I watched the whole class last night on Horse & country TV On Demand. What an exciting and enjoyable class to watch. So many top riders (the World #1 though #4 all there), you knew this was the kind of class where everyone had to put their very best effort in.
I absolutely love HH Azur and was rooting for her, but it seems almost impossible to have repeat wins in classes like these! What an amazing result!
So, I watched the warm-up class from Thursday, as I wondered what riders were doing there. Many of them retired part-way through. It was obviously used for schooling with riders really taking their time, setting up their lines and working on control and responsiveness.
McLain did a slow and very controlled round - it looked nothing like even the 1st round of the Grand Prix. Near the end, he must have felt her getting strong or not listening, as he did a very deliberate circle, got her listening again, jumped again then retired.
Reading the World of Show Jumping article, he talked about feeling pressure and also not having all the confidence he exudes outwardly. “Do you have it right? Is the horse right?” Since they had come from outdoor shows in Florida to the tight indoor in Holland, to compete against riders who’d been riding indoors for months. World of Showjumping article
