Isn’t it amazing how difficult it is to get across scale and difficulty levels in cross country fence photographs?
Looking at those photos, the first half of the course looks as though it should be very straightforward (when of course it’s not :lol:) because you get no real sense of the actual size of the fences or the ground level and undulations.
There is nothing “straightforward” I don’t think, except maybe a few fences like 1 and a few on the end of the course. I don’t think this is “easy.”
I was a bit dismayed by this course so far, based on the photos taken.
It looks trappy; overloaded with skinnys; poorly decorated (18a); and formulaic. By that, I mean, all the tables have lousy groundlines, (12, 19) all the skinnies have pushed out groundlines (11b, 14b, 22a, 23) both of which catch a horse out. I dislike unfriendly groundlines personally because I have seen some terrible wrecks on things like hayracks, big oxers in the shade with unseeable groundlines. And skinnies with pushed out take-offs really require BIG efforts and accurate placement – by the time you go late in the order, rots of ruck with the footing, your horse will be making much more effort than the first horses on course due to the worn-away takeoff spots.
It seems inconsistent. (3, 3b, 4), (8c, 9) Massive efforts requiring some real galloping and impulsion immediately preceded/followed by squeezy little showjump efforts. I know that’s the trend, but this is excessive. The decor is a little confusing, sparse, and well, weird. (18a, 23, 28)
The “horse trippers” also seem excessive, the little decorative ground level things in the way of good straight lines to the fences. (26)
Why situate big efforts going straight into the ropes?(14a) You have to know big crowds will be there, why add unneccessary levels of difficulty?
My overall impression on first glance at the pictures as they were taken is this is a classless, weird, difficult and horse unfriendly set of efforts. I am worried about the countries other than the big four teams with experienced horses. This almost looks like an Extreme Obstacle course…I’m thinking we ought to send over a few quarter horses and riders in chaps and western saddles with ropes on the saddle horns to negotiate this…ala RFD TV…
The designer obviously has put all the skinnies in to force glance offs and drivebys of the lesser trained horses and riders. Rather than design for the technical difficulty of a Rolex, Badminton, Burghley and let the quality of the horse and rider shine through.
Of course this is just my opinion!!! Based on some pictures on the internet!!
It certainly is interesting. You will need absolute control around that course!
Also, why does every single jump have to have some decoration on it these days. Why can’t there just ever be logs, stones, bushes etc. Do course designers not know how to build a challenging course without throwing nick nacks all over the fences!
Number 18 out of the water looks like it will be a bogey fence.
I think the venue choice ruled out any chances of a Badminton/Burghley type course.
Is there a course map with topo features anywhere online? Or even just a course map?
I wonder why more big time competitions don’t provide a very large scale topo map with the jumping complexes added on top. Then map readers could really see what the course was like.
I really love the Burghley virtual course; why didn’t the OGs do something similar?
It looks like a modern art exhibition.
Wow, fence 28 is wild. Maybe it’s a good thing, after all, that Arthur won’t be running this course?
A virtual course walk would be great…
[QUOTE=Kadenz;6458592]
Wow, fence 28 is wild. Maybe it’s a good thing, after all, that Arthur won’t be running this course?[/QUOTE]
My EXACT thoughts when I saw the see-through horse sculptures!
The whole course looks spooky. I bet we see lots of problems.
I thought after Lainey Ashker’s debacle at Rolex a few years ago, they got rid of jumps with a “roof” like the first fence.
I too would like to see a course map.
[QUOTE=chancellor2;6458661]
I thought after Lainey Ashker’s debacle at Rolex a few years ago, they got rid of jumps with a “roof” like the first fence.
I too would like to see a course map.[/QUOTE]
I thought that was a rotational, not caused by the overhead of the jump. But anyway, you’re right, you certainly don’t seem them as much these days.
Wow. Not a fan at all. Not very creative, very repetitive, table, table, skinny, skinny, skinny, skinny, table, skinny. And that last jump is going to catch more than one person out because Arthur’s not the only horse that doesn’t like shimmery mirage-like life size horses hanging around his jumps. These two are almost worse than the one at Rebecca Farm because they’re leaping at the jump. Sue has never been known as a horse friendly designer but some of those jumps seem designed to trick the horse’s eye. And that’s dangerous.
This course almost looks way too easy for the medal contenders and randomly dangerous for less experienced pairs who might be relying on the horse’s eye a bit more. Only needing 3/5 to finish, I dont see this course changing the standings at the top at all.
Any idea who will be first out on course? Is is the first rider from the team drawn first (us) the first rider drawn first (ronald zabala) or has the draw order not been set.
Totally agree with you, especially with the above.
Personally, I am very disappointed with the lack of specific information for the public about the XC course. The whole eventing competition is being run “in the dark” IMO.
[QUOTE=Kadenz;6458666]
I thought that was a rotational, not caused by the overhead of the jump. But anyway, you’re right, you certainly don’t seem them as much these days.[/QUOTE]
I thought I remembered them saying that the rotational fall was caused because the horse was “ducking” from the overhead…But I could be completely off base here.
Agree with retreadeventer & NCrider. Almost like the horses got left out of the equation in the effort to make it “impressive” for the viewers. At least it has a very “international” flavor–for what that’s worth.
Maybe Allison can find some consolation in the fact that at least Arthur won’t be forced to confront his ghost horse nemesis and its evil twin. If they had been among the leaders after dressage and had made it around fast and clean all the way to the last fence only to have Arthur take a left turn through the crowd back to the barn, that would have been heartbreaking.
Burghley may be a better option all around for them and I can see them doing well.
Last thought. I hope it stays dry because most of those jumps have a very narrow possible takeoff spot and as the day goes on, that spot is going to get more and more torn up.
