Where are we to discuss *ok, below expectations* performance of US eventing?

[bornfreenowexpensive]

@LucyShow;6471742

PS Thanks guys for your kind words, yes Wega is one of a kind…

Saras mom who owns the horse turned down a major offer (1,500,000 USD) from a US buyer this fall. She was actually quoted in an article saying “she couldn´t care less for the money, she bred for her daughters to ride, never to sell!!”

As far as I understand O´Connors were involved…DS

Very glad they didn’t sell. She is a lovely mare…and I thought it so cool to see both sisters competing together on the dam and daughter! Can’t wait to see them again.

As to the programs…There are great things out of all the programs accross the world. Things that can be learned from everywhere. The really good riders…are the ones that put in the effort, keep putting in the effort and keep learning from everywhere. Those really top class riders…just like the truly top class horses…do not come along often and are both born and made…

The US does need new leadership. We are getting that…will it be the right leadership…only time will tell. But this sport IS about the horses…and there are no guarantees with horses no matter where you are from. They are beautiful walking time bombs always trying to kill or mame themselves at the worst possible moment.

[thwartedequestrian]

[QUOTE=madamlb;6467385]
Goodness, this thread rankled this morning. Probably because my country, of strong fantastic eventers, had two people fall off. Just a bit crushed over here.

How could you be underwhelmed with three riders in the top twenty and all riders around clear? Couldn’t you be a bit more supportive? It’s not even over yet and you’ve got this thread up! We had two people fall off, and I can promise you the Australian eventing fans are saying how proud we are of our team anyway and how we’ll be back better than ever. Not ripping them apart for falling off. Also, what do you expect? Why does the US have to be the best at everything??? You have a great team (two Australians and Heath Ryan’s horse- just saying’) can’t you just be happy with that and wait and see how they go?

You people are strange.

Sorry if that sounds really harsh, I had about four hours sleep and the rest of the night was spent watching cross country nightmares, I am not my perkiest :D[/QUOTE]

I agree :yes: I think we placed very well, no one got hurt and for crying out loud we at least MADE it to the olympics and placed very well against the best in the WORLD.

But, I don’t think it’s a matter of “the us has to best at everything” who strives to be mediocre and place low? No one. Of course we’re striving to win, who doesn’t? It’s natural to look back and wonder how you could have done better, that’s what makes athletes better the next time.

Now I’m a rank amateur but I thought the US did pretty good… not great obviously. I was disappointed to see so many horses looking too tired after XC and tired for the jumping round. I was very impressed by the british horses who looked fresh as a daisy when they were done with the XC course, under the time. Obviously the problem is us as trainers and riders if you want to win a gold medal. Don’t we get most of our horses from Europe to begin with? The Europeans are winning with them but we aren’t, why?

And btw I really liked the idea someone (sorry I don’t remember who) proposed of having kind of a camp for riders of all ages to improve their riding. Kind of off topic but is there anything being done to help bring up riders?

sorry if I seem ADD, i’m recovering from a fractured hip and taking vicodin :lol:

[Flying_Ponies]

I don’t think the US did so poorly. Our riders tried their guts out.

Interesting ( maybe only to me,lol) was HOW Michael Jung cantered around the arena for SJ and then aimed for the first fence. He and his horse were SO relaxed that he looked like he was going out for a hack. I literally wondered if he realized where he was ! I think it speaks volumes about his partnership with his horse, and all the miles and miles of prep/competitions/whatever. I got the sense that the two were on exactly the same page, paragraph, line and word. ( I watched on BBC so no idea if NBC focused on his entry)

A question : IIRC our team ran Barbury Castle just under 4 weeks prior to the games…Did the other countries do something similar ? Could that effort have been a bit too close to the games wrt performance and recovery time? Or, is that timing just about right for prep?

[nzrider]

Some did some didn’t. Mark Todd ran Campino (and got eliminated for missing a jump XC, glad he got that out of his system!) and a quick browse of the results shows that Imperial Cavalier and Miners Frolic both ran and completed. Andrew N didn’t run Nerero, but two others instead.

Some others did the dressage and SJing olympic test section.

And I didn’t check the other sections, but I’m guessing there may have been a smattering of others running HC in lower sections if they needed a less strenuous run.

So I’m guessing from my quick scan of the results, that each rider did what they felt their Olympic horses needed.

[kalidascope]

[QUOTE=LucyShow;6471721]
You know what?

We are trying to copy you guys! Everyone here is so fed up with “ponyriding” as we call it that the association is trying everything to get the kids to start out earlier on horses and also enforcing “styleclasses” in the Championships for ponies and juniors/YR![/QUOTE]
I think this is important!

‘Down under’ we hear about how (generic) young American riders are so dedicated to their position and having a ‘good’ jump, while our young riders just want to jump higher and higher. Show hunter has made a fairly recent appearance (maybe two decades) on our competition circuits (though most of our SH riders show jump also). It is seen as a good base that more riders should use.

From ESNZ (emphasis mine):

The main reasons for promoting Show Hunter in New Zealand is to develop better schooled, smoother, safer jumping, more balanced and confident horses. It is the ideal arena for young or green horses to experience competition. To provide a competitive arena for less experienced riders or riders who are coming back into the sport after a break from competitive riding. It helps to develop smoother, balanced, sympathetic analytical riders and trainers. It gives more experienced riders the opportunity to compete and improve their riding skills without over stressing their horses.

The grass is always greener. Embrace what you’ve got, don’t wipe it all in search of the ‘answer’. There’s not one answer. No country has been on the top forever with their perfect system.

[wanderlust]

@LucyShow;6471721

You know what?

We are trying to copy you guys! Everyone here is so fed up with “ponyriding” as we call it that the association is trying everything to get the kids to start out earlier on horses and also enforcing “styleclasses” in the Championships for ponies and juniors/YR!

It happens in the US, too. A lot of us hunter and jumper riders are as horrified by the seat-of-the-pants “git 'er done” riding seen at some of the events as the eventers are by the “perching” and counting of strides (although still trying to figure out why the latter is bad) in the hunters.

[kalidascope]

[QUOTE=wanderlust;6472595]
It happens in the US, too. A lot of us hunter and jumper riders are as horrified by the seat-of-the-pants “git 'er done” riding seen at some of the events as the eventers are by the “perching” and counting of strides (although still trying to figure out why the latter is bad) in the hunters.[/QUOTE]
This doesn’t make sense in response to the quoted post. She was admiring hunters, not knocking them, as far as I can read.

Anyway, was browsing around some kiwi Show Hunter stuff and this comment in this article cracked me up, given the gripes about hunters in the States:

Its ever-growing attractiveness seems to be rooted in the lack of elitism associated with the sport in this country. Pretty much any rider, on any breed or type of horse has a realistic shot at stardom.

!!

And one more point from the article that I think is pertinent:

‘Riders should bear in mind that Show Hunter does not have to be the be all and end all,’ says Tracey. ‘While many focus solely on the sport, others use it as a training ground for young horses that are ultimately destined for eventing or the show jumping ring. It’s great for producing a horse that can execute flowing, correct rounds, as well as more confident, skilled riders. It’s a fantastic way to introduce our future champions to competitive equestrian sport.’

[Janet]

@nzrider;6472527

And I didn’t check the other sections, but I’m guessing there may have been a smattering of others running HC in lower sections if they needed a less strenuous run.

More than a smattering. For countries where the team had already been selected, there were more in the ** than the ***(and not necessarily HC).

[Janet]

@Flying Ponies;6472502

A question : IIRC our team ran Barbury Castle just under 4 weeks prior to the games…Did the other countries do something similar ? Could that effort have been a bit too close to the games wrt performance and recovery time? Or, is that timing just about right for prep?

Some of them (incluing at least some of the team Brits, and possibly the Germans) ran a week later in Germany.

[LucyShow]

@kalidascope;6472685

This doesn’t make sense in response to the quoted post. She was admiring hunters, not knocking them, as far as I can read.

Not exactly admiring hunters but saying that we here in Sweden at the moment are trying to copy your agenda to get ahead of the game. I do believe though that the way we let the young people race around in 1,00 meter classes hanging in the innerrein is NOT good. In my opinion there should not be speedclasses until 1,20 level at least.

I haven´t been to the states to a jumper show but I have seen a few young americans in Europe and they have all had superpositions, tempo and plan. And there is one of the trainers in my ridingclub who came back from the US (trained hunters/Equi there I believe) a few years ago that really stands out. Her students all ride very well, nice positions and are all successful up to 1,40 level, she´s is also following her students in competition which is not common here.

I can´t remember who said it but that´s probably the clue to the medals in the next olympics; trying to find the best parts from the best nations and mix them in the right proportions!

[snoopy]

[QUOTE=Janet;6473056]
Some of them (incluing at least some of the team Brits, and possibly the Germans) ran a week later in Germany.[/QUOTE]

Yogi allowed the british team members to ride what ever level they wanted, whether that be 2 or 3 star, as competitive as they wanted, and some chose just a combined test. He said the riders knew their horses best and there for the riders chose what is best for THEIR programme.

[LucyShow]

Toddy wanted Wega!

Just had to share this article, I don´t have the time to translate so I just used googletranslate - so EXCUSE the language in the middle…

Mark Todd wanted to buy Wega****
Posted August 2, 2012, at 11:41 | by Elizabeth Hoffman

Silver Horse Wega could have been ridden by Mark Todd from New Zealand here at the Olympics, unless Sara Algotsson Ostholts mother Margaret was so stubborn.

• He sponsors phoned last fall and wanted to buy, she tells Sportbladet on the phone while she’s looking for his car at Skavsta airport the evening after silver Bang.

Now, Margaret - luckily - completely f-ing impossible to reason with. The horses that are born on her farm is almost as much her children Sarah and Linda.

Still, Mark Todd and his sponsors was desperate. Todd was heading for his seventh Olympics when his horse was injured last fall.

When they got turned down on the Wega they found Campino of German lagryttaren Dirk Schrade. Campino is quite young, but with ring fox Mark Todd that the pilot did they do a good Olympics, finishing twelfth.

Todd was second best on his team, which tricks the bronze from Sweden.