Some thoughts on a jump judge reporting “horse is down”, but then the incident is not recorded as a horse fall, only as a rider fall. Basically, review of video, or more investigation, can reveal that what actually happened is not quite aligned with the jump judge’s quick initial impression.
Thought 1 - Early reporting on any evolving incident is notoriously unreliable, as it doesn’t have deeper investigation behind it. Sometimes a big peck, or a major slip, look like a ‘horse fall’ in that first instant. But a later look at the video may show that it did not meet the technical definition of a horse fall.
An example is Ellen Doughty-Hume’s “Great Save”, when her horse left a leg at a drop. When I saw it on live feed at the time it happened, I really believed the horse’s chest/girth was scraping ground. But those with a different view saw this was not the case.
Thought 2 - As a sometimes jump judge, the words “horse and rider down” may reflect only an initial, quick impression, and the real intention is to hastily share the information with those that will bring help soonest. It may not be what the jump judge clarifies later, after they have seen a few more seconds, or minutes, of the situation. Updates are often not heard over the jump-judge-radio-channel if they go to a different channel to discuss what’s going on, so as not to interfere with the main channel.
Thought 3 - Sometimes the jump judge actually didn’t see it that well. As above, they are reporting what they think happened, a split instant after it happened. Anything can block their view based on their angle to the incident, even the horse’s own body.
So, point is … there are a number of circumstances where the initial report from the jump judge will not be the most accurate version of what happened. It is up to the TD & Ground Jury to review the video, talk to people who saw it, do whatever they do to make the final evaluation. (That’s what I love most about jump judging - I am not responsible for that final decision that makes the scoring difference, it’s up to the senior officials.) 
[QUOTE=Larksmom;8644579]
I didn’t write clearly. I meant the Americans should show other venues. I know MJ does! But I do not hear of B, B or P D doing that. Show big horses in dressage or SJ? It couldn’t hurt, could it?[/QUOTE]
Many do. On their event horse, and on other horses. It just isn’t in the press, because it isn’t at a national level.
Some of the riders are even cross-overs between eventing and show jumping, in their professional careers as instructors/trainers. Especially in areas where more of the local horse folk prefer show jumping to eventing.
A whole bunch of riders who aren’t as experienced as Allison brought their horses up to the same out, seemingly under-powered and in ‘ruh-roh’ mode, and the horse sprang right over. Arthur knows his job and he’s stronger than a good many of those horses. The problem lay elsewhere than the riding or the physical strength of the horse - both of those were there.
IMO.
To the question if KOC saw Arthur’s xc round and what she said …
KOC and Gina were both in the booth during Allison’s round. They saw what I saw. On the approach to the jumps all three of us were saying together in commanding tones “Go Arthur! Go! Go! Arthur go!” I’ll bet a lot more people were in that chorus as well! :winkgrin:
KOC afterward gave credit to Allison’s devotion and loyalty to Arthur. She said that Allison says Arthur owes her nothing, but in KOC’s opinion, he owed her that jump.
Does anyone believe she would still be pushing him to be a 4* horse if she had another UL horse that was sound and competing?
Allison has had plenty of years to have another 4* horse in the works. Other riders have managed it in a lot less time.
It is so interesting to me that the riders with strings of horses constantly coming along to 4* level are primarily male - PD, Boyd, Buck, etc. More of the women have only one, maybe two, they bring out to 4* level, year after year. I don’t quite know why this is, but Kim S, Allison, Sinead, Lynn S., Erin Sylvester, Hannah Sue (who has been around longer than people are remembering) just don’t have the ever-filling pipeline of Rolex-ready horses. Some have had one, maybe two other horses, mostly those horses didn’t stick around long. The women typically do not have the ever-present string of four to five ready/almost-ready horses that has been the case with PD, Boyd, Buck, and now Ryan Wood. To be sure, not all the male riders are on this track. But those who are consistently at the very top of the sport definitely are.
Kim S. has had more 4* horses after Dan, but one at a time. That also seems to be more the trend with the gals than the guys.
In the UK, the ladies at the top of the 4* level more typically do have the strings of ready/almost-ready 4* horses, multiple rides per 4*.
Perhaps more U.S. women riders are now taking on whole barn-fulls of developing horses, as did KOC in her day. Lauren has had several and had 2 out this weekend, an “old” and a “new”. Hopefully more and more women look to this model to keep themselves horsed at the 4*/team level than has been the case in the past.
