Most & Least Favourite Eventer

[Ambers Echo]

I love watching Michael Jung, Andrew Nicholson and Mark Todd ride. Just poetry in motion! But my favourite eventing partnership is Jonty and Art.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Oh and Harry Meade too. Love his style of riding

 

[Kat]

So many favourites, too many to name and I can't possibly name just one. Andrew Nicholson, Pippa, Piggy, Ginny, Blyth Tait, WFP, Jonelle and Tim Price, Chris Burton, Ben Hobday, Harry Meade, Gemma T, Ros, Nicola Wilson, Tina Cook, all wonderful to watch.

But if you held a gun to my head and made me choose just one it would be Mark Todd for that round with one stirrup, for winning on a catch ride with Horton Point, and for the way he coaxed a clear xc out of a tired and green NZB Landvision on his 4* comeback, an absolute masterclass in cross country riding.

I don't like watching Louise Harwood, it frightens me but I really admire her continuing at the level in her circumstances. Her horses look happy and eager so who am I to judge?

Least favourite, Emily King doesn't seem a controversial choice but I don't like watching Mary King in recent years either.

 

[Lexi_]

A lot of my logic for favourites is based on who’s been polite (or not) to me when I’ve been volunteering ? Oli Townend has always been very nice, Tyler Cassells is super polite, Alex Bragg is lovely. I really like Lauren Shannon. Andrew Hoy took a great interest in my knitting once when he was course walking ? Lucinda Green is wonderful too - the only person you’ll see course walking who makes a point of talking to each and every volunteer.

Riding wise I approve of anyone with good hands who makes things look smooth and easy. He doesn’t quite have the horses for the big competitions so might not be that well known but I love watching Paul Sims ride.

On the flip side, Emily King and Gemma Tattersall are whingy divas. Carlos Parro is just rude and I don’t like him.

 

[Ellzbellz97]

Ben Hobday

 

[Asha]

For a famous name it has to be Mark Todd. Just love him , just seems to as lovely on a horse as off.
Another rider I love watching is a local chap Paul Sims , not a big name yet . But he is just an amazing rider and a proper nice chap too .

Disappointed with Emily King after the drink driving and the way she funded that horse .

 

[scats]

Tina Cook, Andrew Nicholson, Michael Jung, Harry Meade and Mark Todd. I feel ‘safe’ watching them (if that makes sense!)

 

[Ambers Echo]

Who was that young lad at Badminton this year who rode a really lovely XC round?

 

[HollyWoozle]

Favourite is probably Michael Jung.

Least favourite is 100% Oliver Townend.

 

[shortstuff99]

I don't tend to have 'least favourite' riders as I think most must be okay to have got that far! I have however seen some bad judgement calls, most recently the US rider who fell at the last fence at badminton (I think 2017) very tired horse should've pulled up earlier, and the rider at burghley 2019, she had had a very good dressage but had numerous stops on the XC and kept going and then had a horrendous fall at the white gates which you could see coming. Really should've pulled up before then.

 

[holeymoley]

I’m not really ‘into’ eventing or up to date with it but I think my firm favourite is Mary King. Really talented nice rider that just seems so down to earth. Lucinda Green was extremely talented too. Can’t think of any I don’t like as I’m not that familiar with names, I normally just decide on the day!

 

[RHM]

Ben Hobday and Piggy are my faves, though I love watching Mark Todd.

That tired horse around badminton was awful, really should have pulled up sooner.

 

[Bellaboo18]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Ben Hobday on his happy gallolopy horses that always just look they're out hacking. He seems a really nice bloke too.

Piggy French is another I really admire. She's never quite the tidiest or most stylish, but she rides with such a huge amount of heart.

Pippa Funnel is another favourite, but more because she seems a really decent person than her riding currently which is often messy.

I quite like Oli (now). I think he's put in a huge amount of work wrt to his temper and how he comes across in the press and is much better for it.

Who was the British rider who fell at the white gates and was calling for her horse before she got up? I like her, but I can't remember her name!!

Nicholson, Chris Burton, Team Price are all favourites too!

Does anyone have a link or any interest in finding a link of Buck a few years ago? He's definitely not pretty but he must be some horseman because his horses keep jumping and galloping. I wonder if he was tidier earlier?

Is was Gemma Tattersall with Artic Soul. She made a terrible mistake but it was lovely to see her talking and reassuring her horse.

 

[Chianti]

Mark Todd in his hey day - he could ride anything and make it look good.
Least favourite would have to be Francis Whittington - not for the way he rides but because of what I was told he did to a horse that went to him for a lesson.

 

[IrishMilo]

My favourite will always be Pippa. She was my idol growing up - I used to watch her Grand Slam DVD over and over! I like how down to earth and modest she always appears too. You can tell a win means something to her personally rather than just being in it for the money.

I find Mary King uncomfortable to watch XC, but think she looks lovely SJ.

 

[Nicnac]

Who was that young lad at Badminton this year who rode a really lovely XC round?

Will Furlong? He's a lovely rider too so would have to add him and he's down the road!

Least favourite would have to be Francis Whittington - not for the way he rides but because of what I was told he did to a horse that went to him for a lesson.

Surprised to read this. I know him and have never seen him be anything but kind to horses. He is also a great XC rider so would add him to my ever growing list!

 

[Teaboy]

I’ve been doing this since lock down began. Watched all sorts and have turned it into a game of ‘guess the % of blood in the horses’ - pretty good at guessing it seems.
I watched the nations cup held in America the other day, And that left a lot to be desired on the old horsemanship front. Some riders far to quick to go to their stick when the horse finally stopped having saved the rider numerous times leading up to it and put on impossible lines. There were also lovely riders though including the brits!
louise Harwood isn’t the most stylish to watch but I am in awe of how she manages to consistently get these ginormous horses up to that level, not just one, and often homebred. She must be quite some rider!

 

[Annagain]

This isn't necessarily about riding but I adore Pippa Funnell and Tina Cook's friendship, with Piggy French thrown in now too. I want to be part of their gang. You get the impression they would do anything for each other, are genuinely happy for their friends even when the one's win results in the others' loss. I'm not sure many individual sports would produce relationships amongst rivals like that.

I also love how human they seem (I know they're all human but they really seem to show it) especially Pippa being so open about her nerves and other things. I remember her getting quite a lot of stick at the Athens (I think?) Olympics for getting time penalties. It was so refreshing when she said the ground was too hard and it was too hot to push him any more and Primmore's Pride was more important than any medal. Again, very few sports would produce that sort of attitude, especially in a competition as important as the Olympics. Some may say that's evidence of a lack of killer instinct but there are a few riders who could probably do with a bit of her genuine love of the horses.

I'm not really in a position to judge any pro rider, let alone those at the very top seeing as I was sick before the only 90 I've ever done and never tried it again but the person I don't enjoy watching so much is Vittoria Pannizon. She always seems to go so fast that the slightest mistake would be catastrophic. She usually gets away with it but I'm always on edge watching her.

 

[Steerpike]

I'm not a massive eventing follower but I do like watching Piggy French and Pippa funnel, used to love watching Lucinda Green, I follow her daughter on Facebook who is one I will follow for the future as she comes across as nice. I categorically do not like Ollie Townsend and you wouldn't be able to pay me enough to allow him on one of mine, but then my horses aren't eventers ?

 

[TheMule]

I most enjoy watching those riders who have trained their horses to be light and responsive, who can ride forward in a rhythm and who make smart choices based on what they have underneath them.
Michael Jung, Andrew Nicholson, Mark Todd, Chris Burton, Nicola Wilson, Piggy French, Ros Canter and WFP stand out for me as rounds I enjoy watching.
I don’t like to see force, competitiveness winning against horse welfare and temper.

 

[Blanche]

I don't really follow eventing now but way back I use to love it. My favourites would be Ginny, Lucinda and more recent WFP. My most loathed rider would be Rodney Powell after an incident at the final fence at Badminton one year. Not keen on Mary King as she has a whiny voice and appears to be a whiny person. This may be a completely wrong assumption of her character though.

 

[AFB]

All of the obvious favourites apply but I'd add Harry Meade & Lissa Green too.

OT is marmite isn't he, think we'll always be divided.

I also can't stand Andrew Nicholson in interviews but have to admit he's a class act despite that.

 

[Magnetic Sparrow]

Andrew Nicholson for being so still and balanced. Mark Todd for being one of the nicest human beings on earth. Ian Stark for being the second nicest human being on earth and for having the cohones to ride Murphy Himself to such success.

Least favourite riders are the ones who ride honest horses XC and blame the horses for their own mistakes

 

[spacefaer]

Just to add to the Louise Harwood info - here horses aren't particularly ginormous - she is utterly tiny.
After her horrific car crash, which smashed both legs and her pelvi, such was her strong will and determination to get back, she ran the London marathon the following year.
I used to compete against her and I'll never forget walking a course at Llanover while she ran round it

 

[TGM]

Least favourite would have to be Francis Whittington - not for the way he rides but because of what I was told he did to a horse that went to him for a lesson.

Like NicNac I am very surprised by this as my daughter has been taught by him several times and he has never been anything but sympathetic to the horses. We have also seen him competing many times and he has ridden beautifully and never seen anything untoward. Which cannot be said of some other riders we’ve witnessed!

He is also extremely polite at events and very helpful to other competitors also.

 

[Orangehorse]

Well I am going to show my age now, but for me the best cross country round ever was Mark Philips riding Maid Marion to win Burghley. The horse set off obviously green and he coaxed her round and she just grew in confidence and in the end was flying. It just stuck in my memory. Ginny Leng was outstanding at her peak, her horses were always so well balanced and it all seemed so easy. Of course there have been very many more wonderful rounds from horse and rider since!

More recent times Andrew Nicholson and Mark Todd are a masterclass for anyone watching. And Micheal Jung. Everyone always says how nice Mary King is, but I read her book and in the end was really annoyed by her constant "if I hadn't done this - had a pole down, run out, etc. etc" I would have won and I thought I bet her owners were a bit peeved, after all she had been doing it long enough. Never forget how she had that fall at Badminton over a log of all things.

Not sure about the current/rising. Pippa Funnell did so well to win Burghley. I think Chris Burton is as good as anyone and Tom Mckewen. I agree that OT seems to have been really working on his PR and has taken heed of advice, I guess.

Eventing is so, so technical now. It isn't sufficient to be an OK rider with a very good horse which is how many people started out, but everything from the dressage, the cross country and the precision of the show jumping means that to have a slight chance of being placed means that you must be a very good rider.

 

[Lammy]

I love Toddy’s riding think his judgement is so spot on. Also like Piggy, Lucinda and Tom Mckewen. I also really like Louisa Milne and particularly her horse Duck (King Eider) they’re never right up there in the placings but they always look like they’re having fun!

I’m not a fan of OT or Gemma Tattersall. But really I dislike Emily King, I don’t think she’s one of the better advanced+ riders but it’s not even her riding I find offensive, it’s that she personally comes across as stuck up and spoiled, both her and her boyfriend what’s-his-name. Also the recent loss of many horses from her stables is a little fishy....

 

[Spotherisk]

Lucinda Green is top of my list, I read somewhere that she is always slightly behind the movement on purpose, so she is anchored with the low flat back tightly folded at the hip and lower leg well on the girth, ready should anything go wrong.

I always rated Chris Bartle, remembering him win Badminton on Word Perfect.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I’m not a fan of OT or Gemma Tattersall. But really I dislike Emily King, I don’t think she’s one of the better advanced+ riders but it’s not even her riding I find offensive, it’s that she personally comes across as stuck up and spoiled, both her and her boyfriend what’s-his-name. Also the recent loss of many horses from her stables is a little fishy....

I thought that was the fallout from her drink driving thing? Has she lost more horses?

 

[Steerpike]

I was put off Emily King when I saw a video of her in a jewellery shop being given what ever she liked, the woman in the shop didn't look too happy, also from the drink driving ect