Cross Country on TV today!

Thanks for the reviews guys! Just having my break at work so glad to hear most people got round OK.
Swithered about going to burghley but have decided to do pimms and a picnic on the sofa, so I'll see you all here!
 
shortstuff99 said:
I'm not sure if anyone has seen but Piggy French has been given a yellow card for her whip use during the XC. Little bit strange how quiet everyone has been on it while OT got absolutely vilified for the same thing.
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I saw that - yellow card was because the whip left a mark on the horse, I think the article said (I just had a quick read before it told me I had to pay to see any more).
 
I think it's gone largely un-remarked because of the difference in her reaction compared to OT.

(On a computer if you stop the page loading fully you can read the article ;) haven't figured out how to do that on mobile!)
 
shortstuff99 said:
I'm not sure if anyone has seen but Piggy French has been given a yellow card for her whip use during the XC. Little bit strange how quiet everyone has been on it while OT got absolutely vilified for the same thing.
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A too sharp correction is rather different to repeatedly smacking a knackered horse to the finish line, isn't it?

Piggy will be mortified she left a mark, which and was probably not a specific choice to hit that hard, whereas the occasion with Oli was a deliberate choice to hit his horse that often.

*Please remember I did praise Oli's riding this time*
 
TheOldTrout said:
I saw that - yellow card was because the whip left a mark on the horse, I think the article said (I just had a quick read before it told me I had to pay to see any more).
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That would be very different to OT and his riding of two horses which made very uncomfortable watching at the time and was commented on by many before it all kicked off in the media, a mark left by a whip can be caused by one slap, which may have been the only time the whip was used, but the rules will have to be enforced the same as they were for the blood seen on CdJ's horse.
 
DiNozzo said:
A too sharp correction is rather different to repeatedly smacking a knackered horse to the finish line, isn't it?

Piggy will be mortified she left a mark, which and was probably not a specific choice to hit that hard, whereas the occasion with Oli was a deliberate choice to hit his horse that often.

*Please remember I did praise Oli's riding this time*
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If you watch the replay of it she hits the horse twice very hard! Takes her hand off the rein turns in the saddle and really belts him. I think she very much did mean to hit him that hard and tbh I can't see difference between the two both were very deliberate actions to get the same result, the horse to sharpen up.
 
Yes it was rather uncomfortable to watch, and quite late after the fence, if it is related to the water combination where he just backed off at the start.
 
shortstuff99 said:
If you watch the replay of it she hits the horse twice very hard! Takes her hand off the rein turns in the saddle and really belts him. I think she very much did mean to hit him that hard and tbh I can't see difference between the two both were very deliberate actions to get the same result, the horse to sharpen up.
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I remember it now and agree with mp it was rather late to react but was due to the horse backing off and needing a reminder, possibly slightly ill judged but not comparable to watching OT ride both his horses in a similar way when they were tiring and seemed to be struggling to get home.
 
Didn’t Gemma Tattersall get a yellow card recently too?

Can’t remember what to Google to bring up the reasons why though and it only appears to be on H&H behind a paywall 🙄
 
be positive said:
I remember it now and agree with mp it was rather late to react but was due to the horse backing off and needing a reminder, possibly slightly ill judged but not comparable to watching OT ride both his horses in a similar way when they were tiring and seemed to be struggling to get home.
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See I'm still not sure they were *that* different. They both did what they thought was necessary at the time to win/stay safe and if we dislike one we should dislike the other really.
 
Backing off through being unsure of the question and not responding to the riders leg is different to a tired horse struggling to get home, OT said the horse was backing off and being leery but to most it looked tired towards the end of the course, he continued to use the whip to 'encourage it' despite seeming to get very little response, this happened on both horses, no one wants to see horses hit whoever is riding them but sometimes it is essential for safety reasons and if the horse does not respond by going forward and remaining that way then that is the time to pull up.
 
But both of his horses came out great the next day and didn't look tired at all. Perhaps he may have been right and that his horse was just backing off and not tired? How are we to know. I still feel it is double standards as Piggy is a more likeable rider so is let off more.
 
Whether one is more likeable than the other has no bearing on my view, when OT had just finished his ride a friend turned up to join me watching and the first thing I said was that I was shocked at what I had just seen, I am no fluffy bunny, it did not make good viewing the use of the whip was repeated and prolonged along with a lot of pushing and kicking, the horse may well have been dossing but he was in a very strong position, is very competitive and I don't think he really thought about what he was doing at the time he just wanted to get home in the best time possible and keep his place on the scoreboard.
He has certainly made changes to his riding, he appears stronger/ fitter himself and better balanced generally, he often used to look knackered when he must be one of the fittest on the circuit with the amount he does compete so the criticism has paid off as he has moved on in a positive way.
Horses as fit as they need to be for a top 3 day should recover overnight with all the help they get nowadays very few fail to present or fail on the final inspection even those that looked to be struggling the previous day, it was more difficult to manage with the old format and less advanced care available when they often look tired for the show jumping.
 
Shortstuff99 I do get your point and I agree that Piggy will probably get away with it more in the public eye because she is more ‘liked’.

With the FEI though she has apparently got a yellow card (this is something that bypassed me so I’m just going on what is written here). I can only assume it was after the water, she very much meant to give him 2 hard ones and the horse did need sharpening up, he didn’t jump that water well. When she did it I remembered thinking ‘careful piggy’.

So whilst the use of the whip was appropriate the level of force was clearly not if it left a mark - and that is why she got the yellow card.

‘Interestingly’ Oli was not carded, he can’t have left a mark. He was verbally warned. This is despite flogging what appeared to be a very tired horse - but what you see and what you feel can sometimes be different. So if anything Oli was treated leniently by the FEI. The public outcry would probably have been less if they had carded him after the first ride and he moderated his attitude in his interview.

If push came to shove I think Oli incident worse than Piggy.

Our sport is coming under close scrutiny and for that I’m really glad, but we can’t reach the point that riders are scared to give their horses a reminder where needed. There is a really fine line where social media is useful to highlight horse welfare in sport and when crossed it then just becomes something it shouldn’t be.
 
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Piggy did give the horse a couple of whacks, and in the same circumstances I and lots of riders would have done so too. If it marked the horse then the yellow card was appropriate and I guess she feels terrible about it. It was a lot different from Oli's case where he repeatedly hit the horse.

But, good for Oli, he has taken on board what was said, and certainly puts more effort into his post ride interview to come across as nicer and I think he has looked at himself and improved all round and after all he was picked for the team and did well.
 
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