Potentially, but then the majority have got more than 4 which suggests more than one bogey fence; will be interesting to see how the top 10 manage it, as Cart Horse suggests, the course is probablly awful!
The ground yesterday may also have had a factor on how they're jumping today....
Nothing wrong with the course at all. A lot had the last fence because they did not ride the turn well enough, there was a tricky line from 3 to 4abc - 3 asked you to open up and then you had to turn and get straight ASAP to jump the triple cleanly.
Obviously tight time though?! ANd remember what may not be tricky for a pure Sjer may be hard work for a tired horse after doing a testing XC the day before....
Time was tight, yes. The main fences that went were 3 (Lotto fence off a turn), 4 (partly because of lack of time to set up so part/s of the triple went), and the last, which again was off a turn and was ridden a little tight by a good few. Some horses dithered about the slanting oxer at 6 and so had it, even tho it was ridden with grim determination by a LOT of riders! the planks rode very well considering last week LOL
Absolutely am, bought a new Tweed today, Patey is ordered, am in the process of having my wool coat made - me and P will be omipresent this year! Am going to try and hunt with VWH and OBH and maybe get a couple of days with the Heythrop too - and poss even further away than that!
oo brilliant wil see you out on the field then. Getting a new jacket for my French result. My horse may be going cubbing in about 3 weeks timme at oxleaze. So man ylocal cubbng meets ATM. Hopefully he will be sound tomorrow grr, he was only slightly off on sat but hopefully new farrir will be better!
Agreed, time was tight but a lot of the time penalties in the mornign were due to riders not taking the tight corners that a lot of the main competitors did. The ground was possibly a little greasy in the morning as a few seemed to be slipping slightly into one of the fences and on one turn so possible took things a bit more slowly because of that.
Also, the nembers of clears etc may be low but there were a lot more first timers here then I have ever seen before which may have had something to do with it.