Are eventers better riders than showjumpers ?

B

BBH

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 April 2007
Messages
9,357
Visit site
I know that question is a sweeping generalisation, but we saw some grand prix sjing on Saturday and I have to say there were two eventers there that the commentator said had changed to BSJA and they were both lovely quiet riders, so much more style and grace than the other riders. Both had lovely horses, were very effective and in the ribbons.
 
I don't think being an everter or a SJ makes you a beeter rider - I think it is the other way round... you can be a good rider who simply chooses to either event, SJ or whatever else. The sport just refines certain skills as billyslad says above.
 
Too much of a generalisation for my liking but I think the love for eventers and dislike of showjumpers on this forum will come out with a vengance!!
 
There are some very good eventers, and some very good showjumpers. Equally there are appalling eventers, and some god awful showjumpers!

But, I think some riders styles are often criticised, when really the effectiveness of the aids is all important and not necessarily what the whole package looks like. Yes, its lovely when the rider is fantastic and never seems to move, but also its nice to see that not everyone at the higher levels has a copybook style (Annette Lewis I think?!) - but is still a 'good' rider who is not where they are through pure chance alone
smile.gif
 
All I can say is that the two eventers on Saturday produced by far the classiest rounds and were far smoother and more stylish than the true sj ers that were there and given that is was a GP there were some top sj'ers taking part.

I agree that just because someone isn't stylish doesn't mean they aren't effective but I haven't yet met a trainer wants a pupil with the flappiest hands, or wobbliest lower leg and us mere mortals think you help the horse more if you are in balance and stable in your movements.
 
I dont think many would disagree that Mark Todd is one of the all time great eventers and if my memory serves me correctly (not often these days) he was a showjumper before turning to eventing.
smile.gif


Now if the questions was "are eventers more stylish than showjumpers?" then I would have to have answered yes generally but thats due to all those hours of stressage.

SJ is not about the 'Picture', all you have to do is leave the poles up and go faster than anyone else. No points (or penalties) for style.
wink.gif
 
I think it depends on your definition of the word 'better' !

If 'better' means 'quietr 'neater', more 'stylish', then probably, in general, eventers could fit that definition...because SJ'ers don't need to be.

If 'better' means 'more successful at the job in hand' then I would argue the case.

It's horses for courses really and I know of very few (not none!) eventers who could be competitive at the highest levels of SJ'ing, and I know even less SJ'ers who could win Badminton or Burghley
smile.gif


There are stylish SJ'ers around (hell, i'm based on a dressage yard and even they have commented on a few positively !)...think Ben Maher, John Whitaker, Franke Sloothak and Rob Hoekstra...but generally they are more concerned with the result than the way things look
wink.gif
 
YuleTimeFaulter, I think Blyth Tait was another one who did "proper" showjumping before he evented. And Bumble Thomas won a big (1.40m) class at Keysoe lately.

I think a top-level eventer could compete on a fairly level playing field with a pro showjumper, but when it came to who would be better ie. who would win, I would think it would come down to horsepower.
 
Eventers (at a reasonable level) tend to be more polished because they have to contend with dressage as an element of their sport which means they cannot get there through sheer guts and determination alone - they have to have developed correct poise, balance, seat and to an extent elegance but lets not forget that many eventers cite the showjumping phase as the bane of their lives and are (dare I say it) not known for their abililty to consistently leave poles up! Showjumping is perhaps just more accessible to 'lesser riders' (myself included
blush.gif
) because if you can get round and leave the poles up then you won't be penalised for poor riding - and we have all seen examples of horrendous riding at bsja shows I'm sure
shocked.gif
. But in all sports it is only the cream that rise to the top and they have to have talent to do that - money alone is not enough (although it could pay for a lot of training with top riders which is a big help!).
 
Just another thought, eventers are riding horses that, in order to be successful, have to be good at three disciplines. Perhaps this means that they have to work harder on their riding to be able to get a tune out of a horse that may not be the best showjumper/dressage horse/cross country horse?
 
That's a possibility...but of course there is a counter claim too.

Because eventers have to be good in 3 disciplines you tend to find mainly conformist horses doing eventing. A lot of SJ'ing horses would be far less straightforward or quirky...which is why they SJ
tongue.gif
 
I'm not sure. But I was at Crofton and watched the GP too. I didn't actually notice that the Eventers stood out as 'better' riders. What I did notice, is that you can see why Will Funnell & Tim Stockdale are at the top of their game. Their horses are notably so better trained that a lot of the other riders.
 
[ QUOTE ]


I think a top-level eventer could compete on a fairly level playing field with a pro showjumper, but when it came to who would be better ie. who would win, I would think it would come down to horsepower.

[/ QUOTE ]

I disagree. There are exceptions to the rule but I think if you put a top eventer vs. a top showjumper round a standard BSJA 1.20 course on fairly equal horses, then I think the showjumper would probably win.

Eventers have to be good at 3 disciplines, showjumpers have to excel at one - so I think it would only be expected that a pure showjumper would in most cases be better at their discipline than an pure eventer.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


I think a top-level eventer could compete on a fairly level playing field with a pro showjumper, but when it came to who would be better ie. who would win, I would think it would come down to horsepower.

[/ QUOTE ]

I disagree. There are exceptions to the rule but I think if you put a top eventer vs. a top showjumper round a standard BSJA 1.20 course on fairly equal horses, then I think the showjumper would probably win.

Eventers have to be good at 3 disciplines, showjumpers have to excel at one - so I think it would only be expected that a pure showjumper would in most cases be better at their discipline than an pure eventer.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think at that height it would be a closer competition than you might think. I know it is expected that a pure showjumper would mostly be better at their discipline, but I think you underestimate the standard of a lot of event riders. Now that the showjumping is becoming more technical at BE they're having to raise their game. I'd be interested to see how many showjumpers could be competitive at BE intermediate level.
wink.gif
 
Not too many I suspect...for a start...most of us can't trot
tongue.gif
grin.gif


To be fair though, it's probably a bit tougher to go from showjumping to eventing than the other way round. At least eventer have seen showjumps.....sj'ers wouldn't have a clue in the drossage arena
wink.gif
 
Eventers Vs Showjumpers when showjumping? The showjumpers every time. Of course there are a few exceptions to the rule but at showjumping, in general, sorry but the showjumpers win hands down.

The event rider's showjumping is a total running joke amongst the pro showjumpers am afraid
tongue.gif
grin.gif
 
But you don't need to trot, do you, so why would you? Unless -and I've just just had this brilliant idea - they did something akin to the walk and trot test for showjumping? Do you think that would catch on? Anyway, dressage isn't that difficult, it's just flatwork with a few fancy bits *Baydale puts on her tin hat, ready for the crossfire*
tongue.gif
 
[quoteUnless -and I've just just had this brilliant idea - they did something akin to the walk and trot test for showjumping? Do you think that would catch on?

[/ QUOTE ]

We already have that !

It's called British Novice
blush.gif
shocked.gif
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Ooh, challenge
wink.gif
tongue.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

I was going to let Rambo ride Jupiter, so that could be challenging.
wink.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

I'll see your Jupiter......and raise you Trike
shocked.gif



*Whispers* Rambo subtley neglects to inform Baydale that a Grand Prix dressage rider was left sweating and red cheeked and almost in tears...such was the humiliation that 40 minutes in the school with Trike brought
grin.gif
 
Hmm, sounds as if Baydale Boot Camp might not work on Trike. Maybe I'll substitute Arthur (the Cleveland Bay that isn't bay) for Jupiter, and see who sweats the most then.
 
I've got a better idea (and as i've been standing up for eventers in the main throughout this thread
wink.gif
)...

I'll jump any of yours round a BN and you can take either of mine round an Intro
tongue.gif
(Bo could actually be a decent eventer if the jockey could be bothered with the flatwork, and was brave enough to jump on anything other than a perfectly even surface
grin.gif
)
 
Oh ok, seeing as you've been so nice in this thread, you can have HumungaHorse (do you suffer from vertigo?
wink.gif
) and I'll take Bo, with a bit of hunting first to cure him of his fear of lumps, bumps, holes in the ground and puddles. I'm a tricky owner btw, I expect rosettes.
grin.gif
 
HumungaHorse sounds like just my cuppa tea
grin.gif
The bigger they re the easier it is for them to ste over the fences
tongue.gif


Very wise choice going for Bo over Trike too....jumps hedges, water (over, not into
tongue.gif
), ditches and banks...and has a fair few dressage points from his 'other life' in Holland
wink.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top