Read down through this post and you will see.
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You mean posts on this thread and not commentators on live streams? Ok.
Gonna be very hard to justify leaving Karl/Caracole off the team or even as the alternate.
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In my opinion it is just as unkind to denigrate people who were born to wealthy parents, as it is to point out people who were born into poverty. People can’t help to whom they were born.
For some reason, people who are born to wealthy parents are scoffed at, when they have to put in the same hard work to ride well as everyone else.
All the money in the world won’t make a good rider if they don’t put in the work and even then some won’t have the chops. With fancy horses and expert instruction it’s still hard work to get to that level.
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You are 100% correct. However, it is much easier to learn to ride well when your family can afford quality horses and the best instruction and opportunities to show and gain experience.
Money isn’t everything but it can sure make things a lot easier.
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From my post above: "All the money in the world won’t make a good rider if they don’t put in the work and even then, some won’t have the chops. With fancy horses and expert instruction it’s still hard work to get to that level."
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The benefit to those born with money also has to do with how they can spend their time.
A child born to middle class parents that goes to public school doesn’t have the benefit of private tutors to show up whenever it’s convenient for the child to learn. The wealthy child can ride from 8-4 and then do academics in the evening. That’s a massive advantage. Sure, they still have to ride and “do the work” but a middle class child could never spend that many hours in the saddle.
That translates into adulthood as well - wealthy people don’t have to work, so they can not only afford nice horses and expert instruction, but they can afford to be in the saddle on their 5 horses 5 hours a day. Middle class people could never do that. And we haven’t even started talking about the help from nannies, housekeepers, grooms, etc. The wealthy have a huge advantage in all facets when it comes to getting on the team.
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I still think that based on experience, the team will be McLain, Laura, Kent with Karl as the alternate. But maybe I’m wrong!
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It has to have something to do with Hamilton and Figor not being in shape to go (I’d assume they’re recovering from injuries?). Battlecry is an awesome horse but a little green for a championship.
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Does Robert actually have the freedom to decide it based on reasons other than straight performance? I seem to recall years ago there was a lawsuit when someone who had better results was left off the team, and the selection criteria became much less subjective.
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No idea how that all works.
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@wanderlust
@TatteredDaydreamer
@anyonelsewondering
Google (or other search engine of choice) is your friend here. Figured we may as well deal with facts where they’re available.
https://www.usef.org/forms-pubs/J8MLbU5JXmY/2024-olympic-games-jumping-selection
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Wasn’t that Debbie Dolan???
I believe so.
After the lawsuit, the selection process went to strictly objective criteria based on the results of the designated Olympic trials.
That did not work too well, so it did not last long.
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Ah, good old Debbie Dolan. Her father’s wealth makes the Silicon Valley crowd look like beggars.
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Very much agreed, and you can go to WEF any week and there will be plenty of riders from similar financial backgrounds to Karl or Lillie who are not even close to riding at their level.
Money & family connections in horses are a huge advantage, but the people getting named to teams also have above-average natural talent, timing, and nerve, plus a borderline obsessive work ethic and drive.
You could hand me a billion-dollar check and McLain Ward could adopt me as his own child and I’d still never come close to jumping a 1.60m or making it onto the radar of the high-performance selectors. I don’t have the psychological makeup for it, and that can’t be bought.
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Exactly.
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I believe that was Debbie Dolan
Sorry saw after I posted others beat me to it
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Someone will always have more money than you (g). That’s life. The privilege that comes with wealth is nothing new.
Making it to the Olympic level has always taken hard work, talent, and money, whether it’s family wealth or a wealthy sponsor, that’s the way it is.
People who aren’t wealthy, but are lucky enough to have horses, can progress if they work hard at it. They might not become Olympians but they can aim for a goal that is attainable with education and practice.
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Thank you for that suggestion (and the link)… I honestly just didn’t really care enough to spend the time researching it. 
Now if anyone would care to provide the tldr; that would be great haha 
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