This horse is on a roll.
https://horsenetwork.com/2024/04/king-edward-is-king-of-the-ring-by-every-metric/?amp=1
Skylar qualified for it. She wanted the experience but realized she had more work to do at home and for the sake of her horse and his longevity in the sport, she made the brave and best decision for her/him. THAT shows a level of horsemanship that sadly is rarely seen in the horse industry. Bravo to her for doing WHAT IS BEST FOR 
Probably more acceptable to pull a horse, team or not, today then back in the good old days of kick on for shiny things and shrug at injured, dead or brain fried horses as the price of competing at top levels.
Good for her for doing the right thing for the horse…refreshing. Rather disappointed in some who think she owed sponsor, team, country or whoever to compete anyway.
That is not quite right.
That some at the top consider to push a horse to perform at that level, is what it is to be at that level, about doing better than anyone, doesn’t automatically mean that they disregard the horse’s welfare?
Similar in racing, you have your horse fit for a race he qualifies for and has a chance to do well, you enter and give it a chance there, even knowing that every race something can happen, as it does every time you get in a vehicle and go down highways.
What is objectionable is if you do overface your horse and that is not so apt to happen at the top, because once there, you know better and protect your horse as she did there.
Is not this once, is how you train and compete, no matter what discipline and at what level.
How many pull horses from a class when footing changes and is not suitable for their horse one example.
This rider/horse was considered ready by those choosing them for those competitions.
After the first two classes was decided not so ready, so withdrawing horse is the right call.
All learning from this so next time horse will be ready wherever entered.
Those that don’t take the best care of their partners, well, they won’t last long.
Lest we forget there is someone there who is allowed to represent the USA after horse welfare concerns. The USEF is a joke.
At the end of the day, despite all indications they are ready, you don’t really know how a horse will handle a move up until you actually move them up. How many horses do we see in eventing move up for their 5* debut and they don’t get around cross country, despite an incredible amount of success leading up to that debut?
She had a big win with Tornado in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Fort Worth, and was quoted saying that “[e]very time I’ve jumped a bigger track, he’s just gotten better and better.” It makes sense that off of that, she would think he would be ready and that it was a fair ask. He clearly jumped well and rose to the challenge on the first day before being over faced.
It was a smart and compassionate decision to withdraw, and I’m excited to continue watching the pair.
I see that now after further comments. I didn’t see anything in the FB comments about that, and that is what my comment was about. As I said, I do not follow SJ much, and indeed I meant no evil snark, I was just curious. I am also not accusing you of implying snark. (trying to avoid a train wreck), I remember a couple of years ago, Tami took a grey to Badminton or Burghley and he was hopping lame at the jog. He was most assuredly sound even on the walk over but bang! Just like that he wasn’t.
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