Inside story Only Fools on Horses

[The Voice]

Psychic Mag. Whats on TV, to save you watching it.

Towerlands looked fantastic compared to what it did and credit goes to the Gredleys for doing a brilliant job in really tidying the place up and putting the new arenas in. Lets hope they have more sucess.

Also the two presenters on BBC 3 at the beginging were I thought (but I am past 40) slightly out of their depth but by the end of the week were doing a good job and apparently were very good with the guests. Full marks for him having a go on a horse to see how easy it was!

 

[Jo C]

Go Spaniel!!

 

[Kais]

TV choice bought wednesday 12 has a photo of Jenni Falconer

she did not win till saturday15

maybe it was just a lucky guess
at no time did I say it was a scam
I felt it was fixed as the winner was known early not that anyone was making money

it was a good program and I enjoyed it
I do not feel you need to be rude

 

[Gingernags]

I have to admit, seeing as I really hate these celeb type programs, even though they are for charity - I was prepared to hate it - but got thoroughly addicted!

I know it is easy for us to sit and criticise, but at the end of the day they ended up jumping bl**dy big fences and for the total novices especially - hats off to them. I can't believe how Suzi in particular kept getting back on - I'd have chucked in the towel ages before! She just didn't quit.

Maybe I'm rotten but the falls really did liven it up though, sorry! At leat no person or horse was badly hurt.

But yes, enjoyed it, had a good giggle over Paul's flappy elbows and Ruby's cha cha cha but it was ENTERTAINING and raised dosh for charity and the profile of SJ.

Would love to see them do it again, though my only real criticism - and honest its constructive, you could get better presenters next time who would be more relaxed and a bit less wooden.

But all in all, a good effort and 9.5 out of 10!!!

 

[dieseldog]

I enjoyed it, the TV mag obviously made Nicki's horse have 2 fences down so that Jenni could win, I thought Jenni should have gone for the Joker as she still would have won even if she knocked it down.

The BBC3 presenters were fine, appealed to the younger audience, the only person I would change is Jodie - complete muppet.

 

[pixiebee]

i wasnt quite suure why they had jodie as a judge? didnt she used to showjump or play polo when she was younger but then went on to model. so how does she qaulify to judge? they would have been better putting another pro showjumper on the judging stand, not someone who used to do it as a kid(excuse the pun!!!)

 

[henryhorn]

I think she was leading Junior Showjumper of the Year at some point..

 

[Emily99]

I think its just what the sport needs... more awareness in the general public like the old days.

I think a little more 'behind the scenes' stuff would have made it a bit better and a little less repitition but no program will eb perfect for eveyone. Maybe they'll bring out a DVD detailing the training behind it or something.. would be a laugh anyway!

 

[spaniel]

Not being rude, just trying to get to the bottom of your comments.

 

[H's mum]

Oh how FAB spans!
I for one am missing OFOHs - I thought it was great - top entertainment - and having spoken to lots of jo-public - they thought it was great too - especially the falls!

Thanks for the "in"sight

Great that we can hear what really happened!

Kate x

 

[emma69]

Jodie still plays polo I believe at a pretty high level! She is a 'known' face to those not in the horsey world, and adds a bit of glam! I think she was encouraging, tho her dress sense was a little eccentric!

 

[bellasmum]

Well said!! I too have been lucky to go behind the scenes and attend many nights – well done to the BBC1, BBC3 and Endemol – as well as everyone involved – everyone in my opinion were first rate stars!!

 

[kayleigh_and_rocky]

Well said, it was a good programme and i'm getting fed up of these 'its fixed' comments, in the new lounge on saturday someone even had the numptyness to suggest that both matt and sara falling off was more than a coincidence....yeeeeeees!!!
However there is one thing and one thing only that p*ssed me off royally, and that was the unnesecary use of spurs on two of the riders (both of whom didnt have the positions to be able to use spurs and diarmuid especially had his spurs sticking into the horses side the entire time) thats one thing i think was completely unneccesary! BUT other than that, i think it was a brilliant programme and has really done equestrianism the world of good!!

 

[Bri]

I thought it was brilliant! Didn't expect to like it all that much but was totally addicted by the third night so much so that I stopped watching BB while it was on!!!
I really don't understand how the results could have been fixed especially in the final as no-one can predict how a horse is going to react, and really why bother fixing the results. It wouldn't benefit anyone would it?
Read in the paper at some point that it had a record number of viewers so fingers crossed they'll be putting more horses on tv!
Although I have to agree AD really wasn't that great...should have had someone like Dermot!!!

 

[eventrider23]

I agree that Jodie was not the most ideal choice of judge however as emma69 has just pointed out she is still a very accomplished rider.Her whole family is into polo and to my knowledge she still competes regularly over here and also in Barbados.
Whilst not in the same league as Robert or Jessica, there are very few people in the 'public' that do not know who she is...whether horsey or not. At the same time I spoke with many supposedly VERY horsey people who had no clue who Jessica was and why she was on there - never mind the fact that she is world number 1 at mo. The automatic assumption of most people was that the 3rd judge would be a whittaker!
The sport has very much needed this very positive publicity boost and who better to aid in that than using one of the world's most famous models as one of the main characters in the programme. I am sure Jodie herself would agree that in no way is she on a level with the likes of Robert or Jess butshe played a very valuable role in what most people will agree was a very entertaining programme.
Yes of course some things may have been pre-recorded - so what - at the end of the day, it ws a tv programme NOT an affiliated show jumping competition. not to mention that no one profited from the show except for a charity! However, of the riders competing on the final day I do thnk that the best person won. Isn't the aim of show jumping to jump a clear round in the first round and then the fastset/clear round in the jump off?? That's what happened isn't it?
Yes of course I am sure most people out there wanted Coxy to win. She was overall the best rider...HOWEVER...it's what happens on the night that counts and she didn't produce the best round that night. You can guarantee that whilst Robert and Jessica may be 2 of the best riders in the world, they will at times invariably be beaten by someone with lesser talent/ability who produced the best round on the day....that's sport!!
TV magazines (indeed magazines in general) will in advance do photo shoots weeks in advance, with individual and group shots and only decide at a later date who they are going to use. I am sure many people out there will agree that a pretty picture will sell magazines faster than a not so pretty one. I am also pretty sure that many will agree that of everyone in the show, Jenni was the most photogenic. Christ, she was even still pretty at moments when any normal person would have looked downright horrible. Is it not possible then that the magazine company decided to use a photo of Jenni on their cover for the simple reason thast she had the best picture of the lot??

I am sorry for the long post but I have read everyone's comments up till now and refrained from saying anything just thought that at last I would put my 2 cents in.

 

[airedale]

I also think it has benefitted SJ

maybe they'll do a 'proper series' like the strictly come dancing thing

however it's a good point about fewer riders

I know that whilst the 'normal' SJ classes are the 'bread and butter' for the SJ riders
the classes *I* happen to like the most are - in almost an order ...

1. the World cup final ride off where the last 4 riders jump each others horses - true test of horsemanship in my view - and something Joe Public could absorb even if they didn't understand the niceities

2. The eventers challenge at Hickstead - where no-one really knows if the eventers aree going to cope with the SJ or the SJ cope with the eventing fences..

3. the 6 bar challenge - more than the puissance - it is a dedicated task. We know how difficult it is but JP will merely see the fences going up - and mainly all the horses are in the ring at the same time

4. How about a Chase me charlie for the SJs ?! - all the horses in the ring but 5ft plus fence ?!! - public would love it

5. the knockout speed competition - everyone can understand that and it goes down well with the crowd

6. standard puissance competition - anyone can understand that - and the few number of fences means that it is realitively easy to televise

most of us will be delighted to see any SJ on mainstream TV again - so if the above gets some people watching then that would get us airtime

I also feel that if the Beeb holds the right to SJ and chooses not to show it then they should be forced to offer the event to the commercial channels

 

[tilly]

I was there during the week, and having jumped in that arena in the past and walked courses with the new rectangular white wings, I can attest to the heights! And I have intimate knowledge of that horrid little gate, now painted brown.
no WAY was it rigged!

 

[Autumna1]

I don't reckon it could have been fixed either, although I did have my doubts at first.

The reason for that is that you could bet on the outcome "in running" on Betfair right up until the end. If the programme had been pre-recorded even half an hour or so ahead, there's no way they'd have let you bet on the result - someone in the audience could have phoned a friend with the result and a packet made!

I thought the whole thing was great, but I felt they could have made more of the prize presentation and perhaps had all the finalists in the arena on their horses to be presented with rosettes (as a nice keepsake) and a sash for the winning horse like they do in "proper" big events. They could all have then ridden a lap of honour - after all, getting that far was a hell of an achievement.

 

[Becky1one]

Kais, I'm afraid I am the one to burst your bubble. I was there at the final, in addition to four of the other evenings - and it was definitely NOT pre-recorded. Well, ok, it was but only by an hour - which was the correct thing to do bearing in mind the perils of our sport.

I know the work that went into the making of this programme. The never-ending quest of ensuring the horses were comfortable with what they were doing, that they were looked after properly and that the riders had the best training possible at all times. Never asking more than either they or the horses were capable of.

Rigged - you must be mad. This is a charitable ask. The guidelines and structure they have to work within are enormous. A full audit can be carried out at any time - I'm afraid you haven't thought your argument out properly. Your argument almost tantamounts to libel.

The Show did incredible good for a sport you are obviously passionate about. Why can't you see it positively and say if it means just one less horse is left neglected in a field, or on an export lorry - the programme has been worthwhile for equestrianism as a whole.

If it means that one less child dies, or one less child is bullied, that one less mother dies of childbirth - surely it was worth it.

When did the Great British Public become a nation of moaners?

The amount of time people have sat pulling OFOH apart, they could have run a marathon and raised some money for Sport Relief.

Do you not think that the producers and investors will read your comments? Don't be suprised when equestrianism is taken off the tv and replaced with something like "Finger Knitting from the Outback".

Topical - I commend you.

 

[smallbutgreat]

How much money DID OFOH raise by the way?

I only saw one episode, and possibly the comparison with the Sportsaid programme that preceded it - David Walliams' channel swim - didn't do it any favours on the night. That was a tightly edited, well-put-together programme that really focused on his personal endeavour, put you on the edge of your seat and placed a figure (close to half a million pounds towards the end of the programme) on his achievement.

The OFOH I saw was a tad rambling ... if only the editors had been more skilful at cutting in earlier elements, such as riders getting to know their horses and the ins and outs of daily training, and gently reminding viewers such as myself who some of these people (Jenni, Nikki, Matt) were. On the night I watched, it WAS mostly gorgeous horses mostly getting clear rounds over very low courses.

I'm sure I'm doing the programme an injustice, and do hope that it will have succeeded in turning lots of new people on to riding and show jumping for more than just a taster session. I'm sure all of you who watched every episode are correct in your judgments of it. But sadly, the programme I saw didn't make me want to tune in a second time.

 

[monica123]

thanx for those facts!!!!!!!!!

 

[mac]

Hi,
I was a groom for OFOH. I would like to applaude the efforts of the rest of the team involved- both within the equine side and the production company. I beleive that everyones hard work paid off with the production of a show that was enjoyed by many! The show was not fixed, nor was it pre recorded, bar the half hour to allow for any injuries. All of the owners were very generous in providing quality horses that were well suited to the job!

 

[paintsplat05]

they raised about £250,000

 

[hairycob]

OH, who can only just tell the front & back (aka the biting end & the kicking end) of a horse started the first episode reading the paper, by half way through the series he was demanding the phone so he could vote So definitely a hit there.
Just wish it had been on earlier in the evening as Oliver would love to have watched it, but he has to get up before 6. If they do it again & it can't be earlier, perhaps there could be a round up on kids tv - I'm sure that would generate even more votes.
And there is no way I would jump some of those courses in private let alone in front of millions so all credit to the celebs.

 

[Kais]

I am sorry Spaniel I was not the only one to think you were getting a bit strong

its finished now if I want to coment on anything again I will clear it with you before posting

I did not know it was your forum

 

[spaniel]

Do grow up.

 

[brunswickbirdie]

Oh go away.

Petulant child, throwing your toys out of the pram because other users dared to question your accusations.

 

[Tulsi]

I'm a bit late to this particular party but anyway here's my thoughts.

When I first read about this I was a bit apprehensive at the prospect of celebs bouncing about on long suffering horses. Fortunately the reality was very different; obviously a lot of care had gone into the horses wellbeing and rider training. I thought everyone rode really well (and were really brave!) and, as it went on,developed real bonds with their horses.

I did feel a bit sorry for Matt B as I do think Peter looked a tad less forgiving of novice mistakes, particularly with the striding, than some of the others. Matt was on breakfast telly yesterday and he did say that Peter was quite sensitive and he wasn't an experienced enough rider to deal with that, so kudos for honesty.

I think the "fixed" debate has been settled here already. Like Hedgewitch I think the existence of a live betting market is pretty strong evidence (not to mention the number of posters who actually attended the event as televised, although I did like the mass hypnosis theory!)

Also share the opinion that TV Choice just struck lucky in illustrating their Sports Relief article with Jenni (designed to appeal to its readers as a GMTV presenter and the prettiest of the bunch?); maybe I'm naive but I didn't interpret this as conclusive proof of a predetermined outcome.

Here's hoping the BBC do it again for the next Sports Relief - which celebs would people like to see?

 

[kbt2661]

I have to admit I was a little concerned as to how this was going to work when they first advertised it, but was pleasantly surprised at how well it came together. My only criticisums (?sp) are :
A) it was on too late
B) the presenters did absolutely nothing for me
and C) bless Diurmuid, but what on earth was he wearing spurs for, big no no in my book he was way too novice for spurs, give him a crop if he needed something for propulsion but SPURS no way!!!

 

[emma69]

I am not sure why a picture would mean that - it wouldn't even cross my mind! It strikes me in the same vein as all the 'did she kill (insert soap star here)' you see on TV guides - it usually isn't! Not sure why anyone would make that assumption - surely you would think 'ah pretty girl on the cover' rather than 'it's fixed'. Maybe that is just me!