Eventing- rider weight.

Rather than a min weight limit being reinstated id rather see a max limit you can compete at which relates to the size and weight of the horse. A few chaps looked a bit big for their horses & you had to feel for the horses jumping fences that size.

A very well done to Ross & Walter.
 
Why does everything come down to weight?

Genuinely interested as people are either to light for their horse or too heavy for it 👀

I’m just intrigued as we are getting to the point that folk thinks it’s acceptable to weight people riding their own horses in comps but now people are considering having the horses carrying more weight? I just don’t get it 😬

I’ve lost a fair bit of weight and I feel great for it however I haven’t noticed much of a difference in farans way of going. He was never over laden but me being lighter hasn’t influenced anything about him other than his capability now to pull on me a little bit more when he’s excited 🤷🏼‍♀️ need to work on my core and quads now to compensate 🤣

Just the thought going through my head that people would say no more than 10st on this type and no more than 9st on this but in past times we put much more weight of lighter but fitter horses to compete.

I don’t think lead weights should be back in Eventing. However I think the horse world has like the rest of the world started to fixate on weight and it’s damaging on both sides.

Just my ten cents 😁
 
Back in the bad old days of event riders having to weigh in/out some lighter riders did opt out of the tougher events if they thought their horses couldn’t carry the extra weight.

Ginny Holgate being one, pretty sure it was her first superstar but rather small horse Dubonnet who she’d had from a weanling costing £35 and and who came through our PC. She said his heart would carry him through but it just wasn’t fair to get him to lug the extra weight around the big tracks.

Rachel Hunt got eliminated at an event in her early days as she didn’t make the weight without a weight cloth - it hadn’t occurred to her that she wouldn’t as her slim older brother always weighed in easily without one.

ETA overly heavy event riders is an issue even at top international level. There is a particular hefty American rider who definitely doesn’t ‘ride light’, he isn’t balanced and he thumps his ar$e back into the saddle at every stride, it’s horrible to watch.
 
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Sure weight will be a factor but having been very close or met several then none are very big. Tom Jackson is maybe 5'7 and would really qualify for national hunt as would Tom McEwen. I bet Tom and Tom are 11 stone or just over. Alex Bragg is same height as me at 5'9 and probably similar weight! Austen is tiny.
Harry is pretty light. So sure weight is a factor but none of them are very heavy so I don't think it gives Ros an advantage enough. It's just a small factor in a myriad of factors which influence the sport and result. But ultimately you need an amazing rider and horse to win let alone get round.

We certainly don't compare Marcus Ehning who tiny to someone like Ludger Beerbaum sjing where weight will also be a factor. So maybe there is a level of inherent sexism?
 
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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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Totally this. Men have such an enormous genetic advantage in terms of density of muscle fibres, it's ridiculous. Even unfit men have an average forearm and grip strength waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay above an average fit woman. So unless they can somehow be made to give that up, weight should not be looked at.
 
spacefaer said:
@Tiddlypom
Totally agree. It looks terrible. . Just because your dad was a famous eventer, doesn't give you the right to buy good horses and take them eventing.
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Well buying eventers and taking them eventing kind of isn't about rights. It's about money.

Actually tbf to buck he actually is just an unfortunate shape. A friend met him and was actually surprised that he was smaller in real life as kind of also had the perception he was a little fat brick. Doesn't excuse his riding which is horrible.
 
BD is an unfortunate shape and not a pretty rider.
It's an interesting discussion. Surely core and therefore balance is also a big factor? Body shape/frame too.
WFP and Jesse C are so tall but both very lean. WFP on Tamarillo never looked heavy. Bet they both weigh quite a bit as would Gemma T who is a totally different shape to Ros and Laura but pure muscle and a super rider. Ergo Oli who is more thickset/muscly.
 
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I didn't really answer this properly before, but I think it is absolutely right that weight is an important factor, and that particularly when it comes down to being a pure endurance test like slogging through the mud at badminton a couple of years ago when Ros and Lucy Latta (also tiny) definitely did benefit from their relative small size. But, unlike racing and point-to-point racing, where the horses are running and jumping on a straight line or a smooth curve and essentially it's just a speed and stamina test, here, the rideability of the horse is hugely important and there's no denying that Ros has done the most spectacular job of training her horse to be completely rideable, despite the fact that she will have much less upper body heft and ability to influence than some of the taller and heavier riders have.

All of the top of eventing riders have always been lightweight for their frame - William Fox Pitt, Mark Todd, Andrew Nicholson - all tall but very very lean. Because weight does make a difference, but it's one of a a myriad of factors that makes a difference - It's why Oli Townend - love him or hate him, loses lots of weight at the start of each season to try and be as light as he can for his horses.

But I don't think there's any way that ros's size gives her an overwhelming advantage over any other size of rider, because of that being in counterpoint to having less length of leg and less upper body influence. Being unfit and heavy for your frame would give you a distinct disadvantage though. But I don't think we saw anybody at Burghley who was even remotely unfit.

And I also thought that Harry's joke about about being pregnant was in poor taste and made me feel a bit uncomfortable. I know pregnancy is different for everybody but it's not exactly famed for making you feel at your sparkling best, is it!
 
Tiddlypom said:
Back in the bad old days of event riders having to weigh in/out some lighter riders did opt out of the tougher events if they thought their horses couldn’t carry the extra weight.

Ginny Holgate being one, pretty sure it was her first superstar but rather small horse Dubonnet who she’d had from a weanling costing £35 and and who came through our PC. She said his heart would carry him through but it just wasn’t fair to get him to lug the extra weight around the big tracks.

Rachel Hunt got eliminated at an event in her early days as she didn’t make the weight without a weight cloth - it hadn’t occurred to her that she wouldn’t as her slim older brother always weighed in easily without one.

ETA overly heavy event riders is an issue even at top international level. There is a particular hefty American rider who definitely doesn’t ‘ride light’, he isn’t balanced and he thumps his ar$e back into the saddle at every stride, it’s horrible to watch.
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I totally agree about the "hefty American." I felt really sorry for his horse.
 
RachelFerd said:
I didn't really answer this properly before, but I think it is absolutely right that weight is an important factor, and that particularly when it comes down to being a pure endurance test like slogging through the mud at badminton a couple of years ago when Ros and Lucy Latta (also tiny) definitely did benefit from their relative small size. But, unlike racing and point-to-point racing, where the horses are running and jumping on a straight line or a smooth curve and essentially it's just a speed and stamina test, here, the rideability of the horse is hugely important and there's no denying that Ros has done the most spectacular job of training her horse to be completely rideable, despite the fact that she will have much less upper body heft and ability to influence than some of the taller and heavier riders have.

All of the top of eventing riders have always been lightweight for their frame - William Fox Pitt, Mark Todd, Andrew Nicholson - all tall but very very lean. Because weight does make a difference, but it's one of a a myriad of factors that makes a difference - It's why Oli Townend - love him or hate him, loses lots of weight at the start of each season to try and be as light as he can for his horses.

But I don't think there's any way that ros's size gives her an overwhelming advantage over any other size of rider, because of that being in counterpoint to having less length of leg and less upper body influence. Being unfit and heavy for your frame would give you a distinct disadvantage though. But I don't think we saw anybody at Burghley who was even remotely unfit.

And I also thought that Harry's joke about about being pregnant was in poor taste and made me feel a bit uncomfortable. I know pregnancy is different for everybody but it's not exactly famed for making you feel at your sparkling best, is it!
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Really good answer IMHO.

Weight DOES affect the horse, and that is definitely going to be exacerbated in long format and muddy conditions. In dry conditions, a properly fit fit horse who is used to carrying a certain weight should not be overly disadvantaged.

As you say, being a short and light rider has its own disadvantages, which Ros has overcome with exceptional skill and training. I remember her saying years ago that one of her turning points was Chris Bartle helping her to ride with longer reins, so that she could sit up and use herself better.

As for being pregnant - I'm sure Harry did mean it to sound the way it did, but I bet he wishes he hadn't said it!
 
Cragrat said:
Really good answer IMHO.

Weight DOES affect the horse, and that is definitely going to be exacerbated in long format and muddy conditions. In dry conditions, a properly fit fit horse who is used to carrying a certain weight should not be overly disadvantaged.

As you say, being a short and light rider has its own disadvantages, which Ros has overcome with exceptional skill and training. I remember her saying years ago that one of her turning points was Chris Bartle helping her to ride with longer reins, so that she could sit up and use herself better.

As for being pregnant - I'm sure Harry did mean it to sound the way it did, but I bet he wishes he hadn't said it!
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What did he say?
 
Riders are aware of it. Sam Watson mentioned this on his Pre Burghley podcast. He reflected that perhaps now that Ros was pregnant she would be carrying a bit more weight and that might slow them down 😂
 
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