The difference is that Demeter was an extreme outlier whose thinness this spring caused a lot of chatter in the eventing community. Fat is the hunter standard. In any given class there is more than one obese horse.
One reason that hunters are fatter than eventers is that a skinny hunter implies that he has to be LTD (lunged till dead) which is why he canāt keep the weight on. A horse carrying extra weight implies that he is so quiet that he never needs lunging. Ergo, a fat horse has the kind of temperament such that he is just as quiet out of the ring as in the ring.
Commentary just resold to Pony Lane Farm, a family which owns many very nice horses. and they are willing to pay to get them. I am betting that Larry Glefke who is Kelly Farmerās partner and trainer and owner, just made a cool 6 figures on a horse he owned for less than a month.
Commentary is a freak though. Notice how high and round she is jumping in the Devon pictures compared to jumping flat and just square (but not tight) with her front end with KOāC riding her last year (over much lower jumps so she didnāt have to try, but, still most good hunters will jump tight at any height). Larry Glefke took a chance that, inside a flat, casual jumper would turn into the horse that she did. I donāt think that anyone was expecting her to change disciplines and frames and attitude as quickly as she did, though.
Lord Helpus - you mean she just sold again after only one show with Farmer this past weekend?
[QUOTE=Lord Helpus;7016513]
Commentary is a freak though. Notice how high and round she is jumping in the Devon pictures compared to jumping flat and just square (but not tight) with her front end with KOāC riding her last year (over much lower jumps so she didnāt have to try, but, still most good hunters will jump tight at any height). Mike Edrick took a chance that, inside a flat, casual jumper would turn into the horse that she did. [/QUOTE]
I donāt think thatās a fair characterization, and this has been discussed on the H/J thread, with photo examples and comments on the types of jumps etc. Obviously Mike saw a good hunter before he bought her, and I donāt think either Meredith Little or KOC are so useless they canāt tell a good jumper from a flat one.
ETA: not sure what youāre saying re: āmuch lower jumps so she didnāt have to try.ā The level she was competing, CCI**, maximum height of show jumps is 1.2m. On XC the maximum brush height is 1.35m. The pro hunter divisions are 4ā to 4ā6 (1.2 to 1.35m).
1 Like
[QUOTE=Blugal;7016533]
I donāt think thatās a fair characterization, and this has been discussed on the H/J thread, with photo examples and comments on the types of jumps etc. Obviously Mike saw a good hunter before he bought her, and I donāt think either Meredith Little or KOC are so useless they canāt tell a good jumper from a flat one.[/QUOTE]
I agree, on that one pic she looked flat but in the XC video she clearly has incredible round technique. Take a look at that, LH. It was no mystery the jump was thereā¦the risk was in whether she would settle enough between the jumps, I think.
2 Likes
[QUOTE=Lord Helpus;7016513]
Commentary is a freak though. Notice how high and round she is jumping in the Devon pictures compared to jumping flat and just square (but not tight) with her front end with KOāC riding her last year (over much lower jumps so she didnāt have to try, but, still most good hunters will jump tight at any height). Mike Edrick took a chance that, inside a flat, casual jumper would turn into the horse that she did. [/QUOTE]
Ummmā¦you do realize that a horse who consistently over jumps by a foot and cracks their back is NOT desirable in eventing?! Not only was the horse not being intentionally ridden for the purpose of creating that style I can say with pretty good confidence that the horse was many times intentionally being ridden to prevent those attributes.
The horse in no way was ever a āflat, casual jumper.ā A well trained upper level event horse does not have one and only one jumping form that they then recreated over a whole course of jumps, they have a whole bag of them available for the asking. It is an attribute of this particular horse that it has the ability to jump NOT in classic hunter over every fence. We actually want and need what you think is āflatā in some situations. So making a judgement call on an UL event horseās jumping style based a a few still photos is a really bad idea.
2 Likes
Thank you subkā¦ I have no doubt Kelly can consistently get a beautiful jump out of many horses (thatās what she does for a living, after all), but donāt diss the horse or rider because she looks āflatā in most of her pictures competing as an eventer. If she were jumping as she did with KF, we would be criticizing Karen for not riding her well cross-country. No way do you want that kind of jump when you are going over something with a big drop on the other side or you are trying to make time.
2 Likes
[QUOTE=Lord Helpus;7016513]
Commentary just resold to Pony Lane Farm, a family which owns many very nice horses. and they are willing to pay to get them. I am betting that Mike Edrick who is Kelly Farmerās partner and trainer and owner, just made a cool 6 figures on a horse he owned for less than a month.[/QUOTE]
Kelley was still with Larry Glefke as of Sunday at Devon, and he and another man (not named Mike Edrick) were listed as owners of the horse there. Kelley has been associated with Larry forever; if Mike Edrick is her partner, trainer, and owner, this all happened after Sunday.
So, this morning, KF declared for the Intāl Derby at Upperville on Commentary(and 4 others!!). I find it hard to believe sheād be doing that if that horse had sold- but stranger things have happened.
Also, KF is with Larry, definitely. Saw them together today:)
On USEF she is still recorded as being owned by Glefke.
[QUOTE=RND;7016902]
Kelley was still with Larry Glefke as of Sunday at Devon, and he and another man (not named Mike Edrick) were listed as owners of the horse there. Kelley has been associated with Larry forever; if Mike Edrick is her partner, trainer, and owner, this all happened after Sunday.[/QUOTE]
Of course you are right. I had a total brain farte there.
Not sure I understand why everyone thinks I am dissing Commentary for jumping flat and ācasualā in the pictures I saw. I never said it was bad or undesireable event horse jumping. As far as I can tell in rereading my post ā I did not even imply that she was jumping poorly. All I said was that the buyer had to take the risk that her style could be changed from eventing style to hunter style. Neither style is ābadā or āworseā, just different. And I CERTAINLY never said anything about x/c jumping or style. That would be comparing apples to oranges.
In the picture I saw of her jumping last year with KoC, the jump looked lower than 4ā. But, even if it was 4ā, that is still 6" lower than the high options she jumped in the Derby.
Please do not be so ready and willing to jump all over me for things I did not say. I have left the H/J world for the eventing world, and I think eventing is lots of fun. Having competed in both worlds, I can (and do) appreciate the talent it takes to get to the advanced level in both disciplines. And Commentary is a very special horse for being able to do both.
I got to see Commentary in her handy round at Upperville yesterday. She is phenomenal. An absolute BLAST to watch in real life, and I think sheās better even already (not that she was shabby at Devon, but she looked even MORE polished yesterday). What a horse.
And I saw her jog for ribbons. She needs weight. Thereās no denying it. She still looks like an event horse without her tack. Sheās lovely to look at, but sheāll pull the picture together even more if sheās a little rounder rather than leaner, greyhound looking.
I watched most of the HP hunters go yesterday (and a lot of the AOs). Honestly, I donāt think these horses are FAT. They are ROUND, but not fat. Maybe because I have a few hunters in my barn I am more used to the look, but it is a different look from our event horses. Not a bad look, especially when you see them up close and in person, just different than what an event rider finds appealing. I would not call any of the ones I saw yesterday obese. Just round.
Turns out horse not only has a new name, she has a new USEF number and is now a warmblood of unknown breeding. Sheās lost her country, her parents and her breeder. Along with her USEF competition record and her passports.
This is, of course, illegal per USEF rules, but, hey, who cares?
2 Likes
younger
And now sheās nearly a year younger!
Thanks Vineyridge and lep!
I couldnāt believe it when her āoldā and ānewā USEF registrations were compared on the H/J thread.
A German sporthorse born in 2004 with USEF lifetime registration; a sire, dam, and breeder; and FEI passport and registration number is now
a warmblood of unknown breeding born in 2005 with a new USEF registration and no FEI information or previous competition history.
For a sport that is supposed to be so detailed oriented, one would think the new owners could at least take the time to correctly register her. Any of us can access the information supplied with her original name.
I am just disgusted by the attitude that when a horse changes hands that it can become a completely different horse. Changing names is the least of the problems identified.
3 Likes
Well, if I heard right that she is showing in the second year greens (for horses in their second year of jumping 3ā6" in usef competition), then that explains while thatās ālegalāā¦ Since I assume the horse was running prelim before jan 1 of last year (can anyone confirm?)
Otherwise, itās probably just to make her younger.
Unfortunately, itās a pretty common occurrence in the hunters. One horse I knew was competed to 1.30 jumpers in France, then imported and shown pre-greens through both green years and in the juniors. The horse was supposedly sold for low six figures but came back two weeks later and trainer claims they were just back yard people and had know idea what they were doing and threatened to sue when kid fell off. Ooookay, what ever. But then at the next show, I said, āoh XXX is back and he looks good.ā Trainer corrected me: āshhh, his name is YYY now. I canāt have him associated with a bad sale.ā He was then shown in the pre-greens at that show!?!?
[QUOTE=flyracing;7021335]
Well, if I heard right that she is showing in the second year greens (for horses in their second year of jumping 3ā6" in usef competition), then that explains while thatās ālegalāā¦ Since I assume the horse was running prelim before jan 1 of last year (can anyone confirm?)[/QUOTE]
Seems unlikely.
A- Changing the age would have NO effect on green status.
B- FEI cpompetitions are included in āgreenā status, so there is NO way she is legal for āGreenā classes.
[QUOTE]HU 103.1. A Green Hunter is a horse of any age in its first or second year of showing in any
classes in which the national specifications require horses to jump 3ā6" or higher,
regardless of whether or not the fences are actually set at 3ā6" or higher at Regular
Competitions or Eventing Competitions of the Federation or Equine Canada or any
national or international competition.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Perfect Pony;7016093]
Oh why on earth did you have to point out that threadā¦sigh.
The name changing thing, the fattening up thing, the hunter world has become bizzaro world.
I sold a pony with a perfectly adorable name and the new barn had to change it. Her barn name was Bugzy, registered name was āDoon Buggyā (her sire Brigadoon). Super cute. They changed her barn and show name to āLadyBugā. Of course this means a horse easily tracked via show records and the internet is impossible for me to now track 
Same goes for all the horses out there with their ever changing names.
I think itās the equivalent of a dog pissing on a tree.[/QUOTE]
This whole name changing thing is horrible! Like when people change an ex-racerās registered name because they donāt like it. Good thing no Eventer worth their salt would dare change a horseās registered nameā¦right? right?
Youāre right Janet.
A- changing the age can change the price tag.
B- Iām not sure if commentary competed under another national federation or not, but the horse I told about in the story did. Itās unfortunately very common for imported horse with 4ā+ experience to start in the pre-greens or greens.
For commentary, are you saying since she has competed FEI; she canāt be eligible for any greens? That not how I Interpret the rule since āFEIā is never mentioned. It has to do with when she first competed in a 3ā6" competition (likely a prelim level ht). So the question is did commentary compete her first prelim ht jan 1, 2012 or later? Itās possible, but I doubt it. Therefore, she needs a new usef number to be āeligibleā. Very sad
[QUOTE=Ajierene;7021575]
This whole name changing thing is horrible! Like when people change an ex-racerās registered name because they donāt like it. Good thing no Eventer worth their salt would dare change a horseās registered nameā¦right? right?[/QUOTE]
But some come with really horrible registered names. I donāt see any problem with having a different show name as long as it stays attached to its registered name and the horseās history.
1 Like
