Eventing- rider weight.

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Zebedee

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I am just about old enough to remember when event riders had to carry a minimum weight, and the more petite riders had to carry racing style lead weight cloths to make up the difference. I can't remember what that weight was, or why it was rescinded.
I'm interested to know what others think about the obvious weight advantage Ros has over every male rider, and most of the female ones. No one can possibly deny that she snd her horses are awesome. Ros is a brave, superb dedicated rider and trainer. Always a delight to watch, and in breathtaking harmony with every horse she rides.
Each time she has been the only rider to make the time at a major event it goes through my mind that she probably has a two stone advantage over most of the other riders, even though none of the pundits ever mention this in their comments. Would a return to the minimum weight scenario present a more level playing field?
 
Interesting question, and one I was thinking about too. I remember mostly female riders having to add weights to the saddle pad to make the minimum weight.

Was it 12 stone 7lb on the scales with the rider carrying the tack, like a racing weigh in?

ETA I’ve not heard about it or read about it constantly coming up for discussion recently, I clearly don’t move in the same circles as those who chatter about it 🤣.
 
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Zebedee said:
I am just about old enough to remember when event riders had to carry a minimum weight, and the more petite riders had to carry racing style lead weight cloths to make up the difference. I can't remember what that weight was, or why it was rescinded.
I'm interested to know what others think about the obvious weight advantage Ros has over every male rider, and most of the female ones. No one can possibly deny that she snd her horses are awesome. Ros is a brave, superb dedicated rider and trainer. Always a delight to watch, and in breathtaking harmony with every horse she rides.
Each time she has been the only rider to make the time at a major event it goes through my mind that she probably has a two stone advantage over most of the other riders, even though none of the pundits ever mention this in their comments. Would a return to the minimum weight scenario present a more level playing field?
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Lol at noone every mentioning it - it's talked about so *constantly* that my non horsey other half says "bingo" every time they start talking about it 😂
 
RachelFerd said:
Lol at noone every mentioning it - it's talked about so *constantly* that my non horsey other half says "bingo" every time they start talking about it 😂
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Never heard it mentioned during TV analysis or conversations though. Doesn't mean it hasn't been of course, but I don't have H & C, Clip My Horse or FEI TV, so appreciate I do miss a lot of broadcasted content.
 
Zebedee said:
Never heard it mentioned during TV analysis or conversations though. Doesn't mean it hasn't been of course, but I don't have H & C, Clip My Horse or FEI TV, so appreciate I do miss a lot of broadcasted content.
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People haven't shut up about it for the last 8 years I think 😂
 
smolmaus said:
Only if you somehow dope the big lads so they don't have the upper body strength advantage that comes with being that size. And long legs keep you more stable. And they have bigger lungs. And they're not pregnant either.
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Exactly! It’s the one time being a lightweight female has had an advantage over being any kind of male and we are already discussing levelling the playing field 🤣
 
Tiddlypom said:
Interesting question, and one I was thinking about too. I remember mostly female riders having to add weights to the saddle pad to make the minimum weight.

Was it 12 stone 7lb on the scales with the rider carrying the tack, like a racing weigh in?

ETA I’ve not heard about it or read about it constantly coming up for discussion recently, I clearly don’t move in the same circles as those who chatter about it 🤣.
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Minimum weight 11 stone….remember running about borrowing lead from riders…
 
Zebedee said:
I am just about old enough to remember when event riders had to carry a minimum weight, and the more petite riders had to carry racing style lead weight cloths to make up the difference. I can't remember what that weight was, or why it was rescinded.
I'm interested to know what others think about the obvious weight advantage Ros has over every male rider, and most of the female ones. No one can possibly deny that she snd her horses are awesome. Ros is a brave, superb dedicated rider and trainer. Always a delight to watch, and in breathtaking harmony with every horse she rides.
Each time she has been the only rider to make the time at a major event it goes through my mind that she probably has a two stone advantage over most of the other riders, even though none of the pundits ever mention this in their comments. Would a return to the minimum weight scenario present a more level playing field?
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Please no……she may be lighter than a lot of riders, male or female……but she rides a big, powerful horse, and sheer skill comes into the way she rides him….her weight makes no difference…..a heavier less skilled rider would make his job more difficult, and slow his rhythm down….
Don’t let’s go back to lead and a minimum weight….
 
She might be lighter but also likely has less strength than the male (or heavier female) riders and much shorter legs! I think there are a number of things that go into it, not saying weight isn’t a factor but being the lightest doesn’t automatically make you the best. Ros is clearly fabulous despite her size, not because of it.

Plus of course she’s going to be heavier than normal right now…
 
smolmaus said:
Interesting, isn't it! God forbid a woman be excellent, she must be cheating somehow.
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I repeat, her weight or any of the others weight makes no difference at all….its balance, skill and perception…
and no one could even think that weight could make a difference or cheating to our incredible top lady riders…
 
Female riders did well before the weight was lifted and then continued to do well but I don't think they dominate the sport in a way that would suggest an unfair advantage. Ros and Walter are an exceptional combination and I think if you saw the pairing out and about with no context you'd, if anything, say she was too small for her horse.
 
I think its insulting to even suggest that weight is relevant, obviously I understand that over a stamina test like Burghley carrying less weight is easier for the horse, but there are plenty of lightweight female riders who do not have a record even close to Ros, she is brilliant because of her talents, hard work and partnership with her horses, if she was six foot she'd still be winning.

Personally I didnt like it in Harry's interview when he said he'd do better if he were pregnant, I know it was a joke, but I'd rather she was praised for brilliance, nothing else.
 
I wish I'd had all these reasoned arguments re weight carried not making a difference when I was riding pt 2 pt and had to lug 4 stone of lead in and out of the weighing room to make the 12' 7 req to ride in open races - although I sincerely doubt my core was anything like as strong as Ros's must be even back then. I also agree that her balance and harmony with the horse are a delight to watch.
Interesting that the topic has been done to death elsewhere - I only see Badminton and Burghley TV streams and BBC highlights and have honestly never heard it mentioned. Whoever mentioned the Equiratings podcast - thanks for that, I like a good podcast, but hadn't realised they did one.
 
daffy44 said:
I think its insulting to even suggest that weight is relevant, obviously I understand that over a stamina test like Burghley carrying less weight is easier for the horse, but there are plenty of lightweight female riders who do not have a record even close to Ros, she is brilliant because of her talents, hard work and partnership with her horses, if she was six foot she'd still be winning.

Personally I didnt like it in Harry's interview when he said he'd do better if he were pregnant, I know it was a joke, but I'd rather she was praised for brilliance, nothing else.
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Oh please, it was spoken in jest…they, well nearly all of them regard Ros with the deepest respect and admiration…
Bet she grinned when she saw and listened to it, and so should we…
 
Back in the olden days of long format 3DEs, carrying the dead weight of lead in your saddle cloth was infinitely more tiring and energy sapping for the horse. Lighter riders, whether male or female, "tended" to ride a lighter stamp of horse, for whom the extra weight was a harder test.
As far as i am aware, It was actually removed for safety and competitive parity, as tired horses fall harder and more often, and are less likely to pass the Sunday morning check.

A friend of mine, who was tall but thin (think 9 stone with all her tack) had to carry weight for the Junior Trials on her 15hh Welsh cob cross. She had the .most spectacular flying fall over a triple bar on the cross-country as the little horse just didn't have the power to jump as he was used to in previous, non weight carrying events.

It's definitely not something that should ever be considered reinstating.
 
I don't think it should be re-introduced, but I also think that the weight carried by the horse does have an impact on the horse and how they finish. Why do racehorses carry different weights when they are in a race if it doesn't make a difference?

Mark Todd was tall on Charisma and said he was very conscious of how heavy he was and kept his weight down.

The argument is that riders choose a horse to suit them, which includes its weight carrying ability. I think that some of the male riders could do with being a bit lighter.
 
It's not weight that is influencing results, it is the education and balance of the horses. The courses are built with so many related distances, turns, skinnies and trappy fences, the horses need to be ultra careful, obedient and balanced. Ros and her like could be heavier and they would still have the results because their horses are listening obedient horses and a real pleasure to watch. Far nicer than the kick and yank riders who regardless of their lweight are still making the work harder for their horses.
 
AdorableAlice said:
It's not weight that is influencing results, it is the education and balance of the horses. The courses are built with so many related distances, turns, skinnies and trappy fences, the horses need to be ultra careful, obedient and balanced. Ros and her like could be heavier and they would still have the results because their horses are listening obedient horses and a real pleasure to watch. Far nicer than the kick and yank riders who regardless of their lweight are still making the work harder for their horses.
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Great post .

For me the stand out rounds were LC And RC .
With RC it was the finished product the horse at end of the process where the trust the training and the knowing come together the horse is so good in hand, so easy ( for a world class rider ) to turn it’s such a freaky level of skill that you forget what’s going on the noise the undulations of ground the speed the balance not losing concentration ever in bubble with the horse it’s like watching magic .
With LC it was a younger less experienced horse and you could see the struggles with concentration, the horse taken aback by the fences coming on her with little warning the intensity of the problems and LC who also has a great position was guiding reassuring just there helping her horse.
Lovely mare whose balance will improve as she matures at higher level,she’s beautiful .
 
Not on either side of this argument, but if weight makes no difference why do they have handicaps to level the field in horse racing?

ETA Sorry - just noticed that point has already been made above.

Always read all of the thread before commenting, I know 😟
 
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