In Defence of Ollie Townend

TableDancer

TableDancer

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Just thought poor old Ollie deserved his own thread :p This isn't a rival to the ACM one as anyone who has read my post on that thread will know, I'm not horse-bashing here. I'm also aware that there are plenty of people defending him on the other thread, but I still feel he is coming out of this rather bruised and battered :o

In all my encounters with Ollie I have found him to be a cheerful, friendly, hard-working, positive young man with masses to give to the sport of eventing. He is a superb rider - of course his style doesn't suit every horse, but that is true of just about any jockey. I believe he does indeed care about his horses and tries very hard to work out what makes them tick and how to get the best out of them. There have undoubtedly been periods in the past when he has made mistakes in a variety of ways but, quite frankly, who hasn't? He has shown every sign of learning from them and has grown up so much in recent years. Yes he has a very "positive" riding style which might not be to everyone's taste, yes he has been less than "tactful" in the way he has gained rides from time to time. However, he is by no means the only rider on the circuit at whom these criticisms could be levelled, yet he seems to be singled out for sanction.

I am absolutely certain that nobody will be more devastated by what happened at Badminton than Ollie himself, and for people to jump on him seems both unfair and unecessarily cruel.

I can be of no possible use to Ollie, yet he is always friendly and polite whenever I see him. He does his best to be accessible to his many fans, while still working hard to establish a successful yard. I think we should cut the poor guy some slack once in a while :p

Whilst I know anyone is free to post whatever they want on this thread, a number of people have made their views very clear on other post-Badminton threads so I will make a teeny plea to keep this one positive - you might be surprised who looks at this forum :rolleyes: I'd like to wish Ollie the very best of luck for Lexington and the remainder of 2011 :)
 
Hmm, I don't think I've ever said anything about his personality or how nice/kind/lovely/wonderful he is, I just don't like his style of riding, that's all! :o
 
Absolutely, never met him but have friends who are good friends with him and they are shocked by the negativity.

As I said on the other thread it is for Oli and his connections to analyse what went wrong not so
called armchair professionals.

Well done TD and good luck Oli T and all riders slogging at 4* :)
 
Can I also say I was a bit shocked at how many people think that it's OK to say that a horse should never run at 4-star level again and looks badly ridden/unsound/impaired... This is someone's pride and joy, one that has taken a lot of hard work to get to this levels and one that we, for the most part bar any connections on here, know absolutely nothing about. Most of us have no idea how much hard work it takes to get a horse to that level!

Noone knows their horse better than the owner and rider and I would think it would be horrible and gutting to read such damning and uninformed comments online.

I hope they both do well, whatever the owners decide to do.
 
I'm in complete agreement. He is a great ambassador for the sport, good humoured, very talented, down to earth and frankly - easy on the eye.

What on earth would the armchair critics on HHO forum have made of Harvey Smith in his day. We need more accessible figures in the sport, especially those not to the manor born.
 
Hear hear. I'm another who was shocked at some of the comments on the other threads. Thought OT rode the horse well, just a shame it ended the way it did.
 
kit279 said:
Noone knows their horse better than the owner ...........
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That is very open to debate I'm afraid and they will go where they think they have the better chance for success whether that is in the horse's best interests or not which is what they've already done.

As to OT, I admire him for getting where he has from his beginnings but in no way would I condone some of his methods of getting the rides in the first place.
 
Hear hear TD. Good thread. Oli in no way deserves the flack he gets on here. I also think that its often forgotten in comments like 'years ago I saw him and he did so and so' that years ago he was still very much a young rider, he's not very old now! Just a point as we get lots of comments about other 'young riders' saying they did something but its ok as they will learn from that it shows their age etc etc and Oli doesnt seem to get the same grace. Undoubtedly Oli will still be learning from mistakes (he's human after all, I don't think that stops at any age!) He is a very talented rider that is undeniable and its sad he gets such a bashing on here.
Perhaps I have been overly critical of ACM but I think its fair to put across my view that when he starts dangling legs its pretty scary to watch and I geniunely wouldnt like to watch him over another 4* with anybody on board. Of course though I don't know the horse personally and I'm sure Oli and the owners will make the appropriate decisions over Splashs future.
 
siennamum said:
I'm in complete agreement. He is a great ambassador for the sport, good humoured, very talented, down to earth and frankly - easy on the eye.

What on earth would the armchair critics on HHO forum have made of Harvey Smith in his day. We need more accessible figures in the sport, especially those not to the manor born.
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I agree 100%
 
Im in complete agreement.

I know some of his actions and riding style have been questionable in the past, however i think he has worked bloody hard, takes on board what people say, and is not the same rider or person he was some years ago.

I think he should be admired for making an effort to be more likable and trying harder to keep people happy.

Plus i have found him to be one of the most friendly and approachable riders around.
 
Maesfen said:
That is very open to debate I'm afraid and they will go where they think they have the better chance for success whether that is in the horse's best interests or not which is what they've already done.

As to OT, I admire him for getting where he has from his beginnings but in no way would I condone some of his methods of getting the rides in the first place.
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Why, what's he done in the past to gain rides then? Think im missing something!

I like him TBF, but not every horse will go as well for one rider as it will for another. Hope it all works out for him and ACM.
 
I think the difference is riders like WFP rarely take over experienced successful horses and so you do not see the epic fails quite so publicly. WFP has a very particular type of horse he likes and many leave the yard very quickly.

Mary took a while to build a relationship with Imperial Cavalier and they had quite a few silly blips but she was lucky enough to have Call Again Cavalier as her main horse so Archie was not under quite the same pressure as ACM.

While I think Ollie is good for the sport I think that Marmaduke (Marmaduke is the nickname for the bad monkey sitting on Ollie's shoulder!) maybe caused a lot of the problems that still clouds him now in peoples perceptions.
 
I was standing at the Quarry when Oliver Townend rode through on Ashdale Cruise Master. I didnt think his riding looked particularly different to any of the other riders but his horse did look a little tired and not so keen. His ears were back the whole time, he looked tucked up and he struggled over the first log, nearly falling over that one then left a leg at the second. When the horse stood up it didnt walk away just hung his head down and looked exhausted. I watched the tv coverage on Monday and saw the horse left a leg at the water too - not the same leg though!

Several other horses looked very tired from the huntsmans close area up to the end of the course. There was another (cant remember which!) that came through looking tired and a bit sticky through the quarry but then went on to finish the course looking ok

Here are the sequence of pictures I took of them coming through the quarry, you can see the horse looks a bit tired

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Maesfen said:
Yes, you probably are but it's not my place to say I'm afraid.
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i don't think it's a secret, he admitted it openly in his (video'd) speech to the AHTA or USCTA or whatever they call it now! Also, he's not the only one who does it afaik - approaching owners of horses he fancies and saying he wants the ride. the thing is, it's not really 'done' (a bit like ringing someone injured as soon as one hears, and saying 'can i ride your horses then'...), poaching rides isn't seen as very sporting. obviously owners have their own reasons for choosing, and sticking with, a rider.... other riders should surely respect that?
BUT... i heard of another top rider who told another rider's owners that if he got the ride on a certain horse, he'd accomplish x, y and z with it (incl a cast-iron promise to take it to Le Lion... which didn't happen) and they were seduced by all these promises...
but hey, being ambitious and exceptionally driven has got these riders to the top of the sport, with some very good backers, so in some cases it obv worked exceptionally well.
this wasn't supposed to be OT bashing btw, just informative to avoid worse speculation.. i don't think approaching owners is the worst thing in the world, they can always say 'No' obviously!
 
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kerilli said:
i don't think it's a secret, he admitted it openly in his (video'd) speech to the AHTA or USCTA or whatever they call it now! Also, he's not the only one who does it afaik - approaching owners of horses he fancies and saying he wants the ride. the thing is, it's not really 'done' (a bit like ringing someone injured as soon as one hears, and saying 'can i ride your horses then'...), poaching rides isn't seen as very sporting. obviously owners have their own reasons for choosing, and sticking with, a rider.... other riders should surely respect that?
BUT... i heard of another top rider who told another rider's owners that if he got the ride on a certain horse, he'd accomplish x, y and z with it (incl a cast-iron promise to take it to Le Lion... which didn't happen) and they were seduced by all these promises...
but hey, being ambitious and exceptionally driven has got these riders to the top of the sport, with some very good backers, so in some cases it obv worked exceptionally well.
this wasn't supposed to be OT bashing btw, just informative to avoid worse speculation.. i don't think approaching owners is the worst thing in the world, they can always say 'No' obviously!
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Thanks for this Kerilli, it explains a lot. :)

At the end of the day he's running a business and approaching 'customers' (owners!) is all part and parcel of business and just proves to me that he's smart. If you don't ask you don't get!

I know it's not techinally the same but the most business I get for my company is when I have to get out there and not wait for people to come to us....?

I believe the term is 'proactive' :D
 
jenbleep said:
Thanks for this Kerilli, it explains a lot. :)

At the end of the day he's running a business and approaching 'customers' (owners!) is all part and parcel of business and just proves to me that he's smart. If you don't ask you don't get!

I know it's not techinally the same but the most business I get for my company is when I have to get out there and not wait for people to come to us....?

I believe the term is 'proactive' :D
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Well, yes, exactly. But, I can see the other side of it too, such as the girl who lost the ride on ACM... i suppose it depends on making sure you and your owners have the same aims, and maybe somehow having the right paperwork in place so that you don't end up heartbroken and/or out of pocket. Not a new situation anywhere... witness recent legal goings-on in the U.S. and Germany over horses being sold, moved, etc...
 
kerilli said:
Well, yes, exactly. But, I can see the other side of it too, such as the girl who lost the ride on ACM... i suppose it depends on making sure you and your owners have the same aims, and maybe somehow having the right paperwork in place so that you don't end up heartbroken and/or out of pocket. Not a new situation anywhere... witness recent legal goings-on in the U.S. and Germany over horses being sold, moved, etc...
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But do you not think that because he is who he is that that is the reason he got the ride, something to do with the name being more prominent?
 
Absolutely agree. I think he is one of the best examples of how hard work and determination can get you very far in this sport, even if you don't have the money. It's people like him and Phoebe Buckley who can show the world that we aren't a bunch of rich, stuck up toffs, but a bunch of hard-working people.

For those of you who haven't seen it, I really recommend watching his speech at the USEA convention. Here is the link for the first part: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-2kx8g4230
 
Re the whole 'poaching' thing, surely the real flak should be going to the owners for not staying loyal to the original rider? As someone else said, they could easily say 'no thanks, we want to stick with 'X' rider' and just take it as a big compliment to their excellent eye for choosing a horse?
 
Spudlet said:
Re the whole 'poaching' thing, surely the real flak should be going to the owners for not staying loyal to the original rider? As someone else said, they could easily say 'no thanks, we want to stick with 'X' rider' and just take it as a big compliment to their excellent eye for choosing a horse?
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You'd think so, but most owners would prefer a rider who was more competitive and ambitous and more likely to win a 4* (if it all goes to plan, that is!)

Cest le vie
 
Well written TD!

I seem to remember Oli being interviewed a while back, saying that some of the things he had done to get him where he is is he not proud of and arnt the real 'him'. I warmed to him that day, as he seemed to genuinely regret some of his actions.

He always comes across as a friendly humorous person. My OH stands out a bit in the horse world, we dont know Oli, but he always gives us a smile or wave if we see him at an event, he doesn't need to do this.

If anyone can say they have never made a mistake while riding or in life in general I dont think I would believe them:) If we learn from our mistakes thats what matters.

As for Oli walking away from ACM after falling (have seen a pic of him standing next to the horse first...) none of us know how he was feeling, most men dont wear their hearts on their sleeves, perhaps he felt he just needed to get away from the eyes of the world and compose himself.

I dont think that one persons riding style can suit every horse, there are alot of people about I would love to see ride my horse, (non professional) there are others I wouldn't even want them to pat it:rolleyes: I wouldn't say no to Oli riding my horse, but there are a few who I would definitely say no to.
 
I haven't commented on any of the previous post Badminton threads although I've looked at them, but I admit that while trotting round the arena this morning I was wondering just how many people on HHO have actually ridden round a 4* :confused:

Have to say that on the one occasion I met him he was utterly charming and took time out from his course walk to chat to my children when he certainly didn't need to:)
 
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