Kentucky 5*

[teapot]

For once I thought Buck looked pretty good in the Sj today. Usually I can't watch him bouncing around like a blancmange. He gets results though and must be very fit.

Delighted for Oli and yes gutting for both Tom and Yaz but can't do better than a 1,2,3. I follow French eventing and they are seriously worried about the Brits taking Paris by storm at their 'home' event. They will field a strong team too.

I think if the US commentator (karen o'connor was it?) called Kirsty Chabert Kristy one more time I would have had to message John Kyle to tell him to correct her!

It was Sinead somebody, but yes had the same thought

Interesting re the French too, but they'll be super competitve on home soil I feel.

 

[Nicnac]

It was Sinead somebody, but yes had the same thought

Interesting re the French too, but they'll be super competitve on home soil I feel.

The French scare me when they are trying too hard. I feel they become a bit reckless which really isn't fair on their horses. They also have an awful habit of throwing the reins away when they jump clear - one day they'll end up on the floor! I know Gaspard Maksud is a strong contender for the team along with Astier Nicholas and Sebastian Cavaillon who were first and second at Saumur 4* this weekend. Plus their 'old skool' riders.

 

[KEK]

Wow not the result I was expecting but well done to Oliver what an amazing young mare. He said she was the nicest he's ever had..
The 3rd spot will be super interesting (even though its not my country), Ros and Laura for sure I would have thought especially with 2 rounds SJ and easier XC. Then a heap of people could take the third, what a nice problem for the selectors to have. I'm sure other countries wish they could take their left overs!

 

[Michen]

Sad I couldn’t watch live. What a lovely horse CR!

I am also not enthused re London, don’t think there’s a chance he would have won badminton without the course hold. But can’t deny he’s likely above any other horse to do a very good dressage and his recent event looks like he’s pretty solid on the 4* XC. He’s just a bit boring probably exactly right for the job.

Would love to see Walter there and although in doubt it would happen, Kitty and Froggy. He is one of my favourite horses to watch!

Shame Brookfield Innocent doesn’t appear to have come back, I bet he would have been a consideration again if he was up and running well.

 

[airliner]

Finally caught up on everything last night. I was only able to watch the 5* for the first 30 minutes and then fell asleep watching the replay on Saturday night I'm only a smurf but I would have much rather ridden the 5* track than the 4*

What a nail bitter of a finish! Such a bummer for Yaz and Tom to have both rolled poles to drop their placings but ultimately they still stayed in the top 3 which is a major feat. I was also thrilled for the Germans (not just because I'm married to one and live here)!

Overall I thought it was a great weekend. The weather seemed to be awesome other than some rain on Saturday morning and I thought the courses were generally fair. Definitely some fitness work, or lack thereof, that needs to be addressed...

 

[IrishMilo]

Really?! He gives me the biggest ick going, watching him ride. I mean I can appreciate he has produced a lot of horses to the top level so has to be doing something right, but I cannot fathom what/how

Same here. Not just on the horse either!

 

[Teaselmeg]

Not the result I was hoping for, poor Tom. Hoping that the selectors remember Badminton 2023 when making their final decisions for Paris.

 

[teapot]

Not the result I was hoping for, poor Tom. Hoping that the selectors remember Badminton 2023 when making their final decisions for Paris.

Why last year? Ollie’s poor judgements were a while a go now, or am I forgetting something?

 

[RachelFerd]

Why last year? Ollie’s poor judgements were a while a go now, or am I forgetting something?

Swallow Springs at Badminton last year was a fairly poor image for the sport.

 

[BunnyDog]

I am going to TRY to say something here and remain more objective if possible. I have known the Davidson's since 1992 when I first was fortunate enough to go to Chesterland (their farm, 5 mins from where I am sitting right now) and participate in a fund raising clinic for Bruce to raise money to go to the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. For $200 then I had a 2 hour xc clinic with Bruce over their course, which had at the time just stopped hosting a CCI3*. (Would now be a 4*)

For 2 hours 10 of us went hunt style (single file galloping at 5-6 fences at a time). My horse had just moved up to our Preliminary level, your novice level. I was not yet 21. He was 8 years old. Lovely horse except for ditches and water. LOL. We had a ton of fun and Bruce remembered me at future events. In the summer of '92 I had sold that horse to be a dressage horse and was looking for a new mount. I ended up buying a homebred from them. Lovely mare named "Summa Cum Laude" barn name "Genie." She was all of 15 hands an a 1/2" but she definitely got me really solid. Buck had competed her as well and we talked a bit at shows as I got used to her and such. He's a couple years younger than me.

I've known and respected Buck for decades. His life has been difficult, at best. He's the son of a double world champion who was already a hard trainer to ride under. His mother coms from basically the Blue Hen lines of American breeding and fox hunting. His grandmother is a legend around here and I was one of a few hundred people who went to her memorial.

He's built the way that his genetics made him. He has had to deal with that since his teens. He's been expected to rise up and achieve what his father did, and his path to do so has been challenging. This year he's had a rough go with his awful soon to be ex wife calling the cops on him falsely and doing what she can to keep his daughters from seeing him as much as they've agreed to.

You may think he has a "different" physique, that you don't like how he rides, that you don't understand why he scores how he does. I will say that no one is harder on Buck, than Buck. But I know he's in a better place mentally now and I celebrated with him for that round yesterday, given how hard he works for all of it.

Em

 

[ihatework]

Why last year? Ollie’s poor judgements were a while a go now, or am I forgetting something?

He let himself down (again!) last year on Swallow.

 

[teapot]

Swallow Springs at Badminton last year was a fairly poor image for the sport.

He let himself down (again!) last year on Swallow.

I had completely forgotten about that, thanks!

 

[shortstuff99]

Not to seem like an Ollie super fan or anything but the horse that went literally directly after Ollie did the exact same thing (crashed the table, took the pin on entry to the water) along with quite a few other horses and not a peep.

 

[ihatework]

I am going to TRY to say something here and remain more objective if possible. I have known the Davidson's since 1992 when I first was fortunate enough to go to Chesterland (their farm, 5 mins from where I am sitting right now) and participate in a fund raising clinic for Bruce to raise money to go to the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. For $200 then I had a 2 hour xc clinic with Bruce over their course, which had at the time just stopped hosting a CCI3*. (Would now be a 4*)

For 2 hours 10 of us went hunt style (single file galloping at 5-6 fences at a time). My horse had just moved up to our Preliminary level, your novice level. I was not yet 21. He was 8 years old. Lovely horse except for ditches and water. LOL. We had a ton of fun and Bruce remembered me at future events. In the summer of '92 I had sold that horse to be a dressage horse and was looking for a new mount. I ended up buying a homebred from them. Lovely mare named "Summa Cum Laude" barn name "Genie." She was all of 15 hands an a 1/2" but she definitely got me really solid. Buck had competed her as well and we talked a bit at shows as I got used to her and such. He's a couple years younger than me.

I've known and respected Buck for decades. His life has been difficult, at best. He's the son of a double world champion who was already a hard trainer to ride under. His mother coms from basically the Blue Hen lines of American breeding and fox hunting. His grandmother is a legend around here and I was one of a few hundred people who went to her memorial.

He's built the way that his genetics made him. He has had to deal with that since his teens. He's been expected to rise up and achieve what his father did, and his path to do so has been challenging. This year he's had a rough go with his awful soon to be ex wife calling the cops on him falsely and doing what she can to keep his daughters from seeing him as much as they've agreed to.

You may think he has a "different" physique, that you don't like how he rides, that you don't understand why he scores how he does. I will say that no one is harder on Buck, than Buck. But I know he's in a better place mentally now and I celebrated with him for that round yesterday, given how hard he works for all of it.

Em

What's your point Em?

I don't know the guy.
I can completely take on board he could very well be a nice guy, he works hard and he has a huge psychological hurdle to overcome with his parents/upbringing. Kudos to him. Given he physique and riding style he has also been surprisingly successful (god knows how, money and the status has to play a big part), even so - you still have to get on them day in and day out, which he has done.

None of that excuses a massive lump of a guy, on often tb type horses. He doesn't even ride particularly gracefully for a big person. It hurts my eyes and I wouldn't ever allow him or sell to him on one of my horses because in my view it is in the grey zone of a welfare issue. He has put horses at risk physically, not only because of the weight on their backs at intense competition, but also he has been at further risk of injuring them given how I have seen too many unpleasant misses/near misses in part due to his balance on the XC course.

I'm mindful of #bekind, but horses don't have voices and we aren't talking about hobby riding here - top flight horses in that kind of program need top flight athletes on them.

I'd have Oli over Buck any day I'm afraid, and thats saying something. (ETD/Clarify - riding a horse )

 

[LEC]

Actually the thing I find awful about watching Buck is xc they lack harmony and he often has them in American gags where they then don’t get the freedom of the neck and jump inverted. I have watched some horrible rounds over the years and that’s nothing to do with his physique that’s all down to the way he rides. Whereas Boyd, Will etc I can watch all day long. Soft and let the horse use itself.
Soracaima looked pretty good as seen him go worse and Buck does still keep getting these horses to top level.