Belsay today

[attheponies]

Watching Belsay this afternoon and saw Bill Levettt and Weston General have a nasty fall. There was quite a long hold on course but H&C TV never mentioned anything once coverage re-commenced. Just wondered if anyone knows how both horse and rider are?

 

[Cragrat]

We saw it - the horse walked away looking sound, though I'm sure he's bruised. Bill is bloody lucky IMO - he did eventualy walk with assistance to a vehicle to be driven off the course.

Nasty slow motion fall. The horse stopped at the last minute at the hanging log into the water. The approachwas slightly down hill. Having dangled over the log for agonising moments, the horse slowly rotated over the log, depositing Bill into the water and then landing on top of him . I was so bloody relieved when Bill sat up out the water!

 

[LEC]

We saw it - the horse walked away looking sound, though I'm sure he's bruised. Bill is bloody lucky IMO - he did eventualy walk with assistance to a vehicle to be driven off the course.

Nasty slow motion fall. The horse stopped at the last minute at the hanging log into the water. The approachwas slightly down hill. Having dangled over the log for agonising moments, the horse slowly rotated over the log, depositing Bill into the water and then landing on top of him . I was so bloody relieved when Bill sat up out the water!

Horse and rider both fine. Both just a little sore.

 

[Northern Hare]

Horse and rider both fine. Both just a little sore.

That's great news both were ok.

I was watching the H&C livestream as well, and another combination had a skidding stop at the same hanging log into the water, and the horse's front feet dropped down behind the log so it's neck was supporting it's weight. Fortunately it quickly managed to extricate itself with rider still onboard.

I'm guessing there was no mim clips / safety devices as the hanging log was quite large.

 

[LEC]

Just had a look and I don't think it was MIM clipped. One of the reasons will be horses often slither into water with their stifles so it can't be clipped as would activate.

 

[Northern Hare]

Just had a look and I don't think it was MIM clipped. One of the reasons will be horses often slither into water with their stifles so it can't be clipped as would activate.

Thanks for checking! There's been a lot of advances in the clip/collapsible jump designs, so hopefully they'll find a suitable solution for hanging logs into water - or use an alternative. I'm happy to be corrected here, but that must be a high risk jump for serious rotational falls, especially with any downhill approach. So pleased though that all was ok yesterday.

 

[Nicnac]

After Georgie.Campbells fall last year would think those huge logs into water would be given some kind of redesign. They are very forgiving as long as horse gets front legs over. As @LEC says MIM clips won't work. Not sure if some kind of grease would help or whether that would just speed up a rotational? A flat front could break a horse's leg vs. the round profile. Just musing and I'm sure this has been looked at by those who have far more expertise than I.

 

[LEC]

After Georgie.Campbells fall last year would think those huge logs into water would be given some kind of redesign. They are very forgiving as long as horse gets front legs over. As @LEC says MIM clips won't work. Not sure if some kind of grease would help or whether that would just speed up a rotational? A flat front could break a horse's leg vs. the round profile. Just musing and I'm sure this has been looked at by those who have far more expertise than I.

I think Georgies fall was a bit weird and it had been used in 3* previously. I don't think we will ever know what happened but on the whole I think that log design is pretty safe.