World Cup 2017 in Omaha

[netg]

@TequilaMockingbird

I was not impressed with Hester’s ride. Both Nip Tuck and Glock’s Voice didn’t appear to sit much in piaffe. It looked like they were just bouncing their hind end. Both horses seemed to have similar piaffes but Voice’s trot extensions were beautiful. Nip Tuck’s trot extension was practically non existent. 3 or 4 horses were striking the ground with their hind toe during the passage, including Nip TUck

Rosamunde’s piaffe really hurt her. She almost looked like she was about to step on her hind feet and then she’d get stuck for a few seconds when he asked for a transition. I’m curious if that has been an issue in her other recent tests or if it’s recent. It seemed much worse during the freestyle than it did in the Grand Prix.

I have heard about Nip Tuck’s lack of natural talent from interviews of Carl, and I was impressed with their ride because I felt as if Carl got every single point possible out of the horse each ride. He made sure to keep him poll high, nose at or in front of the vertical so he couldn’t even lose points for that - plus combined with the rest of his riding that helps a horse who has a less active/talented hind end naturally to be more active and show better movement. I think they delivered all that horse could possibly do, and to me THAT was what made it impressive, since they did it with as much relaxation as you could hope for from a known nervous type, with a harmonious and happy seeming connection.

As for Rosamunde - she has done this for at least two years. I asked a former Olympian about it back in Vegas after their demo ride, saying I don’t even known how to teach piaffe much less how to fix what is clearly an issue. She had never had a problem like that and didn’t know how you would fix it either. It seems as if the horse doesn’t quite understand he’s just asking her to take more weight and is trying as hard as she possibly can to please. On top of that, as soft and mobile as Steffen gets his horses’ toplines combined with her just unreal amazing flexibility in her lower back - she gets herself stuck. I would love to know if any other horse ever has had that combination of supple topline from work plus natural flexibility and had a similar problem, and how they fixed it.
If you weren’t listening to Axel’s commentary, he said Steffen had a surprise planned at the very end of the test. I suspect that moment where she appeared to be trying to levade may have been intentional - and if so, it made me so want to be a fly on the wall for their training discussions, knowing if perhaps they were using that to try to get her to put weight behind instead of stepping so far under to help her understand what was wanted. I was convinced she is an insanely cool horse with a unique problem caused by her extreme athleticism and try, and hope they figure out how to get her to just fold the hind legs, so we can see just how spectacular she can be.

[BigMama1]

I agree about Nip Tuck’s lack of impressiveness, and about the impressiveness of Carl’s skill as a rider and trainer. That to me epitomizes exactly what dressage is about - using correct riding and training to help overcome weaknesses in the horse and make them the best they can be.

[Crash_Helmet]

Omaha pulled out all the stops and I was impressed with the city and their World Cup event! Aside from the great stuff already mentioned, the event organizers really thought about horses. Tim Dutton and state officials jumped through all the hoops to get Eppley Airfield classified as an international airport so horses could fly in directly. The governor went to greet the first cargo plane full of horses. All arrivals were escorted from the airfield to Century Link by Omaha police. They created multiple longeing areas so that horses arriving from Europe could be exercised immediately instead of sitting in stalls through the quarantine period. They erected a safety barrier so that horses could be hand grazed on grass behind the arena. Riders and support teams raved about the attention Omaha gave to the horses’ comfort. For anyone who saw the horse accommodations in Vegas, there’s no question which city does a better job.

I’ll be there when the WC returns to Omaha.

[catzndogz22]

Another Omaha fan here. My friends and I went to the WC in Las Vegas in 2015 as well. In short, Omaha was a much warmer, more intimate environment and it was fully inundated with horse-lovers. In Las Vegas, we stayed at MGM Grand, where the riders were staying, in hopes of seeing them in person on the ground. Over the four days in Las Vegas, we had one Edward Gal and Hans Peter sighting from a distance. In Omaha, we ran into the riders, coaches, judges all over the place. All but one were very friendly and gracious when we said hello, gushed, wished luck, etc. We rode the elevator once with Edward Gal but were too starstruck to speak. Oops! Shortly after that, we rode the elevator with Isabell Werth who happily agreed to take a selfie with us. We were thrilled! We ran into Maria Florencia Manfredi in the shopping pavilion on Thursday and she was beaming with excitement and totally adorable. We rode the hotel shuttle from the Old Market area back to the hotel with Judy Reynolds and her coach and groom? and they were friendly and happy to engage with us. We saw Kristy Oatley at breakfast and she was happy that someone in North America recognized her. (To be perfectly honest, we saw someone in full seat breeches and had to match the face to the profile… but we didn’t tell her that.) As for the venue, we loved being able to watch riders warm up in the shopping pavilion.

For both Las Vegas and Omaha, we were there, first and foremost, to watch fantastic riding. The activities outside of the arena were secondary. The lack of diversions in Omaha gave us a better opportunity to engage not only with the competitors and their support team but also with the other fans. Everyone within bazooka range of the venue was there for the World Cup. Oh, and nobody else has mentioned how over-the-top genuinely friendly the local Omahans are. Seriously, we made new “friends” everywhere we went. Lastly, the indoor air quality was WAY WAY WAY better in Omaha. The hotel lobby wasn’t suffocating with cigarette smoke and the Omaha event organizers didn’t feel the need to launch fireworks inside the competition venue every time there was a 15-minute break.

If I want a drunken, indulgent, gambling and/or spa weekend in complete anonymity, I’ll go to Las Vegas. As a World Cup spectator, I’d choose Omaha over Las Vegas every time.

[Mardi]

@marianne

. I do have a question about Steffen Peters and the amount of collection of Rosamunde. Was that too much collection for the piaffe where she was very close on her steps and looking like a horse getting ready to do an “air above the ground”. Not enough forward? Not judging but just want to know and develop my eye.

In the GP, Rosamund had severe triangulation (pedestaling) in the piaffe, which is not correct. Her front legs were so far underneath her that she looked as if she would tip forward and hit the ground on her face. As a consequence, she had difficulty transitioning out of it - going forward - because her front legs were so far behind, and carrying her weight. To go forward, she had to first transfer her weight back to the hind legs, lift her forehand, then move the front legs forward and out of the way of the oncoming hind legs. The transition was awkward and jerky, and the judges’ marks reflected that. Not to worry about her going into an air above the ground from that position; it would have been practically impossible to go smoothly up to a levade, which is the next movement in collection after a piaffe. I am a big fan of the mare, and have watched her come along since she first arrived, but was very surprised to see that the piaffe was in such dire straits, especially at such a top international show. In the freestyle the problem was still there, but not as bad.

For a good explanation of causes of triangulation/pedestal in the piaffe,
read http://www.paulbelasik.com/images/dl/Article_3.pdf by Paul Belasik.
Paragraphs 3 and 4 especially.

Hope this helps !

[arenabound]

I am another who much preferred Omaha to Las Vegas. The hospitality was exceptional and I loved that you could walk everywhere (unless one of the buses stopped to ask you if you wanted a ride to the arena). There are lovely little shops and restaurants throughout the Old Market, lots of riverfront walkways, and an art museum within walking distance. We walked over the pedestrian bridge to Iowa and even had breakfast at the country club restaurant there. The breakfast at the Diner was great fun, and we had homemade ice cream from Ted and Wally’s (gosh, it sounds like all we did was eat!). Omaha had a sense of American pride which I loved. I hope it is held there again.

[LadyNeon01]

I had a blast in Omaha! The fact that we could walk to everything, if we wanted, was a nice perk. The shuttle buses were a nice touch, especially with the rainy weather. I wish it would have been a bit warmer so I really could have walked to CenturyLink Center.

Others have already mentioned it, but I need to say it myself. Everyone was so friendly, helpful, and welcoming. If the weather would have been better, I would have done more exploring. But regardless, it was fun walking around Old Market. The candy shop on the corner of 10th and Howard was to die for.

We spent most of our time at the arena, except for a field trip out to The Paddock tack store on Friday morning. I thought the food choices at the arena were a bit expensive, but on par with most other arenas.

I loved running into a few riders in the shopping area. I saw Inessa Merkulova and Kasey Perry-Glass on Wednesday afternoon. I walked right past George Morris along the rail of the warm-up area, then realized it was him about 3 steps later. Then I ran into Kasey again on Friday.

I wish I would have gotten to meet some of you who went. Alas, I’m a bit of an introvert and just wandered around the shopping area with my two friends who came with me.

[Crash_Helmet]

Great post on pedestaling, Mardi. I have a series of photos from the freestyle that show it in fairly shocking detail. Yikes.

[SendenHorse]

The FEI TV commentator spent a lot of time discussing Rosamunde and her piaffe, and general strength issues, would encourage you to replay the GP ride if you have a subscription. It was very informative. I did not care for that ride at all, however, the rest were lovely.

[alicen]

@TequilaMockingbird

I also noticed Glock Voice’s feet. He almost looked coon footed in person.

OK, I give up. I’ve never heard the term “coon footed” before.

[pony4me]

I had a great time there too, and agree with all the good things previous posters said about Omaha and how they ran the competition. I hope they are able to successfully bid for another competition soon.

Did anyone use the Spectator Judging app? It was fun. The audience scores were very close to the judge’s scores in most cases. Look for that app to be used in future FEI dressage competitions and eventually rolled out for other disciplines.

[Magicboy]

Omaha has a lot to offer and the local GMO o, the Nebraska Dressage Association, even got members to scribe! Lots of horse lovers in the fly over countryside

[outerbanks77]

Add me to the list of visitors who were extremely pleased with my visit to Omaha. I saved money by staying at one of the airport hotels for <$100/night, and it ended up being surprisingly walkable during the day, and a $6 Uber ride after the events at night. All of the locals I encountered were really proud of having the event there, and the hospitality was great. Food was good and reasonably priced, and I was not bored for a minute. The only thing I might add would be additional seminars or clinics available for auditing in the mornings. I enjoyed the natural horsemanship clinic that came with the dressage tickets, and would have liked more of that sort of thing. I wish Tristan Tucker would have done a demo, instead of just his clown act!

I doubt I’ll go when they have it in Vegas. I did Vegas a few times when I was in my 20’s and I’m done with it. Not to mention, the extra expense could better go towards more riding lessons.

[lorilu]

Loved it. Agree with all the comments about the friendliness and ease getting around. Our hotel had a shuttle thqat would bring you anywhere, and pick you up… every half hour. The restaurants were fab - we had to decide to NOT eat lunch one day so we could enjoy a nice steak dinner - too much food on the plates!! Really enjoyed IW’s demo session, and getting to watch the warm up arena was so instructive!!! Agree with wishing there were more seminars etc, and why didnt they have the live scoring screens like we see at Aachen? Wish there were more vendors … and of course arena food is crap.
Not to worry, though - in 2018 it’s in Paris!!

[marianne]

@pony4me

I had a great time there too, and agree with all the good things previous posters said about Omaha and how they ran the competition. I hope they are able to successfully bid for another competition soon.

Did anyone use the Spectator Judging app? It was fun. The audience scores were very close to the judge’s scores in most cases. Look for that app to be used in future FEI dressage competitions and eventually rolled out for other disciplines.

We did! And my daughter won the prize!! We went to the Press conference and had a wonderful great time.

[Cowgirl]

Had a fabulous time in Omaha, staying in the Old Market area with four friends. We flew in on Wednesday, and easy flight for us from Denver. The hospitality was unmatched, the restaurants were fabulous (we had made reservations all four nights we were there and had some of the best meals–and inventive menus–that we’d had in a long time), the shopping was laid out great and our seats were unbelievably close to the action. Really really enjoyed it! The riders seemed to enjoy it too. It was great seeing them all in the shopping areas too. Everything in walking distance, but shuttles willing to take us anywhere. I much prefer the focus that we had in Omaha than the craziness of Las Vegas. I thought Isabel’s demo was worth the price of the tickets, but wish they had given her more time as she was clearly happy to teach for as long as it took (and could have done without some of the freestyle demos to make more room for Isabel’s). It would have been great if they had done something similar with Carl. It was a fun fun trip. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

How nice it was to provide us with a free app and free commentary!

[TequilaMockingbird]

@alicen

OK, I give up. I’ve never heard the term “coon footed” before.

Long pasterns, almost horizontal.

http://www.donblazer.com/images/c5.JPG

[Xctrygirl]

@TequilaMockingbird

Long pasterns, almost horizontal.

http://www.donblazer.com/images/c5.JPG

So wouldn’t that be on/ close to DSLD nowadays???

Em

[netg]

@Xctrygirl

So wouldn’t that be on/ close to DSLD nowadays???

Em

DSLD is a disease which affects the whole body. So no.

[Jarpur]

Checking in late to this thread. This was my fifth WC; I’ve been to Las Vegas for three of them. I agree that the CenturyLink is superior to the Thomas & Mack, but am not personally familiar with the T Mobile/MGM arena where the WC will be held in LV.

I liked the warm friendliness of the locals, who seemed sincerely glad to host the event, the frequent, convenient shuttles, the greatly improved shopping, the warm-up arena, and the demo-arena. We had picked a hotel within a short distance, but the weather kept us from ever even trying to walk back and forth to the venue, which was not a problem because of the stellar shuttle service. We were in the Old Market area, and were able to cross the street and have a couple good (and one fantastic) dinners there, then stroll around and window shop.

We also made it out to the world-class zoo on Friday morning (best weather of the trip, IMO), where we spent hours but still didn’t manage to see everything. There was enough happening in Omaha that I could see visiting the city again someday.

But, there were some issues. For instance, the “live” commentary over the WC app was delayed, as opposed to the instant commentary available over FM radio in LV. Watching a live sporting performance accompanied by commentary that bears no relation to what was actually taking place at that moment was annoying and distracting. I spoke with the Markel (company that sponsored the radios in LV) rep about how much we missed the previous method of providing commentary (also mentioned by Axel over the app), and he told us he was contacted 10 days before the WC (!) about providing the radios but wasn’t able to reach an arrangement with the hosts. He plans to provide them once again in LV, and I was very glad to hear that.

It was disappointing that the international stars (IW and TRT) giving clinics were cut short, despite the protestations of the audience, in favor of lesser presenters (including some repeat appearances). Some promised presentations listed on the show bill were not, in fact, presented, as a foreign spectator complained to me. I understand that situations can arise so that substitutes are necessary, but it seemed that the organization and time management of a couple of sessions were lacking.

I appreciated that the shopping village, demos, and warmup arena were open to all, and hope it helped introduced our sport to the general public (loved seeing the school groups go through) - and possibly won some new converts - and made the show a financial success for the vendors so that they’ll return to future WCs. But, having things set up this way meant that average ticketholders (can’t speak for the VIPs) didn’t have the freedom to go back and forth from the main arena to the shopping village, unlike LV. Once we left the village, we went through bag check before presenting our tickets at the arena entrance. Once we had our tickets validated to enter the arena, we couldn’t exit to go back to the village and then be re-admitted later.

As all-session ticketholders, we were hoping for something along the lines of a wristband or hand stamp, which would have given us a little more freedom to move throughout the building. Of course, LV also had bag check and scanned tickets for admittance but, once inside, we could walk freely from the arena to the concourse to the shopping and back again – it was possible to make a quick trip to the shopping to pick up an item during intermission while the arena was being groomed, for instance. So, in Omaha, there were inconveniences for actual paid ticketholders, in order to provide free admittance to the shopping village/demo/warmup areas for the general public.

Omaha shouldn’t have tried to copy LV, as far as the opening ceremonies, of course, but perhaps some of the entertaiment could have been of a little higher standard. The child singers were very sweet, for example, but the tee-shirts and non-coordinated sweat pants as apparel didn’t seem entirely appropriate for the occasion.

We’ve always stayed in a non-smoking, casino-free, hotel in LV for WC, as in Omaha this time, and never came home with clothing reeking of cigarettes. We enjoyed being able to see top entertainers/shows on our free nights there, and will look forward to that again. I hope that the facilities provided for the horses in LV will be as excellent as in Omaha, and that the shopping village is as good.

All in all, we were glad that we went to Omaha, overall had a very good time while there, and hope to visit again someday, but we’ll also be happy to attend the WC in LV when it returns there, as that’s an easier travel connection for us, the weather should be better (not that Omaha was responsible for the weather), and we like seeing top entertainment in our spare time.