Gutted for Alison!
I love Lauren as a rider. She is really a top talent. So pleased that there are so many Americans in the top 10.
I am so very happy that all horses and riders got around safely today. Well done to the hard working design team.
[QUOTE=wanderlust;8643131]
He has 3 in hand right now. He’s 12.3 points ahead of Philip.[/QUOTE]
Oh, thanks. Apparently I can’t do mental arithmetic :P.
Well, finally got a decent feed and was able to watch over an hours worth of trips, including most riders I always enjoy watching. Too bad about the rain but if it doesn’t rain for several days, it gets way too hot and the ground gets hard. Either way conditions are usually challenging. Ky natives will also say better this Saturday then next…don’t want to ruin all those fancy hats and water down the Woodford on national broadcast TV.
Anyway, in my humble HP opinion and despite the fact I do not care for “that woman”. At all. She was right. That horse kept slipping behind the riders leg and never seemed to relax and flow on the gallops, never looked like he settled into any rhythm at all. Ignored the rider the last few strides in front of some fences too. Saw that one coming well back, looked like it almost happened at earlier fences. I vote Arthur on that one. Maybe he had a valid reason or maybe it’s just him but that looked like one tough ride from the start. Recall a few others also notorious for disappointing when it counted most.
[QUOTE=annikak;8643094]
i guess I have to beg to differ- Alison loves that horse, and when they horse just does not want to do it, it is what it is. The footing was terrible, the rain was heavy, and it was the end of the day- and Arthur has always done things with HIS opinion -sometimes ditches, sometimes flags (remember a stadium round where that is what he was not too thrilled with). She loves him still, and supports his quirks and at some point, given that Alison has actually kept the faith in him, it would have been nice if he could have just jumped it. But, none the less, they got around a 4*, and I sure haven’t! Good Job everyone![/QUOTE]
As the owner of an extra-spooky horse, this ^^^ is exactly right. I have followed them closely for many years, to learn what I can from Allison. Some horses have a biological over-supply of spook that is well beyond training. Arthur is one of those horse. He also happens to be a gifted equine athlete. It is simply unfortunate that he came with the over-reaction that he was born with.
Over her years with Arthur, from the her very beginning with him, Allison has been told uncounted times by top people in the sport, including team selectors, that she needs to put her time and talent into a different horse. As he showed today, no matter how good Arthur is capable of being, he can NOT be relied on.
I knew from the moment they left the start box that this day was too much for him. It is like my own horse - the weather, the course conditions, the crowds, everything, is too big a load for his mind. All of it together is more distraction than he can handle.
Although very strong, capable and experienced, he hung back and peaked over every big and solid jump. Even though he knows that he can easily hop across every one with room to spare. It is just the way he is wired.
Allison gets every bit of credit for all of Arthur’s accomplishments. His good moments are 100% down to her horsemanship. His bad ones are assignable to himself - not because he has a bad character, but because he is wired with an over-reactive mind that he was born with.
It is Allison’s choice to stick with Arthur. That is a choice that means every competitive weekend with Arthur is in the hands of the fates, not her own. She has come a long, long way with him … but nonetheless, some things are simply facts that won’t go away.
[QUOTE=Tha Ridge;8643079]
“That woman” is Karen O’Connor… Arthur has a long, long history.[/QUOTE]
You obviously do NOT know Karen O’Connor I am so very tired of all of the KOC bashing on this forum. She is not someone I know personally but I can tell you the following:
She is rarely if ever one to blame a horse. Listen to her commentary in comparison to other commentators. It is always the rider, or how the rider handles a horse that is not going as well as one would wish.
some 20 years ago when I first moved to VA, she gave free course walks at the events here. FREE. She did not know me from Adam but she included me and was friendly and responsive to questions.
some 5 years ago, I was in the warm up and having difficulty getting a good jump out of my horse. She took the time out of coaching her own students and helped me get it sorted out. for FREE.
Now there are other retired icons out there with whom I have had contact. One in particular has never offered to do anything for free, and rarely talks to students in a group who do not have a talented horse or a lot of $$. And they are also more likely to make snide comments about riders who are not from their camps…
I wish people who bash BNT’s would do so knowing something about them.
Also, different big name trainers tend to create their own “atmosphere” at the events. I can usually spot an OCET rider right off: they are ALWAYS friendly, supportive, and smiling - to volunteers, to competitors, and to spectators. They show a respect toward people that is often not seen amongst other groups/clones.
So I realize that this is way off topic but please think before you assume bad qualities in a person you do not know. grrr…
(I do not ride with any of the OCET so I have no dog in this fight, other than personal experience with KOC who I doubt knows my name or would recognize me)
[QUOTE=wanderlust;8643131]
He has 3 in hand right now. He’s 12.3 points ahead of Philip.[/QUOTE]
Are rails 4 points of 5 points? I thought they were 5, but I guess I’m wrong (?)
I think the US team selectors got the picture they needed today! Lauren, Boyd and Phillip are the most sophisticated and the best mounted riders we have. There are some other US team candidates who really showed their stuff today.
And, perhaps a few pairs with a talented, athletic and skilled rider & mount who showed they are not completely reliable, for a host of reasons.
Of course tomorrow is part of the story as well. Looking forward to it with anticipation! 
4
[QUOTE=J-Lu;8643165]
Are rails 4 points of 5 points? I thought they were 5, but I guess I’m wrong (?)[/QUOTE]
They are 4pts each, not 5.
I liked KOC’s commentary today. It was very focused on the horse & rider, not wandering over the landscape. I learn a LOT from KOC when she is on her game and very much appreciated her today.
John Kyle and Gina Miles have been excellent all weekend. Great job today! Enjoyed the guest commentators as well.
The camera coverage was a HUGE improvement over last year! I think they added at least one and maybe more cameras and were able to cover so much more of the course. The shots they chose to show were much better.
As far as I’m concerned, they should minimize the drone shots. They are instructive, but I can’t see the horse galloping and jumping, or the rider riding, and that is all I care about.
[QUOTE=J-Lu;8643165]
Are rails 4 points of 5 points? I thought they were 5, but I guess I’m wrong (?)[/QUOTE]
4
as far as camera coverage, I really noticed it during dressage. None of the silly focus on hands or rider face instead of the horses’ legs. Showing the legs during the lengthening was a great improvement. No complaints for todays’ coverage either.
Well done everyone!
Arthur :no: I thought after about 5 jumps that Allison got his head in the game, but it looked like she had to use the crop quite a bit. Loved how cool she was though, new plan on the fly and gallop on. What an incredible rider.
Lots of great riding! And no bad injuries in that footing, yeah!!!
KOCs commentary was indeed better after her riders went
What a great course. It really makes me think the way to amp up these courses without trapping the horses too much - leading to injury - is by ensuring fitness & stamina are truly tested with terrain. Now can all big courses run uphill entirely? Nope, but it’s something to look at. Burghley was extremely successful & had the same approach. How this can possibly trickle down w/the advent of CICs & shortening of CCIs is a tough question that needs to be answered.
Rolex & eventing at the 4* level is so fantastic, there is so much heart, there is no identity crisis. Gosh I wish the 2* & 3* level embraced it. It = the modern day Endurance factor.
[QUOTE=OverandOnward;8643184]
I liked KOC’s commentary today. It was very focused on the horse & rider, not wandering over the landscape. I learn a LOT from KOC when she is on her game and very much appreciated her today.
John Kyle and Gina Miles have been excellent all weekend. Great job today! Enjoyed the guest commentators as well.
The camera coverage was a HUGE improvement over last year! I think they added at least one and maybe more cameras and were able to cover so much more of the course. The shots they chose to show were much better.
As far as I’m concerned, they should minimize the drone shots. They are instructive, but I can’t see the horse galloping and jumping, or the rider riding, and that is all I care about. :)[/QUOTE]
Agree with all of the above - except I thought the amount of drone coverage today was just about right. A nice change here and there to give perspective to some of the long gallops but not overdone.
I liked the drones, you can really see the distances between.
[QUOTE=OverandOnward;8643155]
As the owner of an extra-spooky horse, this ^^^ is exactly right. I have followed them closely for many years, to learn what I can from Allison. Some horses have a biological over-supply of spook that is well beyond training. Arthur is one of those horse. He also happens to be a gifted equine athlete. It is simply unfortunate that he came with the over-reaction that he was born with.
Over her years with Arthur, from the her very beginning with him, Allison has been told uncounted times by top people in the sport, including team selectors, that she needs to put her time and talent into a different horse. As he showed today, no matter how good Arthur is capable of being, he can NOT be relied on.
I knew from the moment they left the start box that this day was too much for him. It is like my own horse - the weather, the course conditions, the crowds, everything, is too big a load for his mind. All of it together is more distraction than he can handle.
[…]
Allison gets every bit of credit for all of Arthur’s accomplishments. His good moments are 100% down to her horsemanship. His bad ones are assignable to himself - not because he has a bad character, but because he is wired with an over-reactive mind that he was born with.[/QUOTE]
Very true. Some horses just don’t settle without a lot of work. Maybe it’s a visual thing or a shorter fuse or just higher nerves in general, but it doesn’t take much to get them wound up. And once they’re all wound up, it takes a long time to get them to calm down again. I can’t make any conjectures about Arthur and I’m sure he has the best of care, but maybe he just doesn’t have the mental fortitude for 4* competition consistency. If all the conditions have to be just right for him to not shut down, it’s very hard to build up confidence for him or Allison. I feel for her though. She must be crushed. 
I just watched Jung’s round on replay. Missed it this morning, but watched most of the afterhoon, and compared to those rounds, he was an order of magnitude better. What, at least to my eye, makes him so special is how his horse almost never scrambles; she looks like she is jumping at the same pace no matter how complicated the complex. He is so good at setting up that she appears almost always to simply be jumping out of her galloping stride.
Yes, they had some bobbles and went early in the day, but if he gets through the second jog and show jumping he well deserves his win and his two legs on the grand slam. He’ll have to win Badminton on Sam, but we all know that’s a real possibility. I wonder what the British bookers odds will be on him taking Badminton and the Grand Slam.
[QUOTE=vineyridge;8643238]
I just watched Jung’s round on replay. Missed it this morning, but watched most of the afterhoon, and compared to those rounds, he was an order of magnitude better. What, at least to my eye, makes him so special is how his horse almost never scrambles; she looks like she is jumping at the same pace no matter how complicated the complex. He is so good at setting up that she appears almost always to simply be jumping out of her galloping stride.
Yes, they had some bobbles and went early in the day, but if he gets through the second jog and show jumping he well deserves his win and his two legs on the grand slam. He’ll have to win Badminton on Sam, but we all know that’s a real possibility. I wonder what the British bookers odds will be on him taking Badminton and the Grand Slam.[/QUOTE]
She is a lovely mare - I wonder if down the road they are planning to breed her. She is something really special.
I missed it this AM too, and just finished watching it. He rode her very well, but the pair had some close calls JMHO. Their last water complex effort looked a little rough.
I just watched Jungs ride and noticed that I have the same stirrup irons like him only mine are green. And he is an amazing rider!!
