Show Jumping Olympic Short List 2024

[Rel6]

I mean, it actually does when you’re saying riders should have decades of experience. Since it’s impossible or highly unlikely for a 20 or 30 something to have “decades” of experience at anything other than existing.

If your prerequisite is “as many decades of experience as McLain has” then no one under the age McLain is now would ever make a team since he basically came out of the womb riding.

[MHM]

@BrownDerby

Karl’s mother was a beautiful rider

Did she show?

[BrownDerby]

Exensively.

[MHM]

Hunters? Jumpers? East Coast? West Coast?

Same name? Maiden name?

[BrownDerby]

West Coast only. With Butch.

[MHM]

Interesting, thanks.

[Demerara_Stables]

@BrownDerby

I give her great credit for raising her horses in huge pastures and not little 12x24 turnout pens

Absolutely agree. Nothing against the program at all, as I think they are turning out very nice horses that are being raised correctly.

[skydy]

@Demerara_Stables

@TWilson

There are lots of people who love to hate Karl; even when he gets the best score of the entire US team

I used to like Karl until it became obvious that his horsemanship is lacking when the video of Kalinka going into a victory gallop came out. Admittedly I’m not a fan of victory gallops anyway, but it became a silly social media argument and he just acted like a child (most of it was in stories that are long gone).

My biggest complaint is that he simply doesn’t have the decades of experience that Smurf me thinks should be a consideration for being on the team. I’m not impressed that Mom can spend $9m to buy a new horse every time one is injured, frankly that makes me think less of him. When you can bring horses up the levels, and have the toolbox to deal with helping your horse through the biggest course of its career, then you deserve to be on the team. Not some rich kid that gets a new horse that’s already doing 1.60m every time the other one can’t hack it anymore. Unfortunately I know that being able to actually train has nothing to do with selection, but it just feels like a rich, not super educated/talented person buying their way to the top (again).

Really? Who are the other “rich not super educated/talented” people that are “buying their way to the top (again.)”?

@Demerara_Stables

Last I checked, and correct me if I’m wrong, neither Lillie nor Katie’s mom’s have thousand acre jumper breeding facilities dedicated to breeding jumpers for their children to ride yet still have to go out and spend seven figures.

@Demerara_Stables

@BrownDerby

I give her great credit for raising her horses in huge pastures and not little 12x24 turnout pens

Absolutely agree. Nothing against the program at all, as I think they are turning out very nice horses that are being raised correctly.

You do understand that breeders with large acreage cannot necessarily breed 1.6 m jumpers by rote?

@Demerara_Stables

On a completely unrelated note, does anybody think that there will be pressure to not have four white dudes on the team? I have no idea what the demographics are historically, but living in California where optics and demographics are shoved in our faces everyday, I wonder if this is even on the fringe of anybody’s minds involved in the process.

You “have no idea what the demographics (of the U.S. SJ Olympic team) are historically”?
Time to become “super educated”.

@Demerara_Stables

Well it’s a good thing that McLain and Kent are mostly likely on the team, and Laura, who also has that much experience.

Wrong person to roll your eyes at. Hopefully someone will dig up a few of Supershorty’s jumping photos for you, I can’t find them. She is an amateur.

You are a professional?

I don’t mean to be harsh, but you seem to be quite harsh toward people that you have no experience with and who have been on this BB for many years.

[Demerara_Stables]

I literally do not give two Fs how experienced a person is that I’m talking to on the internet and how long they’ve been on this forum. Let’s keep it on topic.

[skydy]

@Demerara_Stables

I literally do not give two Fs how experienced a person is that I’m talking to on the internet and how long they’ve been on this forum. Let’s keep it on topic.

You should give more than two “Fs”. This is a longstanding community, not a group of teenagers. That is why most of us are here, to learn from each other and to help others along.

Just to mention, the moderator tells us when we are straying too far off topic, not a member of the BB.

[supershorty628]

@supershorty628

@Demerara_Stables

Well it’s a good thing that McLain and Kent are mostly likely on the team, and Laura, who also has that much experience.

I don’t know what you’re rolling your eyes at, lol. Sure, this year’s team (especially with it being 3 people) is obvious.

But what happens 4 or 8 years down the road? What if one or more of those 3 are no longer competing at the top level, a la Beezie? You don’t have replacements for those players without giving the up and comers experience. If your requirement for being on the team is having decades of experience, your supply of riders is going to dry up very quickly. At some point, you have to put someone unproven under that level of pressure in the ring - because the only way you’ll see how they do under immense pressure is to do it.

Is the Olympics the right place for it? I don’t know. Is the Nations Cup final? WEG?
How do you choose which Very Big Deal is the right Very Big Deal if you have someone at that level for the first time and need to test how they’ll perform?

Agreed, @Demerara_Stables, let’s keep it on topic

So what’s your answer for this conundrum?

[skydy]

I’d love to see your lovely photos of Nikki again (the good the bad and the ugly )

Not necessarily on this thread, you’ve never been one to toot your own horn, but I’ve been searching and can’t find any links that still work.

[Madison]

I just watched the 5* jumpoff from La Baule. Kent (with Greya) first Karl second. Kent rode hard - clearly wanted that win very badly, it was great! Only .12 seconds between them. I cannot imagine Ridland is going to want to leave Caracole at home, Karl seems to have figured out the control issues he had at the Pan Ams and they are on form - the mare is incredible. So, I think Karl will be the alternate BUT I think you might see Kent and/or McLain named with a direct reserve horse which bumps Karl further down the line. Not sure if Laura has another one that is ready or not.

Kent said it is Greya’s first international win, in his interview. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him named to the team with Landon but with Greya as a direct reserve, as long as he thinks she is sufficiently experienced at this point.

[ww3467]

Full results from La Baule Grand Prix:

https://results.worldsporttiming.com/event/199/competition/6572/result

[fourfillies]

You can watch the rounds on the La Baule site. Kent and Karl were 0.12 apart but like 2 seconds faster than a strong jump off field and they went early. Regardless of who goes to Paris both those mares are incredible.

[steelerino]

The bickering about people riding at this level having or not having money is hysterical. Not a single person riding at that level is poor. Go outside and ride your horses it’s Sunday and the weather is beautiful!

[wanderlust]

He is consistently winning with a very difficult horse, minus a rough Pan Ams, which he turned around by the last round. He spent YEARS doing the work in Europe when no one saw him. He competed at the top levels in Cali before that, which you should know since you are from there.

He isn’t brand new on the scene in the past couple years. Why is that so hard for you to wrap your head around?

[wanderlust]

@BrownDerby

FWIW Karl’s mother was a beautiful rider and I give her great credit for raising her horses in huge pastures and not little 12x24 turnout pens.

Agreed - I used to see her schooling big sticks all the time at the Horse Park and she is just lovely to watch. And also an absolutely lovely, gracious human.

[BrownDerby]

I was so happy to see those two mares on top. I hope everyone stays sound and we eventually get a great Team USA. I will be rooting for them whoever is on our team.

[bamboopole]

Does the USA send a traveling reserve?