FEI Nations Cup: fight for the right - vindication !

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bahumbug

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Wow in the Meydan Nations Cup GB ended third after some spectacular performances, I'm raising a glass to the BSJA/BEF who fought for the right for GB to be in it. There were so many detractors...cheers guys! In it to win it ..Whoop!!!!
 
The thing i struggle to understand with the Superleague is that nobody ever seems to aspire to win it...it's always just about 'staying in the top flight'. In every other form of sport i can think of you try are trying to win...why is this different ? Is there actually a prize for winning the league ? If so, what is it ? Who benefits ? Etc...
 
But they did not win it. Not even close. You British are so funny, how can you get so excited about coming third in a competion that is not even a championship, expecially after such a dire performance last year. It was very exciting today to watch Holland win and also excape relegation but I think it will be better to retain the World Championship or win the European Championship next year.
 
That is a very good point Rambo, except the French. They wanted to win last year and retain it this year, they want to win everything though.
 
i think for the french jumping team there is perhaps a different attitude especially since they replace Giles de Balanda with Laurent Elliat. Most of the team are young and hungry although it is not good for them that Lamm de Fetan has been sold.
I think also regarding your earlier point that perhaps it is only now that WEG become a non priority for the British showjumpers, now they have established that they cannot beat the rest of the Europeans, which does not of course include teams from the USA, Canada and Brazil all of whom will be at full strength in Lexington. after the euphoria of Hickstead, perhaps they think this was the best time to tell the public?
 
Before this thread descends into competely off-topic ordure, can I just remind everyone it is about vindicating the decision of the BEF to fight relegation via CAS, because the Brits have done that with knobs on. So go Brits (everyone else......... rack off!)
 
bahumbug said:
Before this thread descends into competely off-topic ordure, can I just remind everyone it is about vindicating the decision of the BEF to fight relegation via CAS, because the Brits have done that with knobs on. So go Brits (everyone else......... rack off!)
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I am not sure what ordure is but I think that Rambo and I were discussing why being in the Super League was so important especially as the aim was not to win.I do not think that was off the topic. And why finishing a well beaten third in a non championship series is so wonderful? Perhaps commendable but this is not the performance of a team who will win medals at London 2012 I think, when all the best teams will be present and sending their best horses and riders which, on the whole, those that were present in the Super League did not do in the Nations Cup series on many occasions. Perhaps Bahumbug, you did not notice that almost the same British team was very well beaten in Dublin? For the money that has been spent on 'vindicating' and competing (averagely although much better than in 2009) in a series that means little on the world stage perhaps the sam sum could have been invested in horses? Britain is very very lucky now that two of their best propects, Carlo and Hello Sailor, are owned by people unlikely to sell them despite the offers they must be receiving by now. The new Chef has done a good job but he cannot make horses out of thin air, even if he has the likes of John and Michael Whitaker to ride them.
 
Okay...well let's clwar up a few points here.

The original post was about vindicating the position of GBR in tje Superleague....and yes, imo, they have done that. But then the superleague standings change so much from year to year anyway...so is there any real value in it anyway. As i said before...does anyone actually aspire to win the superleague every yea
Where i tend to disagree with. Badattitide is on their view of GBR's prospects looking forward to 2012. What you must remember is that Hickstead and Sublin (and Falsterbo) were results that were achieved without the current top flight of horses such as Peppermill, Corlato, Pall Mall H and Robin Hood. In Carlo and Billy Congo you have potemtially two of the best young horses in tje world today. Hello Sailor has more scope than almost anything else around at the moment. Tim Stockdale has a great up and coming horse in Kalico Bay and the we have the 'rest' to fall back on...all of whom are Championship quality...Peppermill, Amai, Pilgrim, Robin Hood, Chamberlain Z.

You must also appreciate that Rob H isa master at identifying talent...particularly equine talent...and if he has his eye on 2012 then you have to take him seriously.

The futures bright,it might wven be orange...but then it might just as easily be red white and blue....not bleu :p
 
Actually I do not have a particular affiliation, my mother was english but not my father who was a diplomat and I was brought up in many countries and now I live in one that does not compete in the super league at all! For me a good contest is all. I loved the way the Dutch managed to avoid relegation in Dublin. And to win was super! I think the Super League would not be entitled to say that without the world champions in it. I think it is already not good that the Olympic Champions have not come already. Like the football champions league with Manchester United for example. :)
And perhaps the British team was not using many of their best horses but in Hickstead neither were the Germans or the French. Or the Americans. I cannot remember about falsterbo but I think that was also the same. I agree about Rob Hoekstra ( he is Dutch after all!!) but some of these younger horses will go to the Olympics without ever seeing a course that is so big unless they jump on the Champions Tour because the European Championships will not compare. You would not get a course like the one at hickstead in a championship, on grass and without a combination. Perhaps they should go to WEG for the experience. Without this maybe they will get a lucky day, but the Olympic team title does not usually depend on luck. It is not like a normal Nations Cup. I have been to one. I have never seen a course so big before.
 
It's a good point you make about some key teams being missed.....and in fact that is another weakness of the Superleague format....it is basically a European Superlague enhanced by a band of nomadic yanks over the summer. I think it was Canada who were invited to join last year as well, but who turned down the opportunity, presumably on the grounds of cost...and of course Brazil always feature strongly when they are involved.

I hadn't actually noticed the lack of combination in the NC at Hickstead.....but i think the line of oxer, to double to water to planks so early in the course probably made up for it in terms of complexity...but you are right, many horses (most horses ?) will probably never see a track so big and demanding as an Olympic track until the day they jump at one. I don't think the GCT even would be a match for that. That said though, Carlo for one has already shown good form being placed in 2 or 3 GCT Grand Prix this year.

I always get excited in the run upto a championships and like to think the Brits are in with a shout. Probably as much as anything because i remember back to when we were in with a shout lol! I know we're not the force we used to be...but i can dream :)

P.S. I see Belgium (and Italy) are both fighting it out at the top of the promotional league....so should be seeing both of them back in the top flight again next year...
 
Rambo said:
I always get excited in the run upto a championships and like to think the Brits are in with a shout. Probably as much as anything because i remember back to when we were in with a shout lol! I know we're not the force we used to be...but i can dream :)

P.S. I see Belgium (and Italy) are both fighting it out at the top of the promotional league....so should be seeing both of them back in the top flight again next year...
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So do I! I am very excited about WEG and a change in the order of things! But Belgium and Italy will not have it all their way, I think because I see on a website that canada will compete in Barcelonathis year because with no major championship for them next year, a European Tour would be good to prepare for the Olympics.
And Conrad Holmfeld built the course for the GCT Final last year and he in a magazine report from there that it was every bit as big as Hong Kong and as neither the gold or silver medalists made the jump off perhaps he was right! I also agree Carlo is a very good horse.
 
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