Badminton Going

S

swshowjumper

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 January 2007
Messages
71
Visit site
Only watched it on t v but heard all the comments. Let's be fair Baminton is one of the worlds greatest events and to have tee ground in the condition it was in my mind was disgusting. Your not talking of a local hunter trial here but as i said one of the worlds greatest events. The only people to blame is the show director and course designer.

I totally agree with the riders who pulled out to save their horses for another day.
 
Well I thought it was fine, but I am not a 4* eventer and I am also from Spain and used to riding and jumping on much worse. Of course I TOTALLY agreed with those who withdrew because their horses were not suited to the ground, only thing I have to ask is would they have withdrawn if it was the Olympics? Seems the Brits need a reality check - the going can never always be perfect and the fact only 1 horse was spun on Sunday goes a long way to prove the going was not as *horrendous* as was stated.

I know this is an unpopular view, but it is mine and I do stick with it.
 
i agree with you weezy though i suppose the counter argument could be made that had the others ran there could well have been more spun on sun.
 
The reason why only one horse was spun was because a mojority of the horses running were suited to the going. IMO, if all the entries had been running we would have seen more spun. Piggy's horse stood out as faras we noticed just watching the XC as one that was unsuited to the going as was a big horse.
 
I have to agree Weezy as if the ground wasn't suitable at all according to some riders, why run one horse and not the other? Was it a case of not thinking enough of the one that ran or owner pressure? I agree about conditions suiting some more than others though.
Badminton is going to have to work very hard and it will be interesting to see what happens. On one hand I think the track should be protected all year, no matter what; on the other hand I don't know if that is feasible with the deer in the park. I also think there will be soul searching going on if a track is protected for the Duke of Beaufort's pack, as I can't see them being overly impressed with having a lot of the park as a no go area when they have always had free range in there. It will be interesting to see who shouts longest and loudest - wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall!
wink.gif
At the end of the day, Badminton is a private park so a lot of decisions will be down to them but they can't in future, have their cake, eat it and then not leave any crumbs; they either back the event 100% and change things or the trials will need to find a new home (which to me, is unthinkable, we need Badminton, it is/was the top event in the world; the organisers and owners just need to catch up with reality).
 
I felt that the ground was not up to scratch frankly, but....with Cheltenham only a few miles away, why oh why did they not call the racecourse for some advice?? all racecourses manage their ground and have the facilities/equipment to water/etc as required. With no rain forecast, they should have made a contingency plan. It needn't have been too costly (like Burghleys irrigation system) but I think that they do need to appoint a clerk of the course to manage the ground - if this is global warming, then we all need to get with the programme.

C.
 
I whole heartedly agree. Infact I emailled HHO last night in respone to WFPs comments in this weeks HH.
How can he suggest that the Europeans and foreign riders only stayed because they had made the effort to travel to the UK ? ....what rot. No one competes just because they have turned up. They compete because the horse is ready and because they want to, all other things considered.

And furthermore, only a plank could have missed the enthusiasm from the crowd - what a cheek to suggest that we were subdued ! Does he think we only get excited when team GB is there? Oh and as for the TV coverage being there for the big guns....on the contrary- it was there because there is demand for it....


What a muppett.
 
Having spoken to riders who ran and riders who withdrew i think it totally depends on your horse and what it likes - is it like Brit runs on top of the ground or one that likes to really run through it and also where else it is going. Yes they all got through trot up but you won't know what harm its done until a week down the line. I have got plenty of horses through trot ups that have looked awful the night before - whether or not that is a good thing who knows but the minute you stop doign all the things i spent hours doing to get the horses sound the soreness comes out....

I think it is absolutely DISGUSTING that they couldnt' get perfect going. Tehy said it was due to lack of rain, it has never forecast rain so its not as if, they've been promised it and it hasn't come. Badminton knows more than anywhere how to deal with deep wet going and the jumps have take offs and landings built specially for this so why not water it? Yes if it rained it would have gone muddy but no more so than it has been before and mud doesn't break horses and knowing how to deal with it they could have managed teh ground so much better. They have NO excuses its just downright poor management and they seriously need to look into the mess they got themselves in.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Having spoken to riders who ran and riders who withdrew i think it totally depends on your horse and what it likes

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed, but it does beg the question, who on EARTH is going to go to the Olympics? If NONE of the people who withdrew are happy to run their horses on firm ground then the UK is pretty buggered as I will bet it won't be any softer in Hong Kong (correct me if I am wrong, think that is where the XC is located).
 
But Hong Kong has got all the racecourse technology to get decent going - its not hard (as in difficult!!)

And thats the thing if you're aiming a horse for there you won't go and run it on rock hard ground here to prove nothing. They were all working there horses quite happily at Chatsworth today and to be totally honest Chatsworth has done nothing to their ground! They're lucky to have old well looked after turf and rain at the right times, its firm but good.
 
Can I put forward that the riders know their horses best and if they felt that their were putting their horse at risk by competing then they were absolutly right to withdraw. Does anyone bat an eyelid when Racehorses are withdrawn because of the going...no.

I know exactly what my horse is capable of and when he isn't enjoying the ground under his feet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top