No Olympia Thread?!

[alexomahony]

I'll start one then

Loved last nights winner. Always will love a Chestnut!

Charlotte's riding really is out if this world, her core strength and ability to sit so sit and well to a very springy horse is just magical - she is in another league to even all those top top riders last night.

Also thought that Hayley Greeves (someone name check me please - posting before work in 1 minute so don't have time to spell check!) would have come out with a higher score than she did - he test was very difficult (100% ) and I thought she performed it beautifully!

Did anyone use the app??

Looking forward to tonight's Puissance! My horses are having a very easy week to make sure I get home in time to watch it all haha

 

[Branna]

I was there last night and again tonight for the Puissance!

Agree I thought Hayley was really impressive. Such a lovely partnership! I've seen her a few times at Olympia and that was the best test I have seen them do.

The chestnut was really really lovely. Charlotte's test was also nice but nowhere near the level of difficulty.

I've seen the freestyle previous years and got a bit bored with some of the music but thought there was a good mix last night. Generally the technicality was much higher than previous years. Especially noticed lots of them going into a line of changes out of a piri or half pass - resulting in lots of people messing up the tempis!

 

[Snowfilly]

Liked the dressage, especially the grey Lustiano and Charlotte's horse - such potential there! The scoring went way over my head.

Our horses are also on early dinner so we can watch tonight.

 

[HashRouge]

I'm so excited about the puissance tonight! Wish I was going in person!

 

[madamebonnie]

I think everyone has upped the level of floor plans. So interesting not knowing where they're going to go next. Even non-horsey OH thought some of it looked difficult!

Tried hard to analyse the riders but Charlotte just doesn't give anything away!

 

[alexomahony]

So true - she is very very still and the horse is so responsive, she just blew me away.

Tonight's puissance - I really wish I was going too, Olympia is one we've never actually got to in person and i've been hoping to go for year, but finances and time just don't allow sadly. Me and my mum were laughing about it last night how every year we say 'Let's go next year!'

Very much looking forward to a whole weekend on the couch watching show jumping... only treat myself to this for a few occasions, all of which are horsey! (WEG, Hickstead, Badders and Burghley!)

Why am I single again? haha

 

[milliepops]

Yeah I was there last night. I thought Charlotte's test was streets ahead in terms of quality compared to the riders before her, it was like a sigh of relief to see such an elastic happy horse easily pinging round the GP movements. I agree her degree of difficulty did not appear so great but tbh they aren't an established partnership compared to others, I think the great score she had demonstrates that the basic quality of the work is still highly influential.

I enjoyed Frederic's floor plan, loved the little beats of piaffe in between the walks and thought it was quite inventive and the music was absolutely toe-tapping, which has to be a key factor in a freestyle for me I felt he lacked a little of the lightness of touch that Hayley in particular could show, I missed her old music which was so twinkly it made your hairs on the back of your neck stand on end but so nice to see her horse growing in confidence over the years.

I just love Richard's freestyle, when he stops using that music it will be a sad day for me again his horse has developed positively in the years I've been watching him and he looked on the right side of hot last night.

And HP and the Glocks horse - I mean, what an athlete that horse is, but it lacked the harmony and ease of the previous riders in my view, it was extraordinary at times but not an enjoyable watch, for me.

I thought the belgian horse was interesting, the canter work was a bit of a car crash at times but i enjoyed the trotwork.

I think they ended up with the right result. Couldn't try the app, I think I'd end up missing the action tbh. Was interesting that it was mostly quite similar to the judges, except HP, I wonder what people were seeing that I wasn't.

 

[sywell]

At the dressage at the horse show on television last night no mention of the British Breeders of the top horses Duke of Britain x Dimaggio bred by SARAH AND TONY PIDGLEY,Hawtins Delicato x Diamond Hit bred by JUDITH DAVIS who also bred the dam Elite Ravenna and Rubins Nite x Rubin Royale bred by E.RICHMOND-WATSON.
I have a soft spot for Duke of Britain as he was sold to Germany and was doing very well when I saw the short list from the BEF for the WBFSH YHC in Verden I rang the International team selector of the BEF to be told he did not comply with the team selection rules and they selected two KWPN horses to go. It was clear she had not read the rules of the competition which was between horses and studbooks not riders and countries and in the end she actually rang the organisers to confirm the rules but would not change her mind. With the help of Ludwig Christmann and Johann Knapp I managed to get a wild card entry for the horse. This shows the problem for British Breeders to get the British horse world to appreciate the importance of their breeders.

 

[honetpot]

I went on Monday an thought it was too X factor. The test was shorter and you didn’t get the whole picture van some horses and riders got muddled. Basically paid £40 to watch 10 horses compete. It will be my last year.

 

[HashRouge]

So true - she is very very still and the horse is so responsive, she just blew me away.

Tonight's puissance - I really wish I was going too, Olympia is one we've never actually got to in person and i've been hoping to go for year, but finances and time just don't allow sadly. Me and my mum were laughing about it last night how every year we say 'Let's go next year!'

Very much looking forward to a whole weekend on the couch watching show jumping... only treat myself to this for a few occasions, all of which are horsey! (WEG, Hickstead, Badders and Burghley!)

Why am I single again? haha

My sister and I have been doing the same since we were teenagers! I'm determined that we'll get there one day!

 

[Littlefloof]

I'm on a train heading that way now, with Puissance ticket in hand. See you all there!

 

[rosiesowner]

Yeah I was there last night. I thought Charlotte's test was streets ahead in terms of quality compared to the riders before her, it was like a sigh of relief to see such an elastic happy horse easily pinging round the GP movements. I agree her degree of difficulty did not appear so great but tbh they aren't an established partnership compared to others, I think the great score she had demonstrates that the basic quality of the work is still highly influential.

I enjoyed Frederic's floor plan, loved the little beats of piaffe in between the walks and thought it was quite inventive and the music was absolutely toe-tapping, which has to be a key factor in a freestyle for me
the Glocks horse - I mean, what an athlete that horse is, but it lacked the harmony and ease of the previous riders in my view, it was extraordinary at times but not an enjoyable watch, for me.
.

I agree with all of these things MP, I was there last night and just on the train back home now. I do think that Frederic deserved the higher artistic marks as his music was just better all round.
The glocks horse was nice but just not my type-the big extravagant spider legged movement just reminds me of totilas and no disrespect to the horse as he is incredible but hes just not for me for several reasons (not that I could ever ride one side of him!!) and I could have done without the ‘I think I love you’ sound bite in the music! A little bit too cheesy for me, and I love cheese!

The French rider who was first to go had such potential to do great things with that music but it just fell by the wayside for me with no great distinction between the trot and canter music at the end, I just the FB soundtrack could be used a lot better. However the second French rider who used the HP soundtrack did an incredible job with her music, IMO.

I was surprised the Swedish (I think?) rider with the festive music placed as high as she did.

But then again, what do I actually know? 😂

 

[alexomahony]

Yeah I was there last night. I thought Charlotte's test was streets ahead in terms of quality compared to the riders before her, it was like a sigh of relief to see such an elastic happy horse easily pinging round the GP movements. I agree her degree of difficulty did not appear so great but tbh they aren't an established partnership compared to others, I think the great score she had demonstrates that the basic quality of the work is still highly influential.

I enjoyed Frederic's floor plan, loved the little beats of piaffe in between the walks and thought it was quite inventive and the music was absolutely toe-tapping, which has to be a key factor in a freestyle for me I felt he lacked a little of the lightness of touch that Hayley in particular could show, I missed her old music which was so twinkly it made your hairs on the back of your neck stand on end but so nice to see her horse growing in confidence over the years.

I just love Richard's freestyle, when he stops using that music it will be a sad day for me again his horse has developed positively in the years I've been watching him and he looked on the right side of hot last night.

And HP and the Glocks horse - I mean, what an athlete that horse is, but it lacked the harmony and ease of the previous riders in my view, it was extraordinary at times but not an enjoyable watch, for me.

I thought the belgian horse was interesting, the canter work was a bit of a car crash at times but i enjoyed the trotwork.

I think they ended up with the right result. Couldn't try the app, I think I'd end up missing the action tbh. Was interesting that it was mostly quite similar to the judges, except HP, I wonder what people were seeing that I wasn't.

Agree with the Glocks horse... is it related to Tortilas? It reminded me of that horse and seemed very tense throughout the test - it was the only horse of the night that I watched and thought to myself 'Gee, I wouldn't want to sit on that!'

 

[alexomahony]

I agree with all of these things MP, I was there last night and just on the train back home now. I do think that Frederic deserved the higher artistic marks as his music was just better all round.
The glocks horse was nice but just not my type-the big extravagant spider legged movement just reminds me of totilas and no disrespect to the horse as he is incredible but hes just not for me for several reasons (not that I could ever ride one side of him!!) and I could have done without the ‘I think I love you’ sound bite in the music! A little bit too cheesy for me, and I love cheese!

The French rider who was first to go had such potential to do great things with that music but it just fell by the wayside for me with no great distinction between the trot and canter music at the end, I just the FB soundtrack could be used a lot better. However the second French rider who used the HP soundtrack did an incredible job with her music, IMO.

I was surprised the Swedish (I think?) rider with the festive music placed as high as she did.

But then again, what do I actually know? 😂

Haha Snap with the Glocks/Tortilas remark

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Is it the puissance tonight? Thought it was usually a Friday if it is I'll have to try and watch

 

[ponynutz]

I'm going on Sunday - I've never been more excited and it's my first time! Anyone who's been recently have any good suggestions of things to buy in the shopping village?

 

[Trinket12]

I would love to watch Olympia but am in Canada so can't get it :-( Planning a trip over one Christmas though so I can see it in person!

 

[neddy man]

Is it the puissance tonight? Thought it was usually a Friday if it is I'll have to try and watch

BBC red button channel 601 - 9.15 till 10.15, nothing on tv tomorrow only fei online, Friday 601 red button 18.45 till 22.30 complete evening performance . Saturday BBC 2 1.15 till 4.30 showjumping. Sunday 601 red button 6.00 till 10 showjumping. Monday BBC 2 10 till 11 am highlights ,enjoy

 

[neddy man]

I would love to watch Olympia but am in Canada so can't get it :-( Planning a trip over one Christmas though so I can see it in person!

Friday Saturday &Sunday is on FEI website

 

[shortstuff99]

Agree with the Glocks horse... is it related to Tortilas? It reminded me of that horse and seemed very tense throughout the test - it was the only horse of the night that I watched and thought to myself 'Gee, I wouldn't want to sit on that!'

It's the way they train them. And not in a nice way either!

 

[Trinket12]

Ooh thanks! Will check that out

Friday Saturday &Sunday is on FEI website

 

[splashgirl45]

agree about the glocks horse, didnt enjoy watching his test, and i definitely didnt think he should have been placed above rubins nite who went the best ive ever seen him, lovely test with quite a bit of difficulty and in harmony with his rider which the glocks horse was not IMO....looked at the results and stephen clarke had rubins nite 3rd and glocks dream boy 4th...

 

[Challaborough Christmas Tree]

Does anyone know if there’s a way to watch the puissance online?

 

[Sheep]

Does anyone know if there’s a way to watch the puissance online?

You could try BBC iPlayer, I think it can show live tv, just not sure if that includes red button tv.

 

[splashgirl45]

yes, on bbc.co.uk/sport, just checked it is on....guy williams currently jumping on the website.

 

[Street_Skill]

I only saw the last 6 riders in the Freestyle, but I have to say I was left wondering where all the harmony in dressage has gone. Hayley and Rubin's Nite were my favourite, and in my opinion he was the only horse that looked truly relaxed and happy in his work, the only one who tracked up in the trot work and had a true 4 time walk rather that virtually lateral like the other 5. Richard Davidson's horse was tight, tense and terribly behind the vertical the majority of the time, and the Glocks horse has it's mouth open and the whole picture looked uncomfortable. If I'm honest I went to bed really disappointed!

 

[Challaborough Christmas Tree]

yes, on bbc.co.uk/sport, just checked it is on....guy williams currently jumping on the website.

Thanks, it finally decided to cooperate

 

[Snowfilly]

Anyone know what that extra wide girth is for on the grey horse in the puissance?

 

[Fools Motto]

To stop spur marks?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Probably a belly band to prevent spur marks and getting disqualified. It happens often enough at Olympia with freshly clipped horses not through ill intent!