Re: ‘armchair quarterbacking’
Eventing is a deadly sport. The smallest mistake can be fatal for the rider, the horse or both.
To that end, anyone who participates in the sport or demands that their horse participate in the sport would be well-advised to study up on all possible adverse occurrences with the intention of being able to mitigate the negative outcomes wherever possible.
This is not unlike a pilot putting an accident scenario in a flight simulator to learn from the factors and actions that led to an aviation catastrophe or near-catastrophe. Which is what actual pilots do in real life because as pilots, they’re responsible for their own life as well as that of any passengers on their aircraft.
No one calls those pilots ‘armchair quarterbacks’. Actually, you hope that one of them is flying your plane.
So seriously, let’s stop throwing out that rubbish line at people who we don’t like or don’t agree with. Our sport has an unacceptable and outrageous body count both equine and human - and that right there is the reason that members of our community are moved to research and examine misses and near-misses. You might turn up something - a sign, an understanding, a recognition - that leads you to make a different choice when you’re under those same conditions and stresses.
If you don’t like people asking these questions or running through these scenarios publicly, then at least understand where they’re coming from. We’re all trying to make sense of and find safety in a sport that too often shows no forgiveness.
