I am fascinated by Kirsty Short’s Cossan Lad and his busy, busy tail.
I, too noticed Al being pushed towards the upper limit of his scope. Over the larger and more technical elements you could see him lose his o/f form. The same went for stadium. I also saw her go to the whip several times. One time, i remember it being rather hard swats, not taps of encouragement. BUT, I was not sitting on the horse and I’m assuming she did what she needed as she knows the horse very well. Now, just because I have never ridden at the four star level etc DOES NOT mean that I have to give my right to say that I am not a fan of Lainey’s style. I prefer a rider with a better leg. She seems very on her knee and, at times, seems to put her in a precarious position. HOWEVER, we are all a work in progress.
[QUOTE=yourcolorfuladdiction;8305934]
And as many of you haven’t and never will run around a 4*, it’s not your place to judge. So unless you have completed a Burghley 4*, keep the Monday morning QB’ing to yourself. It’s super inappropriate.[/QUOTE]
This is a professional sport and it is the right of every fan to Monday Morning QB and second guess. It is as appropriate here as it is in football, soccer, baseball, etc.
As far as Laine’s experience, if my count is right she and AL have completed Rolex **** four times along with multiple 3*. As well as a Rolex completion on St James Place. Lynn, just for comparison sake, has 2 Rolexes, One Pau and one WEG if my count is correct. So not a hill of beans difference. Arguably, Al was a more experienced horse at this level.
[QUOTE=yourcolorfuladdiction;8305934]
Not every horse is built with unlimited scope; if Al is unresponsive to her leg for any reason (distracted by the sea of people, flustered by any number of things), he isn’t scopey enough to get them both out of trouble in a pinch (hence the tendency to refuse when the distance isn’t right). If she feels like her horse isn’t responding as expected or as necessary to her leg, it’s her job to bring him back to focus (or assess that he is too tired and retire, Al was not tired). If she doesn’t keep her horse focused, the results could be catastrophic.
This horse is being ridden more towards his upper limit; he is very fit and intelligent and being piloted around by a skilled rider that needs 4* EXPERIENCE. Lainey is out to complete the event to gain international 4* experience, she’s not out to beat Michael Jung. Besides, the only way to get better is to gain experience and have a good coach (and she seems to be checking both of those boxes). Her goals are going to be much different than Colleen’s or Lynn’s. She shouldn’t be bashed because she didn’t produce a clean result or because she had to work to keep Al’s attention (she wasn’t wolluping him, it wasn’t done in a manner that was excessive or intended to cause harm).
And as many of you haven’t and never will run around a 4*, it’s not your place to judge. So unless you have completed a Burghley 4*, keep the Monday morning QB’ing to yourself. It’s super inappropriate.[/QUOTE]
I’m sorry, have YOU ridden at the UL? If not, according to your post you don’t have any business piecing apart Lainey’s ride, good or bad.
I think it’s absurd to think that we should not criticize, question, or intelligently discuss a rider and horse’s way of going… This is not the sport for flowery feelings and ballet recital - this is a gritty, raw sport in which all participants are welcome and should be welcome to lend their opinion to the discussion. We absolutely need to question and challenge those at the upper echelon of the sport - the horse’s welfare is not always the first thing in their minds and while this field of riders was by and large great there are still professionals who make egregious errors that cause themselves and their mounts serious harm. Lainey is one of them. You may be too young to remember but there was a whole lot of controversy regarding Lainey not so long ago and IMHO some of it was not wrongly placed.
Like Subk said, there are plenty of us here who have enough experience to draw forth from that ride whether or not it was a good or bad ride. We are allowed our opinons, we are allowed our concerns. Most of the vets and TDs at Burghley or other 4s have not run a 4 but their opinion is very valid and instrumental to the sport.
Personally I found Lainey to be a disappointment this time around, for her inconsistency as a helmet advocate and the ride she gave Al. I hope she gave him plenty of praise for trying his heart out for her because I saw none in the video.
On a more positive note I really loved watching MJ and CR ride… As well as Lynn. I watched MJ’s rides first and that may have been a mistake – he made the course look deceptively easy and gave a ride that was very harmonious. Watching some of the others which were good rides as well colored my perspective a bit - I guess we can’t all be super-rider-freaks like MJ.
I wasn’t bashing LA, I was merely pointing out she used the whip quite frequently - almost after every single fence - however when the horse did negotiate a tough fence well there was 0 praise. That is a stark contrast in my eyes and not one that breeds confidence. Her horse came very close to a rotational fall out of the water, I’m sure that was a confidence shaker. A good boy or a pat or two would let the horse know everything is ok.
Just my arm chair quarter back opinion. That being said, I’ve watched Rolex in person 7 times, and watched Badminton and Burghley videos for the last 15 years at least a hundred times (I was an obsessed teen lol). You learn to see what effective and good riding looks like.
Hey guys just getting back in from England and thanks for all the praise you’re giving Colleen and CR they were both awesome and CR was the youngest horse at the event. Colleen is super proud of the boy. I have too point out Colleen does have a string of horses moving up she has a 3* horse a 2* horse and a 1* horse so it’s not like she doesn’t have up and comers. Check out the entries at Plantation. She has a plan and she is sticking with it??
For the nth time: Colleen is awesome. 
Congrats on CR’s Burghley debut, especially to Colleen for being CR’s breeder, trainer, owner and rider. It can’t get better than that.
I tip my hat to any American who completes Burghley. It takes a whole lot of effort to get over there.
Quite frankly, I’m surprised anyone wore a helmet. Crazy enough to ride around that course, crazy enough to ride without a helmet in dressage. Neither decision is exactly smart or can be deemed as reasonable behavior. Eventing at the 4* level as a whole, could be stupider than riding without an approved helmet. Not defending the behavior, but could aid in explaining it. What I do question is riding with an unapproved helmet while hacking or schooling around the Burghley grounds, but, I should probably extend the above line of thinking 
Not referring to Lainey here.
Another here, who is proud to have Colleen as a representative of the U.S.!
Well done! You must be very pleased, Brian. :yes: I’d be interested to read about your experience at Burghley. Not a facebooker though, so hopefully you’ll have time to write a bit for the Chronicle or for us here, on the forum.
I have to say, watching LA’s cross, it wasn’t their usual. It wasn’t their day, but she definitely didn’t praise him like she normally does. She did have too many smacks IMO. I get the one after the boat, get him ahead of your leg, but there were a few more that just seemed uncalled for, or one too many/aggressive. She clearly was in the moment, and game strong, but it just wasn’t Al’s day.
She disappointed me this time.
I’m off to finally watch CR and Donners rounds!
You can hear a spectator on the video somewhere in the 4 minute range (4:20ish maybe?) who doesn’t sound at all impressed by LA’s use of the whip. Wasn’t my favorite to watch.
I was really impressed with CR’s round. You could see the horse gaining confidence and I bet he’s a better horse after the experience. How exciting for her to have bred him, too! I wish Colleen were closer to me. I’d love to go for a lesson or five. But it’s so hard to fit everything in for the day as it is. Six hours of driving round trip is not likely to happen soon, sadly.
I watched Sam’s round again. Just poetry.
Hoping to watch through a few more this evening! I love Burghley TV.
CR has a very flat gallop, is that something that just builds with age and experience? Or is that just him? It looks like a very on the forehand gallop.
Very cool round though, she gave him a good run.
Lynn’s looked nice, a little scrappy at times, but she got the job done!
[QUOTE=LadyB;8306759]
I have to say, watching LA’s cross, it wasn’t their usual. It wasn’t their day, but she definitely didn’t praise him like she normally does. She did have too many smacks IMO. I get the one after the boat, get him ahead of your leg, but there were a few more that just seemed uncalled for, or one too many/aggressive. She clearly was in the moment, and game strong, but it just wasn’t Al’s day.
She disappointed me this time.
I’m off to finally watch CR and Donners rounds![/QUOTE]
Perhaps the use of the whip was needed as a wake up call to a horse that was capable (though at his upper limits) to mentally keep him focused on her leg. A course like Burghley for both horse and rider often results in mental fatigue. I did not see abuse nor did I see any dangerous riding…or pressing a physically tired horse.
I am prepared to cut her some slack.
Colleen has a HUGE Depth of talent coming along…including 2 young thoroughbred stallions …Plus remember she owns CR s dam and has babies on the ground…Not a 1 pony rider…
[QUOTE=LadyB;8306806]
CR has a very flat gallop, is that something that just builds with age and experience? Or is that just him? It looks like a very on the forehand gallop.
Very cool round though, she gave him a good run.
Lynn’s looked nice, a little scrappy at times, but she got the job done![/QUOTE]
CR very rarely doesn’t make time he actually usually has a huge ground covering gallop. Colleen very rarely has to pull on him.
[QUOTE=LadyB;8306806]
CR has a very flat gallop, is that something that just builds with age and experience? Or is that just him? It looks like a very on the forehand gallop.
Very cool round though, she gave him a good run.
Lynn’s looked nice, a little scrappy at times, but she got the job done![/QUOTE]
I didn’t see on the forehand, but I do see efficiency. He has a very ground-covering stride. I like it personally – galloping a horse that gets more uphill the more you kick them on is not fun - it can be hard to make the time on them because while they are beautiful movers they are not efficient movers.
[QUOTE=LadyB;8306806]
CR has a very flat gallop, is that something that just builds with age and experience? Or is that just him? It looks like a very on the forehand gallop.
Very cool round though, she gave him a good run.
Lynn’s looked nice, a little scrappy at times, but she got the job done![/QUOTE]
watch again and educate your eye. CR’s gallop is what you want for a 4* horse. I’d give it a 10. Look how well he finished a long tough course. He jumped beautifully out of stride. If anything his stride was a bit long in some of the combinations but as they looked set for a forward ride…they worked out just fine. But his gallop is absolutely extremely good. You WANT a flatter gallop. He does not look on his forehand but very balanced.
[QUOTE=FitToBeTied;8306072]
This is a professional sport and it is the right of every fan to Monday Morning QB and second guess. It is as appropriate here as it is in football, soccer, baseball, etc.
As far as Laine’s experience, if my count is right she and AL have completed Rolex **** four times along with multiple 3*. As well as a Rolex completion on St James Place. Lynn, just for comparison sake, has 2 Rolexes, One Pau and one WEG if my count is correct. So not a hill of beans difference. Arguably, Al was a more experienced horse at this level.[/QUOTE]
Lynn has jumped around Rolex four times. Twice on Donnor (2013 and 2015) and twice on Yes it Tis(2007ish?), IIRC.
I am relatively new/inexperienced with eventing, but I have watched all of Colleen’s rides several times, and it has been so inspiring. She has a clear partnership with her horse, and she looks so strong and effective as a rider.
Gives me something to aspire to on my own big bay horse.
[QUOTE=Maybelle Cowbelle;8307068]
Lynn has jumped around Rolex four times. Twice on Donnor (2013 and 2015) and twice on Yes it Tis(2007ish?), IIRC.[/QUOTE]
Close. The horse’s name was No It Tissant.
