Thoughts from show jumpers

[chunky_munky]

[QUOTE=swmorse;6491109]
McLain’s comments showed no class. He basically said, my horse did not do well, I however, rode great.

If the horse was not up to the task, the blame falls on the rider. He said his horse ran out of gas. Perhaps a better conditioning program?

He did say all the horses are great, just don’t have the consistancy. Hopefully he and his teammates will work with those horses so they have the chance to become great teams, as he and Beezie had with Sapphire and Authentic.

But I have to say, if he were on my horse, I believe I’d find another rider.

If he publicly says my horse isn’t good enough, I guess he can find something better to ride.[/QUOTE]

I believe that the Wards own a lrge part of Andy, so I guess he can say what he thinks without being worried about being spanked.
To opine that horses never make errors or are always up to a task, and its always the rider’s fault sounds a bit like one has been riding along in the turnip truck.

[ser42]

I don’t think it’s what he said, just kind of how he said it. Or praised himself in the same breath. But yeah, maybe it just reads a lot worse than if we heard him deliver it.

Like I said, I usually defend McLain and I think he gets unfairly crapped on quite a bit. In this case I don’t really think he helped himself, is all I’m sayin’.

[simc24]

[QUOTE=ser42;6491192]
I don’t think it’s what he said, just kind of how he said it. Or praised himself in the same breath. But yeah, maybe it just reads a lot worse than if we heard him deliver it.

Like I said, I usually defend McLain and I think he gets unfairly crapped on quite a bit. In this case I don’t really think he helped himself, is all I’m sayin’.[/QUOTE]

I agree with this assessment. I’m a huge McLain fan, but I think it was pretty tacky to blame his horse publicly. Seems like pretty poor sportsmanship to me.

[chunky_munky]

I think that you all are forgetting that Mclain shattered his kneecap early this winter. I am sure that there was some thought about if he was physically able. I think that you also need to read a little into his statement regarding that. There was a bit of controversy regarding his getting a bye based on his condition.
Mclain is perhaps the best and most consistant rider that the USA has ever produced. He is also able to come up with money and support for quality horses.
There have been a number of good riders that have been one or two trick ponies that cannot produce the sponsors or dollars to purchase good horses. That is a skill of itself. Mclain can rally the troops when a horse is needed.
i think that everyone was expecting Sara back. 4 months before the Olympics you can’t switch horses and find a good one. ( well maybe if you are the Saudi’s… but I digress) Andy is a nice horse, but replacing Sara… well who could?

[ser42]

[QUOTE=chunky munky;6491539]
I think that you all are forgetting that Mclain shattered his kneecap early this winter. I am sure that there was some thought about if he was physically able. I think that you also need to read a little into his statement regarding that. There was a bit of controversy regarding his getting a bye based on his condition.
Mclain is perhaps the best and most consistant rider that the USA has ever produced. He is also able to come up with money and support for quality horses.
There have been a number of good riders that have been one or two trick ponies that cannot produce the sponsors or dollars to purchase good horses. That is a skill of itself. Mclain can rally the troops when a horse is needed.
i think that everyone was expecting Sara back. 4 months before the Olympics you can’t switch horses and find a good one. ( well maybe if you are the Saudi’s… but I digress) Andy is a nice horse, but replacing Sara… well who could?[/QUOTE]

Well, this is true. It’s possible someone had just asked him if his knee had anything to do with not medaling. Could very well be taken out of context. Maybe I’ll go with that explanation.

[nutmeg]

Looks like Eurocommerce London is available if he wants another chestnut. The Dutch websites are reporting that the horse was taken into custody right in Greenwich Park and is now hanging out at Ben Maher’s. The owner, Ger Visser, is evidently in diep stront after some financial setbacks and London was re-poed like a '98 Oldsmobile.(Source: www.bokt.nl) I find that unbearably sad.

[chunky_munky]

Happens more than you think. Just not usually quite so public. Just nice that they waited until after the competition.

[MHM]

@nutmeg;6491572

Looks like Eurocommerce London is available if he wants another chestnut. The Dutch websites are reporting that the horse was taken into custody right in Greenwich Park and is now hanging out at Ben Maher’s. The owner, Ger Visser, is evidently in diep stront after some financial setbacks and London was re-poed like a '98 Oldsmobile.(Source: www.bokt.nl) I find that unbearably sad.

Wow, that would stink.

The fact is you can be the best rider in the world, but without the right horseflesh, you’re just another person standing at the in gate holding your saddle.

[Secret_Dove]

[QUOTE=nutmeg;6491572]
Looks like Eurocommerce London is available if he wants another chestnut. The Dutch websites are reporting that the horse was taken into custody right in Greenwich Park and is now hanging out at Ben Maher’s. The owner, Ger Visser, is evidently in diep stront after some financial setbacks and London was re-poed like a '98 Oldsmobile.(Source: www.bokt.nl) I find that unbearably sad.[/QUOTE]
That’s very sad. He’s a lovely horse. There’s talk going around that Qatar and or Saudi Arabia are interested in buying the horse and so is Ben Maher. I hope he’ll go to Ben, at least he’ll have a good home. There’s also talk going around that the whole Eurocommerce Stables are going down and all the horses under their ownership must be sold/auctioned off. Very sad.

[chunky_munky]

At this level there is not a bad home.They are all just competitive homes. It appears that Jan Tops was the coach for the Saudis. He is a genious. He was hired, he purchased the right horses, he trained them well. And they presented sound.
And his beautiful wife Edwina was a close winner for Australia.
The USA is a group that shows up for the competition. They show up with their owners horses, having to teach riding lessons most of their time. When we have Jan Tops as a chef or similar with unlimited funds i will say that USA will be able to produce.

[fargaloo]

[QUOTE=ser42;6491554]
Well, this is true. It’s possible someone had just asked him if his knee had anything to do with not medaling. Could very well be taken out of context. Maybe I’ll go with that explanation. :p[/QUOTE]

Interesting interpretation – hadn’t thought of that. Happy to give him the benefit of the doubt

Really sad about Eurocommerce London - not because I think the horse will end up in a bad way; just that I hate the cold-hard-cash aspect of the sport (I did say I was Pollyanna, didn’t I ;)). Sad for the rider to miss out on the commission, too – wouldn’t Schroder normally get something from the sale?

I did not know that Jan Tops was the coach of the Saudis – I looove his wife’s little horse Itot du Chateau!!

[MHM]

I wonder if London’s rider knew about it beforehand, or if he only found out when the horse didn’t get on the truck to go home.

Does anyone have a link to a news story about it in English?

[ChelseaR]

[QUOTE=mayhew;6490510]

I wonder what Ian meant, that he would have liked more team company. Tiffany?[/QUOTE]

Probably his two kids who also show jump… I think he mentioned that they were trying to get on the team as well this year.

[_jumper]

Eric’s comment is just heartbreaking. Same situation as McLain, really, just two very different ways of addressing it. Eric praised his mount and chalked it up to a disappointing but unavoidable situation, and McLain was just a tad snooty…

[misswinfortune]

I am a big MW fan and I think we have to acknowledge he could’ve been thinking about Andy’s performance at Devon and saying he should’ve been as good as he was then…
but I agree, not a good way to put it.

[Mardi]

@Equibrit;6491064

Telegraph article on Lord Harris (Hello Sanctos’s owner);
By Ian Chadband

The sparky bay gelding, renamed Hello Sanctos, could be the ultimate 'Plastic Brit’. Belgian-born, stabled in the US and Germany, owned by an American and then a Ukrainian oil tycoon, the globe-trotting horse is now an honorary Scot at Brash’s stables in Peebles.

Anyone know who had the horse in the U.S. ?

[Coreene]

Stanny van Paesschen is the Saudi national coach. Jan is Kamal Bahamdan’s coach.

[HalteranAlter]

[QUOTE=Mardi;6491979]
Anyone know who had the horse in the U.S. ?[/QUOTE]

Peter Wylde

http://www.peter-wylde.com/horses/past-horses

[chunky_munky]

[QUOTE=jumper;6491899]
Eric’s comment is just heartbreaking. Same situation as McLain, really, just two very different ways of addressing it. Eric praised his mount and chalked it up to a disappointing but unavoidable situation, and McLain was just a tad snooty…[/QUOTE]

Oh please. Eric took it out on the FEI an CE. Mclain is just speaking the truth. Horse cuts down. Always has. And Eric doesn’t own his horse. Mclain does. Lets all look at facts like a grown up, not who petted their horse.

[FalseImpression]

@chunky munky;6492138

Oh please. Eric took it out on the FEI an CE. Mclain is just speaking the truth. Horse cuts down. Always has. And Eric doesn’t own his horse. Mclain does. Lets all look at facts like a grown up, not who petted their horse.

Enough of Eric took it out on EC and FEI, different subjects altogether. And maybe, you will be glad he did what he did if they change the rule.

We are talking about MW’s comments on his own horse… and Eric commented on his own mare, not on MW’s. Derly Chin is young (9 yo and did not compete in her 8 yo) and she is maturing and doing as best as can be expected.