Anyone watch the King George @ Hickstead yesterday?

[SunshineTallulah]

Marion who rides for Ireland (Sorry can't remember surname), got booed badly for smacking her horse when it refused the first ditch.

For those who didnt see it, horse refused and Marion really whacked her horse, four times hard.

I think had she only had disciplined the horse once or twice, she wouldnt have got the reaction she did as it seemed as though she was taking her anger out on her horse.

She then retired, but popped her horse over the water again, and then praised her horse for jumping the water well.

As she left the arena, from watching it on the TV it seemed as though the entire crowd was deadly silent.

Right - so discuss!!!!!

 

[shell1978]

Didnt see, but I think to smack a horse 4 times quite hard is a tad excessive!!!!

I think 1 smack is plenty.

 

[hollibobs]

I saw it and was appauled

I was watching with un horsey OH and my Dad and equally they were disgusted.

Yes punishment when its due but why four like that, and they looked very hard ones at that. I dread to think what she'll do at home if she thinks its acceptable to do that in front of thousands of people and live on TV. Thoroughly disgusted with her

. Talk about giving show jumping a bad name.

 

[sammiea]

totally agree that it was un needed. One firm smack and represent fair enough but to sit there infront of the stand & on live tv and do it 4 times is disgusting. She totally deserved to be boo'd by the crowd and i hope that she will be repremanded by the offical lines to.

Like hollibobs says if she find that acceptable in public, what on earth does she do at home

 

[JessPickle]

I was there and was amoung the booing crowd, she certainly deserved it. Should make her think before she does it again!

 

[Apalacia01]

What she did was wrong if it was more than I thought it was (I was sitting up high in the bleachers), BUT I did think the reaction from the crowd showed true mob culture. It should be up to the stewards to deal with this sort of thing, not the crowd. It was like a bunch of hyenas, and my OH and I were quite shocked, as she had jumped nicely all the way round, but like many of the others, was tiring due to the heat.

I have seen much, much worse from some of the pony riders, and also when I was watching the Riding Club classes in Ring 5 that day!

 

[carys220]

I was watching the Royal Welsh on BBC Wales last week, there was a young girl(15-18ish) who had not had her horse long and had decided to take her in a working hunter class(at the RW!) She was featured on the programme but the class didn't go to plan so she decided to beat the horse in the ring when it refused a jump and knocked the whole thing down, the poor horse was petrified and only a young thing, I wish it had dumped her! She wont be watching that back but I hope someone recorded it so she can be ashamed of herself!

 

[BBH]

Out of interest how did the commentators on the telly describe what was happening, bearing in mind that some viewers as non-horsey will not understand ?

 

[hollibobs]

Can't remember exactly what they said but I'm sure I remember them saying they thought someone would be having a word with her!

 

[SunshineTallulah]

The commentators did mention that she was over disciplining the horse (or something along those lines) and that no doubt she would be called to see the stewards.

 

[sachak]

totally uncalled for and i do hope that the judges gave her what for.

like sammiea said - if thats what she is prepared to do in public then what on earth does she do at home

 

[coffeeadict]

I did not see it, but I have seen Marion Hughes with her horses at home (she had one of ours - the stallion in sig), and she is normally the most patient calm rider, and is one of the best people that I know to bring on a young horse in its own time. I would be happy to leave any horse with her.