Badminton 2024 thread

CatInTheSaddle said:
I missed William's interview! I was very teary after hearing his post xc interview so maybe for the best.

A total vintage Badminton year, one of the best I can remember! A real 5* test that didn't punish horses for mistakes. Still a question over tired horses running xc in my mind but overall a great competition. Can't believe Caroline's best Badminton prior to this year was 4th back in 2006 (I looked it up!) with Lenamore, another horse I loved. Just fantastic.
Click to expand...
Yes….Lenamore ♥️
 
Well that was an amazing badminton. Eric’s course yesterday was superb. Punished bad riding but safely and still allowed xc to be the influencing factor. Amazing to see dressage be non influential but good jumping was essential. Very pleased for top 3.
 
I loved William’s interview too. “At least it wasn’t a near miss…”! And his sons are nearly as tall as him. It won’t be the same without him, I hope he still does Bramham and Blenheim etc. I’m starting to feel old. All the ones I’ve followed at this level for years are dropping down levels or stopping - William, Tina, Nicola, Andrew etc. Pippa is the last one standing? I feel like I barely know current riders. It probably feels more so because a lot of usual suspects were missing on their more known horses, and a lot of french/German riders were at the French 4•.

But I’m really glad to see Caroline win. She’s been right up there for so long, and yet doesn’t get the limelight so much.
 
Emotional to watch WFP finish XC on Saturday and immediately be surrounded by his family. He is such a nice rider and good personality.

A couple of tired horses that predictably (and unfortunately) had a fall and then 2 refusals at the same fence. Could see both were going to happen a mile off… Good of LC to pull up as Hester was increasingly backing off every fence bless him.

Delighted for CP final result and Lucy L. Cav has really grown up and what a fab 2nd place for a new face :)
 
What a result - so pleased for Caroline and that lovely mare.

But SO many 'what could have beens'. There must be so many slightly gutted riders this morning pondering their small errors. Such small margins can win these titles.
Emily & Lucy would have won with one less pole down.
Bubby would have won without the 11.
Gemma would have won without the 15 for the flag at Huntsmans.

I think it's Gemma who I feel most sorry for as the angle from behind looked good but must have shown different to the GJ from the front. And I was really rooting for Emily.
 
Can
Honey08 said:
Interesting… I follow a French eventing page on Facebook and they’re already commenting that WFP could come and coach their team if he’s retiring!
Click to expand...
Can you throw any light on why and where one of the earlier French riders was stopped quite early? Think was Marxx.
 
He says it’s because he crossed his tracks twice (when taking an alternative fence after a run out at a skinny?) so it counted as two refusals and therefore elimination.
 
Fanatical said:
What a result - so pleased for Caroline and that lovely mare.

But SO many 'what could have beens'. There must be so many slightly gutted riders this morning pondering their small errors. Such small margins can win these titles.
Emily & Lucy would have won with one less pole down.
Bubby would have won without the 11.
Gemma would have won without the 15 for the flag at Huntsmans.

I think it's Gemma who I feel most sorry for as the angle from behind looked good but must have shown different to the GJ from the front. And I was really rooting for Emily.
Click to expand...

Great analysis here - a huge amount of 'if only' stories from this year's Badminton. I think the right winner in the end, because their performance in all three phases was strong. I too feel especially sorry for Gemma as that video angle from behind looked like he'd jumped it fine. Bubby's is less of an 'if only' for me, because in her case, the frangible pin saved them from a potentially nasty fall.

Emily's is a frustrating one too, because that horse is a brilliant SJer and could so easily have had one less down. Tom Jackon's story with Capels Hollow Drift is also a real nearly story - would have been 2nd without that silly knock down at the first fence...

Lucy Latta rode brilliantly though and deserves every bit of that 2nd place - I don't think her and the horse have a particularly brilliant SJ history, so she rode so maturely to keep the majority of them up. And that XC round - absolutely brilliant. Have to say true echoes of Ros and Lordships Graffalo - tiny rider on a Grafenstolz gelding being trained by Caroline Moore.... sounds like a good recipe for success!
 
Completely agree with RF about Bubby - that pin definitely saved her.

And Tom Jackson didn't quite have the week he would have wanted whilst actually still having a fairly good result! The strength in depth of team GB however probably means he needed to do better to be considered for Paris.

I also think there will be a few Olympic hopefuls feeling quite relieved. If William or Emily had won they would have to have been in the mix, whereas now I think those who have saved their horses and chosen the 4* route this spring will feel like they did the right thing. Alex & Emily have definitely proven themselves for future teams post Paris if they can stay consistent with those 2 horses. I'd love to see Emily as reserve as her form this spring has been excellent and he is usually a very reliable SJer.

The selections will certainly be interesting!
 
Fanatical said:
Completely agree with RF about Bubby - that pin definitely saved her.

And Tom Jackson didn't quite have the week he would have wanted whilst actually still having a fairly good result! The strength in depth of team GB however probably means he needed to do better to be considered for Paris.

I also think there will be a few Olympic hopefuls feeling quite relieved. If William or Emily had won they would have to have been in the mix, whereas now I think those who have saved their horses and chosen the 4* route this spring will feel like they did the right thing. Alex & Emily have definitely proven themselves for future teams post Paris if they can stay consistent with those 2 horses. I'd love to see Emily as reserve as her form this spring has been excellent and he is usually a very reliable SJer.

The selections will certainly be interesting!
Click to expand...
Yes I don't think anyone from the British side has put up a strong case for olympic selection. But Caroline and Lucy have put up strong cases for their respective team inclusions!

Although Tom Jackson did demonstrate again their absolute reliability, which in previous eras of the British team would have been enough to get that reliable trailblazer role that opposition Buzz or Over to You always held.
.
 
RachelFerd said:
Yes I don't think anyone from the British side has put up a strong case for olympic selection. But Caroline and Lucy have put up strong cases for their respective team inclusions!

Although Tom Jackson did demonstrate again their absolute reliability, which in previous eras of the British team would have been enough to get that reliable trailblazer role that opposition Buzz or Over to You always held.
.
Click to expand...
Yes surely Caroline will go for NZ with the Prices. Gorgeous talented mare. I loved watching the Prices go XC. A WFP win would have been so fitting though.. was an interesting Badminton, I was a bit so-so with a lot of the big GB names missing initially but really enjoyed watching all the same. My vote is still for Ros, Laura and Kitty for team GB.
 
RachelFerd said:
Yes I don't think anyone from the British side has put up a strong case for olympic selection. But Caroline and Lucy have put up strong cases for their respective team inclusions!

Although Tom Jackson did demonstrate again their absolute reliability, which in previous eras of the British team would have been enough to get that reliable trailblazer role that opposition Buzz or Over to You always held.
.
Click to expand...
Except he is always too slow as that horse doesn’t have huge stamina and really struggled on the 8 min track at Euros because he doesn’t.
 
Alex did brilliantly to come third. Was slightly ( well very ) put out as we never saw his clear round - just Clare B saying 'here's Alex leaving the ring after his clear round' I think that was abit poor as the SJ was the deciding factor in his placing x
 
Fanatical said:
What a result - so pleased for Caroline and that lovely mare.

But SO many 'what could have beens'. There must be so many slightly gutted riders this morning pondering their small errors. Such small margins can win these titles.
Emily & Lucy would have won with one less pole down.
Bubby would have won without the 11.
Gemma would have won without the 15 for the flag at Huntsmans.

I think it's Gemma who I feel most sorry for as the angle from behind looked good but must have shown different to the GJ from the front. And I was really rooting for Emily.
Click to expand...
Just to say thanks for your excellent post, with your analysis of the results! 😊
 
Honey08 said:
Do you think they’ll watch Chatsworth/Bramham before announcing lists?
Click to expand...

Fanatical said:
The final trial is at Bicton I believe.
Click to expand...

Given Lordships Gruffalo is running at Chatsworth I would say they’ll be watching and waiting.

One of the best things about Team GB and the successes is that in recent years they’ve allowed riders to choose their own path as such.
 
LEC said:
Except he is always too slow as that horse doesn’t have huge stamina and really struggled on the 8 min track at Euros because he doesn’t.
Click to expand...
Fair point - I think this statement probably applies more to David Doel/Galileo Neumoed - and CHD did have that 20p at euros too...

God I wouldn't want to be a selector!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top