I can’t believe there’s not a thread on this yet. Thoughts on the incident? Thoughts on outing this rider? Definitely not appropriate at a show or at home. I’ll just leave this here for discussion.
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/…ampton-classic
P.s.- not trying to be a **** stirrer, i just think it’s something that we should discuss in this forum.
Really outrageous. First, learn to sit a tiny little dolphin move like this if you are going to do the AOs. Second, do you know what most people would give to show there and on that lovely horse?
I can not even for one second deal with this!
I can only imagine what happens at home if this is your reaction at a huge show with spectators.
Ban for a year, minimum. That poor horse deserves someone who actually cares about it.
PS I would maybe add to the thread name to garner some attention.
well, my first response is: That will teach her to keep her shoulders back. Seriously, she should NOT have come off.
As far as her little tantrum afterwards? Clearly poor sportsmanship and I think the consequences are severe enough: it’s all over the internet for folks like us to poke at. I bet she won’t do that again!
Yeah I couldn’t even believe my own eyes. I mean, I don’t think I would see this conduct at my local schooling show series, let alone the Hampton Classic.
A$$hole
Do a quick google search and you will quickly realize why nothing more was said or done… I highly doubt anyone is going to reprimand an heiress…
Absolutely unacceptable but that was a dirty, dirty trick on the horse’s part too. Think it must be a frequent thing at home considering how rehearsed both of their reactions looked. Rider was mad and horse knew the kick was coming…
My prediction? The rider’s attorney will send COH a cease and desist letter. The video will come down. The rider’s PR person will issue a profound apology and cite all the wonderful horse welfare activities and rider has supported (financially because well, look who it is). USEF will say the matter was "thoroughly investigated " via its new, stringent, “horse welfare guidelines” and it was determined that no harm came to the horse and that the stewards, judges, and show management all acted properly. Then, The USEF will go back to their highly important investigation of the morality of horse birth control medication. Your membership dollars st work!
Without justifying AT ALL the rider’s reaction (let me say that one more time, without justifying AT ALL THE RIDER’S REACTION)…
That horse looks like he plays real dirty. On the takeoff side she cantered up to what was going to be the right distance and he did a big prop like he was perhaps going to stop and spin out (or bolt-- a stride out it seems like he was going to pull SOMETHING and in response she put her leg on), then instead jumped big, and was ready to put his head down and porpoise on the landing. Looks like a horse that knows how to get you off on the takeoff or the landing and pulls both tricks out of his bag at shows when he knows he can.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN I THINK IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO KICK AT HIS BELLY OR YANK ON HIS MOUTH
But I get the feeling this horse is dirty, has done it before, maybe especially takes advantage of the show setting, and the rider may have lost her temper. This didn’t look like the first time she’d ridden to a fine distance on this horse at a show and got dumped in response.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN I THINK WHAT SHE DID WAS OKAY. It just means, I think that horse is one that can challenge your nerves. That’s all. I see a lot of people criticizing the RIDE and while I think the REACTION may have been unsportsmanlike, I think the ride reflects a dirty stopper and a horse that knows how to get a rider off in the show ring.
They article said she came back for a second trip. I do not think she should have been allowed back in the ring. FYI- I witnessed a trainer kick a horse in the belly of the paddock at the Maryland Hunt Cup (biggest steeplechase race in the United States) when it went down (not sure if it was trying to tie up, or what)…he was ultimately (and swiftly…like the week following the race), heavily fined and disallowed from competing in any future National Steeplechase Association (NSA) events for the remainder of the year. I would like to think that the USEF would react similarly, but…they won’t.
I agree with this. I see a horse that has a bad habit that should probably be corrected at home, by galloping forward after the fence with a rider who can stick a buck and is prepared for it by staying in the back seat a bit. I agree that her reaction was inappropriate.
I completely agree with you. The prop before the jump where he looked for a second like he was about to duck out, and then jumping very big and awkwardly, and then completely stopping his momentum and dropping his head underneath his knees, pulling the reins down to pull her out of the tack…
Well… that’s no accident.
I’m not justifying her behavior, I found it very unsportsmanlike. I would say that ride looked very dirty to me from both sides. I’m not sure I would have stayed on either. This January I was riding a really nice horse who had a similar habit. It is really, really hard to sit when they stop immediately on landing. She got me to tumble off in a very similar way the first time she pulled it. Granted, no kicking from the ground happened, but I did smack her behind the leg a stride before take-off in every fence approach after!
so, I truly believe what she did was wrong. But it was also a harmless, stupid display of bad sportsmanship. There are so many cases out there of serious horse abuse that SHOULD and MUST be addressed swiftly and harshly. This? She was simply embarrassing herself and looking stupid and childlike. Meh…
Agreed. I can’t believe this happened at one of the biggest shows of the year. That being said I have seen something similar at Devon, but she thought no one could see her. The fact that she did this in front of everyone is quite surprising. [edit]
That could be true, but she has won Derby’s on him, so he can’t be that dirty. It wasn’t a nice move on his part, but she could have sat up and rode it forward. It sucked that he was being an ass, but work on that at home. My green bean of an OTTB runs out at fences when he is unsure of the distance, I don’t kick or smack him at shows (granted its just schooling shows right now, and not the big time), instead I try and regroup, circle and make sure the approach is better.
Maybe the horse doesn’t want to jump because it gets beat at home.
Maybe its sore.
Maybe its gut hurts from being booted all the time.
Maybe it was drugged.
I do not blame a horse whatsoever for a simple “look” and a little crow hop, its a horse not a robot. The RIDER needs to investigate the horses behavior in the best way possible, not jump off ready to boot it like a football.
Makes me think of the showjumper who got dumped in the ring. Stands up and helps the jump crew put the fences back up. Thats what a TRUE horseman do.
oh shes the heiress to Johnson and Johnson…wow $$$$$$$$$$$
Yeah, the outrage at this particular incident is a little out of proportion, given what goes on in the industry. Absolutely something that I would point out to a student or child, if I was a trainer or parent, as being inappropriate though.
Not sure that’s really relevant.
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