No one is watching the Gladstone Cup??

[jumpoff87]

Enough about the commentary - what’d you think about the riding? Grace Debney was spectacular, although I wonder if she will make Quimby a hunter now that he’s proven to kill it at the hunters. She holds up so well to pressure, especially for showing as a younger (15, I think)!

I feel like the people (may have been here, or Facebook?) who were complaining about a dozen or so eq horses measuring as juniors at the last second to get in the ring before the Gladstone Cup class were a little bent out of shape for nothing, because the horses that are true eq horses don’t have a chance in the hunters. But the select few, Quimby, FRH Remarkable, Any Given Sunday, maybe a few others, can win at both and already have that edge. It’s just my opinion, but most of those horses already don’t mind the ring or spook at anything and the riders don’t “need” extra ring miles, so it’s a lot of moaning over nothing, really.

[blondewithchrome]

thought Grace was the hands down winner after all three of her rounds. Just effortless. I have seen a video of her where GM calls her a “baby Beezie” - she has such a lovely lovely seat!

the top 4 all had excellent tests. But I was very impressed with Alexander Alston (?) who went from 20th to 5th after a stellar second round. He has a beautiful position too! It was wonderful to see so many kids answer the tough questions of the course.

most notably, the bounce in round 2 was massive LOL. I would have cried having to jump that.

[blondewithchrome]

@jumpoff87

I feel like the people (may have been here, or Facebook?) who were complaining about a dozen or so eq horses measuring as juniors at the last second to get in the ring before the Gladstone Cup class were a little bent out of shape for nothing, because the horses that are true eq horses don’t have a chance in the hunters. But the select few, Quimby, FRH Remarkable, Any Given Sunday, maybe a few others, can win at both and already have that edge. It’s just my opinion, but most of those horses already don’t mind the ring or spook at anything and the riders don’t “need” extra ring miles, so it’s a lot of moaning over nothing, really.

someone remind me - was JHF modified to take top x number of horses if the Champion/reserve qualification did not yield full classes? So wouldn’t the horse have to have shown in the JUniors this season in order to even show in the finals? Or due to Covid was that a moot point and they let whoever enter even if they hadn’t “qualified” per se?

if the latter was the case, I could see why people would be a bit miffed. It’s a championship, after all, and if you have to qualify a certain way and then a horse who never steps foot in the hunter ring shows and beats you, it’s annoying. But nothing’s fair in horses and showing, as many of us know

[FAW]

Connie sounds like Julie Winkel. Who is the guy?

[Tackpud]

@FAW

Connie sounds like Julie Winkel. Who is the guy?

That was Jacob Pope.

[comingback]

@jumpoff87

Enough about the commentary - what’d you think about the riding? Grace Debney was spectacular, although I wonder if she will make Quimby a hunter now that he’s proven to kill it at the hunters. She holds up so well to pressure, especially for showing as a younger (15, I think)!

I feel like the people (may have been here, or Facebook?) who were complaining about a dozen or so eq horses measuring as juniors at the last second to get in the ring before the Gladstone Cup class were a little bent out of shape for nothing, because the horses that are true eq horses don’t have a chance in the hunters. But the select few, Quimby, FRH Remarkable, Any Given Sunday, maybe a few others, can win at both and already have that edge. It’s just my opinion, but most of those horses already don’t mind the ring or spook at anything and the riders don’t “need” extra ring miles, so it’s a lot of moaning over nothing, really.

Well being Quimby never did the junior hunters and won, I’m not sure I agree with your point.

[hairystockings]

@blondewithchrome

thought Grace was the hands down winner after all three of her rounds. Just effortless. I have seen a video of her where GM calls her a “baby Beezie” - she has such a lovely lovely seat!

the top 4 all had excellent tests. But I was very impressed with Alexander Alston (?) who went from 20th to 5th after a stellar second round. He has a beautiful position too! It was wonderful to see so many kids answer the tough questions of the course.

most notably, the bounce in round 2 was massive LOL. I would have cried having to jump that.

I was also super impressed by Alexander, he’s grown so much in his riding. I believe he was local to the Ohio area and grew up with a trainer in Columbus, or at least I saw him at WEC and other area shows a few times over the years with that trainer. Looks like as he’s moved up and started to excel in the eq he has begun training with Missy Clark and team, I believe that’s who he was with for this class. Good kid, good rider.

I also just love watching the kids who come back in the bottom of the top 20 at an eq final with nothing to lose and everything to gain go in and GO FOR IT. Geoffrey Hesslink did that the year Lillie Keenan won Maclay finals, I remember watching it on the video (googled the year, 2013). He came back 20th and laid it down and ended up 7th.