british team for beijing

G

goldengryffindor

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 January 2006
Messages
735
Location
Australia
Visit site
Well i may have missed this completely
blush.gif
but has there been any mention of whos on the eventing team for Beijing?
 
no, it's far too early to say yet. however, as long as they're sound, i think WFP and Tamarillo, and Zara and Toytown, are pretty much guaranteed places. if Pippa gets Kiri back on song and sound, who knows? Mary and Cavy, hopefully. not sure about the others... depends how they go this weekend at Pratoni, and next year at CICs and maybe at Badders.
 
Tam's fine afaik, but he's very accident-prone so WFP saved him this year, with Beijing in mind, i believe.
haven't heard anything about Kiri for a while. such a class horse, if he can prove he's sound, i think he'll be given the chance to go.
 
I truly think it would be a travesty if Kiri got to go, as there are so many horses which have had amazing recent form, and whilst Kiri is world class, he has not competed at this level for a while, nor has Pippa competed much recently. I think hard work and recent form should be what people are selected for
 
but Kiri is fully capable of leading after the dressage, cruising around the biggest track, and SJing clear twice... not many are. Tam will go if he's right, and he's not done much lately either. hammering them around big tracks every year isn't necessary, and so few will stand up to it.
"there are so many horses which have had amazing recent form"... seriously, which other British horses have amazing and consistent 4-star form? capable of being top 3 after dressage, and SJ clear or 1 down round the biggest track? who hasn't gone to the Europeans who should have, do you think?
i'm taking today's form into account - neither Rodney's nor Georgie's horses came up with all the answers, round a 3 star track...
 
I don't think Pippa should go, there are far better horses and riders out competing at the moment, just look at Daisy, Mary and Zara today. Olli had an unfortuanate run out but he stands a chance plus there is a Sharon Hunt and WFP.
 
I think Mary should definitely go, as should Zara. Daisy, on today's showing, should too, but the horse had a blip this spring iirc. they were brilliant today though.
WFP should be in there, as i said. i love Tanker's Town, but he's not quite the calibre of Kiri imho. OT is too chancy imho.
seriously, which "far better riders and horses" are there competing for the Brits at the moment, than Pippa and Kiri, who won back to back 4-stars? if he's sound enough, which is a big IF (because the selectors have made the mistake before of taking hopefully-sound horses...), he's one of the best of the best. Also, only one pole down cost him Gold at the Athens olympics, remember.
 
Polly Stockton, Lucy Weigersma who both went well at Burghley, WFP obviously, Sharon Hunt are all possibilities. They have all proved themselves in the last 12-18 months. I am not denying that Kiri is an exceptionally talented horse, but he hasnt competed for 18 months. I am sure they would do well if they were selected, but if i were a rider who has done well recently and PF was chosen in my place on reputation I would be a bit peeved!
 
Polly's horse stopped in the SJ at Lexington last year, iirc... he has his moments. didn't he stop at Badminton this spring as well? Lucy's horse is great, but no way will he be top 3 after the dressage at Olympic level, sorry. I am not in the Pippa Funnell fan club, like a besotted teenager, but the fact is that he is one of the very few horses of that calibre that we might be able to draw on.
 
I think Zara should definitely be in the team.
I'd like to see Matthew Wright too,I think he's a good rider and he has been very unlucky with Park Pilot's injury
 
Ruth Edge is her horse is sound, Daisy has proved her worth IMO, obviously Zara and WFP with Tam....aslso Lucy W should be considered....what about CHris if Secret weapon goes well at 4*?!
 
Sarah Cohen is another. I accept you are unlikely to find a horse with such 4* form as Kiri, but as you said yourself, its a 3* competition. Flint Curtis was selected for WEG with only one 4* result, whereas others have had more experience. Spring Along also had a bad time at Luhmeuhlen.
 
If this Bejing is anything like Atheens then they need good dressage horses with very reliabl SJing.Toytown Tam and Kiri are all so capable of leadin the dressage at the Olympics and good jumpers too. Ruth Edge is another who should be considered.
We need to see consistancy and those 3 horses seem to be reliable at the top if they are sound.
We will just have to see how they run next year.
The secret Weapon f he goes well at 4* and Parkmore Ed should be considered aswell.

Flint and Tom quigley are both fab too but not quite as consistant.
 
Personally I think Mary, daisy and Zara no doubt - then the others in my mind would be polly stockton, sharon hunt if TT is back in the game and WFP. OT is far too chancy as his recent form has shown and as someone else mentioned, RP and GD showed today that there horses aren't yet quite ready for the pressure of a high class event in the spotlight such as the olympics.
 
i completely agree kiri and pippa as a combination are one on the best combinations, hes been so consistent at 4*, hopefully he is sound, but even if he is who knows if pippa will be competing again next year?
 
Personally I think there are other riders who have worked hard and deserve the place more than pippa right now. I have nothing against her and kiri and her are a fantastic partnership BUT the likes of polly stockton, mary king, wfp have worked hard and got good results and deserve the place.
 
i think that when pippa and kiri are on song they truly are world beaters and if its a gold medal the selectors are after and the pair of them show good form at the beginning of next year, they should go. Of course it would be a risk sending her, but they are a fanastic combination when it all goes right.

Also I want to see tam back on the team. he's a super little horse!
 
Olympics has 2 rounds of SJ - so they should pick horses who are consistently good at SJ. They probably should also lean towards horses who cope well with heat - Pratoni should help there.

The Olympic XC tends to be a bit weaker than some, so good dressage and willingness to concentrate over a smallish 3* course also fairly key.

Much as I am a fan of Lucy W and Shaabrak - I wouldn't say Shaabrak would be ideal for 2 rounds of SJ - he is not consistent, although he can be good and does a very good dressage.

Really think they should have gone for Lucy and WFP at Euros, certainly over Rodney Powell (and possibly OT) - as that XC looked like a very hard 3* for the horse's second ever 3 day 3 star!
 
I think WFP should definitely be there, I'd like to see Sarah Cohen aswell because she rides beautifully, but I doubt she'll be selected. Mary King has been very good on recent form and Daisy too. I'm not a fan of Zara but based on her recent form she probably deserves to go, although I think the two rounds of SJ could be a killer for her. OT definitely not, he's barely managed to get round the xc lately.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top