Badminton XC colours

[stormox]

Having been confined to staying in (mild concussion, not horse related) I watched Badminton XC on their own channel and one thing I noticed was lack of "colours".
We all remember Lucinda Greens yellow, Ginny Holgates purple, Lucinda Frederick's pink etc., ........ but at Badminton it seemed to be mainly navy blue and white.
Are different colors a thing of the past? There's more "matchy matchy" available these days than there was in the 70s and 80s surely?

 

[Kat]

I have thought for a while that the reduction in colours makes it more difficult for casual spectators to follow. I think it would be a great idea to encourage riders to wear individual colours again.

I think part of the problem is that people entitled to wear a team flag wear their team hat silk and at Badminton that means a vast number of navy blue hats. But it is confusing, there were a few times when the camera cut quickly from one rider to another but it was impossible to tell who you were looking at because they were wearing near identical kit.

It was refreshing to see Jonelle, Emily King, Nicky Hill, Tom Rowland, Francis Whittington, Boyd Martin and a few others wearing recognisable colours. Surely with personal branding and so on being important they would want to be easily identified.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Sponsorship I expect, it’s a shame I miss the colours especially Karen Dixon’s multicoloured top!

There was a badminton museum at the event with some of the old riding kit from Lucinda green, Ginny Leng and lots of photos of past winners etc..it made me very nostalgic for the old days!

 

[SilverLinings]

The museum tent was great, although I felt old looking at some of the pictures from when I visited Badminton as a teenager It is a shame that many of the riders aren't so identifiable out on the course now due to lack of personal x-country colours.

 

[asmp]

Sponsorship I expect, it’s a shame I miss the colours especially Karen Dixon’s multicoloured top!

There was a badminton museum at the event with some of the old riding kit from Lucinda green, Ginny Leng and lots of photos of past winners etc..it made me very nostalgic for the old days!

We saw Lucinda’s old yellow jumper at the museum today and it was hand knitted (I think by her mother)

 

[Rowreach]

We saw Lucinda’s old yellow jumper at the museum today and it was hand knitted (I think by her mother)

Mine (which are definitely not worthy of being in a museum and didn't go round Badminton!) were knitted by the landlady of the local pub. Life was a lot simpler (and cheaper) in those days.

 

[Bobthecob15]

We saw Lucinda’s old yellow jumper at the museum today and it was hand knitted (I think by her mother)

I know my daughter was shocked! Also she was amazed that body protectors were a fairly modern invention

I also thought the map of the original course including roads and tracks and steeplechase was fascinating…why did they stop doing that?? It was such a mega test of endurance

 

[asmp]

I know my daughter was shocked! Also she was amazed that body protectors were a fairly modern invention

I also thought the map of the original course including roads and tracks and steeplechase was fascinating…why did they stop doing that?? It was such a mega test of endurance

I did briefly look at the map but it was like a sauna in there so couldn’t stay in there long

 

[LEC]

Lots will just have a hat silk because at most other events they are riding multiple horses so will just be in same shirt they do dressage/SJ in.
I also think a lot of the Brits just have navy and white as team kit. Just like Tim Price is always in NZ black. A lot of the Irish have the dark green and french the royal blue.

 

[hairycob]

The fashion was going that way before i stopped being an XC collecting ring steward. When there are umpteen bay horses in a large collecting area it's more helpful to say to someone - you're after number 26 in the lime green/purple/turquoise than they are wearing navy and riding a bay just like the other 10 riders you can see and whose numbers you only get a brief glimpse of.

 

[Bernster]

Yes, def a lot less variety in xc colours these days.

 

[Squeak]

I also think it's a bit of a shame to lose xc colours. Hoping that the fashion of lack of colours will go back out of fashion soon and we'll get individual colours again. I personally have a colour I always wear and still do even though it's not 'cool'/ the done thing.

 

[myheartinahoofbeat]

I think the body protectors and/or air jackets make less of a need for xc colours because so much of the shirt or base layer is covered up by them.

 

[Honey08]

I think a few more are coming in thanks to Emily etc. But there has been a lot of black/navy for a long time. The NZ black hats with white stripes takes me back to my mounted games days - our pc had black colours and the last rider on the team has a white band on their hat.

I hate to say it, but I’m bored of seeing Wilberry going round with everyone too.