From
Watching William and MJ in the warm
Up at Rolex, their handling of the horses is completely in a league of its own. Their warm up techniques are completely relaxed and it carries into the ring. A lot of other riders look to be trying too school a little too much in a last minute effort. Their horses seem genuinely happy.
He goes to competition ready to showcase is training, and it shows.
[QUOTE=beowulf;8302287]
sad and disappointed to see one of our own in a top-hat… wonder what influenced that decision… :no:[/QUOTE]
Her mother? Buck? A girlhood dream of riding at Burghley in a top hat? Who the heck packed the stupid thing?
Anyway, add me to the list of people incredibly disappointed in Laine for being an idiot this morning. I like Laine. I like hearing her on the eventing radio show. I defended her when COTH was savaging her after the Frodo accident. I think she’s matured a lot since then. I think she sounds like a smart and engaging personality and I think she’s a good instructor from what I’ve seen. But so so so so disappointed in her for this morning’s choice. The rest of the American and honorary American contingent wore helmets but the one rider who has the biggest following among young girls of the bunch chose to wear a top hat.
Come on Laine. Do some good with your popularity.
[QUOTE=JER;8300888]
The fact that top hats are still allowed in eventing makes it quite clear that the sport is not actually serious about safety.[/QUOTE]
Exactly.
[QUOTE=JER;8300888]
The fact that top hats are still allowed in eventing makes it quite clear that the sport is not actually serious about safety.[/QUOTE]
Ridiculous. Helmets are allowed. Some riders CHOOSE not to wear them, just as some riders CHOOSE to do all sorts of dangerous things that you’ll never prevent with rules.
[QUOTE=groom;8302431]
Ridiculous. Helmets are allowed. Some riders CHOOSE not to wear them, just as some riders CHOOSE to do all sorts of dangerous things that you’ll never prevent with rules.[/QUOTE]
If they are all about sport safety, start with making Helmets Mandatory at ALL levels and ALL events. Remove top hats completely.
[QUOTE=Fergs;8302256]
This morning one of the American riders wore a top hat.[/QUOTE]
Yeah - but they don’t win ****s !
[QUOTE=LadyB;8302459]
If they are all about sport safety, start with making Helmets Mandatory at ALL levels and ALL events. Remove top hats completely.[/QUOTE]
Well, they’re clearly not all about sport safety; lately they’re doing much more to balance modern ideas of safety with conflicting and sometimes-rigid ideas about tradition that the sport is otherwise soaked in. I don’t mind leaving room for personal choice and personal evaluation of risk, though if there’s a perception that you need a top hat to be taken seriously at the upper levels it’s (to me at least) indeed a problem.
Is the problem with Laine that she is a “helmet at all times” advocate except she’s not wearing one now, or that she’s more generally being a lousy role model, or something else?
Whooosh…
Perhaps it could be stated, “that some professionals in the sport are not actually serious about safety”. Would that be better for you?
I cannot ride my horse, even in warm up, at a rec Horse Trial without a helmet. The point, as JER astutely calls out, is that the sport is arbitrary in the application of its safety rules. Professionals are no less prone to serious injury doing dressage, aka Ms Dye. It is FEI’s oversight so maybe their whole welfare and safety comments in their mission are fluff words to make all feel good without any real commitment.
[QUOTE=amb;8302489]
Well, they’re clearly not all about sport safety; lately they’re doing much more to balance modern ideas of safety with conflicting and sometimes-rigid ideas about tradition that the sport is otherwise soaked in. I don’t mind leaving room for personal choice and personal evaluation of risk, though if there’s a perception that you need a top hat to be taken seriously at the upper levels it’s (to me at least) indeed a problem.
Is the problem with Laine that she is a “helmet at all times” advocate except she’s not wearing one now, or that she’s more generally being a lousy role model, or something else?[/QUOTE]
How about both/and. It is like publically talking about the health hazards of smoking then getting caught with a cig in your mouth. Respect is very very hard to get and keep, but it is very easy to lose…unless you really don’t care.
[QUOTE=JP60;8302508]
How about both/and. It is like publically talking about the health hazards of smoking then getting caught with a cig in your mouth. Respect is very very hard to get and keep, but it is very easy to lose…unless you really don’t care.[/QUOTE]
Part of the problem, and this goes beyond eventing, is that many young people conflate popularity with respect.
[QUOTE=Equibrit;8302480]
Yeah - but they don’t win ****s ![/QUOTE]
So what you’re saying is 4* riders who win don’t need a helmet, because they are awesome? So Andrew Nicholson who is now recovering from a broken neck, shouldn’t need a helmet in dressage, because he’s awesome.
So Americans wear helmets and it makes them bad riders? I highly doubt a helmet has anything to do with riding ability, BUT it sure makes you look stupid that with today’s day and age of technology that STILL going without a helmet is a number one choice.
I really don’t understand your comment, and how saying those who win 4* don’t wear helmets. That doesn’t make them smart, to me I see them as stupid. You want to pave a path for future eventers, start with that. How come they will wear the new and exciting air vests? But not helmets?
Silva Martin, who is a top dressage rider fell at the WALK in dressage, how much more proof do you need?
Well, it just goes to show the kids they need to follow Lauren Kieffer and Elisa Wallace – and I am sure there are others, but those two come to mind – hard work and good horsemanship still pays off and we are lucky to have the good, strong models for teens we do have in the sport. Plus, it is a joy to be able to have videos of riders like Michael Jung and WFP available so easily to learn from. Never been a better time to learn, IMO, so while there are of course people doing some things we can disagree with, there is so much good available on the web too. It sure is a lot easier than when I grew up, poring over my copy of Hunter seat Equitation and Jimmy Wofford’s book, then setting up my dad’s leftover PVC pipe from his jobs on concrete blocks and trying to replicate what I read.
[QUOTE=Fergs;8302256]
This morning one of the American riders wore a top hat.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I was disappointed to see that. Especially since she wore a helmet at Rolex.
Even with a helmet, didn’t Ashker almost die when Frodo did? Didn’t she have a TBI? You’d think that alone would lead to helmet use all the time.
[QUOTE=LadyB;8302537]
So what you’re saying is 4* riders who win don’t need a helmet, because they are awesome? So Andrew Nicholson who is now recovering from a broken neck, shouldn’t need a helmet in dressage, because he’s awesome.
So Americans wear helmets and it makes them bad riders? I highly doubt a helmet has anything to do with riding ability, BUT it sure makes you look stupid that with today’s day and age of technology that STILL going without a helmet is a number one choice.
I really don’t understand your comment, and how saying those who win 4* don’t wear helmets. That doesn’t make them smart, to me I see them as stupid. You want to pave a path for future eventers, start with that. How come they will wear the new and exciting air vests? But not helmets?
Silva Martin, who is a top dressage rider fell at the WALK in dressage, how much more proof do you need?[/QUOTE]
Not saying anything - other than it’s a lot like saying "I do think it’s a British thing in part. [B]They’re not very smart in general, "
[/B]They seem to be smart enough to win ****s
Sigh. I came here to read about the competition but it became a helmet/safety thread.
[QUOTE=Equibrit;8302573]
Not saying anything - other than it’s a lot like saying "I do think it’s a British thing in part. [B]They’re not very smart in general, "
[/B]They seem to be smart enough to win ****s[/QUOTE]
Never said they were smart or stupid, I think ANYONE who chooses not to wear a helmet is stupid, so its not just one nationality 
I do think the comment about British are stupid is offside.
[QUOTE=LadyB;8302579]
Never said they were smart or stupid, [/QUOTE]
As astonishing as it may seem to you, my comment was not particularly aimed at your glorious self.
Back to Burghley–The 3 US riders have come very close to the old cutoff point in dressage for a reasonable chance of finishing in the top ten. The problem is that the cutoff point seems to have moved back for the world’s best riders from all nations. Many of them seem to be scoring in the high to middle 70s. The top 9 are in the 30s in penalty points. And since they are the world’s best riders and not just dressage specialists, there probably won’t be much movement at the top in XC.
I’m hoping that all the US riders manage to go clear XC and finsih without too many time penalties.
US still has a very, very long way to go in dressage to be competitive in the world. Maybe the USEF could hire Debbie McDonald as the dressage coach now that she’s not a USEF coach for pure dressage.
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