For those of you who cannot tell the different between Gal’s style of training and Reiner Klimke’s … maybe you should study a few more videos … since we now have those available to us in this day and age.
Would love to see this rider with a Glock horse.
“Because now we are free to be simply us” - Grand prix dressage movements with a simple cord.
[QUOTE=Pipkin;8412346]
I like him but I agree it’s all a little TWH. I wonder if that’s just for the benefit of the crowds though, we won’t know until we begin to see his tests.[/QUOTE]
His first PSG test from March is on YouTube. (When I posted the link the same people who pee on him now came and peed on it then.)
Equibrit should take note – this horse has HUGE overtrack in his extended trot.
For those who label this movement as “unnatural” what you fail to recognize is that it is completely natural for this horse.
I am not a newbie to COTH or posting on it, but a newbie to posting on the Dressage Forum.
I have just begun focusing on dressage this past year due to my pony quite obviously telling me this is his preferred discipline, and had a blast competing at First Level in the later part of this year at USEF/USDF shows. In addition, I have been really starting to study those at the top and am also am very lucky to work with some incredible dressage coaches. Right now, I’m schooling second and third level, with plans to compete at those levels next year; working on a musical freestyle; and enjoying the National Dressage Pony Cup classes.
So that’s a bit about me and my experience before writing the rest of this to say that I am just amazed at the amount of snark here. Really? Critiquing this horse from a few minutes of video? He is lovely…I have a 7 year old as well and tension and mistakes are part of having a young horse, especially in an atmosphere as that seen in this video.
Do many of you actually ride at this level and understand the mechanics of it? How different the horses can be based on breeding and natural inclination? Can you not see a nice young horse without making sweeping generalizations?
I have seen the “experts” at work here in this forum for many years, but as I learn more about dressage, the more I’m convinced that many of you are very good at throwing stones without being able to back it up with anything other than your own convictions that you are right without the requisite experience in high performance dressage to truly understand it.
I hate it when people say you shouldn’t critique unless you ride at that level, but really, who here has brought along a horse to this level and understands that they are all individuals, with distinct personalities and movement…a great rider not only teams with a horse but enhances its natural abilities, and that’s what I see Edward Gal doing here. And how do you tell if it is a “back” or “leg” mover unless you’ve actually ridden the horse yourself or seen it in person, with an experience, trained eye?
Someone told me a while ago that as you become more knowledgeable and experienced in high performance horses, you walk away from forums such as these because it is no use trying to argue with ignorance. COTH is incredibly lucky to have some people here that stick it out and share their wealth of information, but others…well, it makes me just shake my head.
Flame suit firmly zipped up!
[QUOTE=Countrywood;8411607]
Nearly all the top riders esp at international level have fantastic seats and great skill. what sets EG and Charlotte apart is their ability to bring out greatness in a horse, and make it look effortless. Anky had those same qualities, its a shame she went down the path she did[/QUOTE]
???
There is nothing anky does that gal doesn’t also do.
[QUOTE=alicen;8411989]
Yeah, I got it. I guess I just didn’t think it was the epitome of wit.[/QUOTE]
I got it too but I thought it was a stupid remark, was it supposed to be witty?
This site has a longer video of Zonik (and some other very nice stallions) at the show:
http://www.horse2rider.com/news-in-danish/2015/11/23/high-lights-fra-alt-hengst-parade-videoer
Also having seen gal up close and personal at Euro championships you wouldn’t have thought it looked so effortless. The thing that set gal apart from the rest was that his was the horse with the mouth full of blood. These people are all talented riders, but not one of them is above reproach.
[QUOTE=ladyj79;8412964]
Also having seen gal up close and personal at Euro championships you wouldn’t have thought it looked so effortless. The thing that set gal apart from the rest was that his was the horse with the mouth full of blood. These people are all talented riders, but not one of them is above reproach.[/QUOTE]
News report re: Gal: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/nz-horse-pony/71157922/High-drama-and-shock-elimination-at-European-dressage-champs
In fairness, similar fate for Steffan at the World Cup: http://www.dressage-news.com/?p=30753
Horses. Things happen. A horse can bite it’s own tongue but is pretty unlikely to cause his own side to bleed.
[QUOTE=CCAlter;8413012]
News report re: Gal: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/nz-horse-pony/71157922/High-drama-and-shock-elimination-at-European-dressage-champs
In fairness, similar fate for Steffan at the World Cup: http://www.dressage-news.com/?p=30753
Horses. Things happen. A horse can bite it’s own tongue but is pretty unlikely to cause his own side to bleed.[/QUOTE]
Which would be exactly in line with what I said. Thanks for agreeing with me.
[QUOTE=enjoytheride;8411911]
Dressage as we know it is doooooommmmeeeeddddddddd[/QUOTE]
Gal made his FEI Grand Prix debut in 2000. Most international top riders have their own unique styles. I hardly think that Gal’s style is going to doom dressage as we ( who is this we?) know it.
[QUOTE=wcporter;8412740]
Oh God, another all black GP dressage horse.
<YAWN>
;)[/QUOTE]
He’s not black, he is brown. With a white foot and a star. 
I suppose every person who follows football and critiques the games must be NFL players themselves?
Of course not. It’s the nature of high level competitive sports that fans of all levels will watch, evaluate, pick teams they like, dislike, etc. Commenting on the sport at large is hardly reserved for pros only.
BTW, not everyone who rides outside of the spotlight does so because they are ignorant about what it takes to get to the top. Many of us are where we are in life because we saw what it took and chose a different path. On purpose.
All I can say is How are the judges going to judge such very different movers? Zonik vs Valegro vs an iberian talent?? While horses like Valegro, who is older and confirmed, demonstrate a certain amount of fluidity with decontraction, we all know that Zonik will improve in this respect over the years, whilst maintaining that spectacular movement.
I would not want to be in the judges shoes!!
[QUOTE=Triana;8412963]
This site has a longer video of Zonik (and some other very nice stallions) at the show:
http://www.horse2rider.com/news-in-danish/2015/11/23/high-lights-fra-alt-hengst-parade-videoer[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the link to the eye candy.
Around the 1:15 - 1:22 mark you will catch get a glimpse of a the beautiful passage that Zonik will one day be able to easily show, with the seemingly effortless transitions Edward is known for:
Thanks for the link, both to the original video and also the longer one.
I really enjoyed watching the longer video, which actually changed my mind on this horse a little. I didn’t like him so much initially, but watching him a bit more, then comparing him to the other stallions, he went up in my estimation. Sezuan, who everyone raved about a couple of years ago, looked lacklustre when compared to Zonik, though that is perhaps a bit unfair as I felt Zonik was ridden beautifully by EG (irrespective of which training methods he uses or doesn’t use at home).
No horse will be perfect, and we will all have our preferences. Rightly or wrongly, I always ask myself if I would want to own/ride a horse. If the answer is no, I may still acknowledge that the horse is very nice, but simply not my type. I would give a resounding ‘yes’ if asked would I want to own/ride this horse! He actually looked pretty sensible given the atmosphere, and he is the the type of horse that would be easy to balance and ride - and just be fun! That sort of exaggerated movement is appropriate for a stallion show, but not required in daily work. He is only 7 and I think the spidery & more mechanical moments sometimes observed are not really a reflection of how he naturally moves. It says a lot for his mind that he wants to work & please his rider, as I have seen quite a few horses in my (ancient) years that could be physically trained to move in a similar way, but who it was all a bit much work and effort. This horse has the athleticism and mind to be happy being ridden in this way, which for me is a massive plus.
There is no way to tell if Zonik will be a successful international GP horse until that is what he is actually doing. Hopefully he will, as he is lovely, but with life one never knows. A freak accident can happen to any horse, or to any rider. He does seem to go well for EG and it will be a very exciting partnership to watch develop. I also like his bloodlines - Zack has produced many nice moving horses, and Zonik has a damline I particularly like.
The first video was less than a minute long yet people here are, as usual, prepared to judge the horse and his training based on that 58 seconds. SMH
Although in recent years, there have been horses who are becoming young horse specialists - being incredibly successful in young horse classes and then never going on to the large tour.
Actually, the vast majority of world ranked 5 and 6 yr olds do go on to GP success.
Everyone can comment, for sure! Paid commentators who really have proven they have the knowledge (played, coached etc) generally have more respected opinions.
It takes an immense amount of talent to train and ride at the top - that’s why EG and CD and CH etc are the cream of the crop. While many may have chosen not to follow the path to international stardom I don’t believe that those many would have the innate talent to be half as good, even if they had the incredible inner drive of these top riders. These top riders are uber talented AND uber driven.
[QUOTE=heronponie;8413977]
I suppose every person who follows football and critiques the games must be NFL players themselves?
Of course not. It’s the nature of high level competitive sports that fans of all levels will watch, evaluate, pick teams they like, dislike, etc. Commenting on the sport at large is hardly reserved for pros only.
BTW, not everyone who rides outside of the spotlight does so because they are ignorant about what it takes to get to the top. Many of us are where we are in life because we saw what it took and chose a different path. On purpose.[/QUOTE]
Back to the OP - Wow what a horse and Wow what a rider…It will be fun to watch Zonik develop!
Posted by heronponie:
BTW, not everyone who rides outside of the spotlight does so because they are ignorant about what it takes to get to the top. Many of us are where we are in life because we saw what it took and chose a different path. On purpose.
:yes:
And that does not necessarily mean we don’t still aim at being well schooled.
I don’t know anything about dressage, but I still enjoy watching well schooled horses perform. I think for such a young stallion, he’s fantastic. I look forward to seeing this pair in the future.
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