Not impressed! One rider at Burghley

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Alltheprettyhorses

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Well, when it comes to choosing a rider for my eventer it will definitely NOT be the lady who hit her horse so often I lost count, flapped and bounced about on his back and didn't even pat the poor brute when he eventually struggled over the finishing line. Naming no names but we all know who it is. Shameful.

On the up side, there were lots of really fabulous rounds with fit horses and skilled and balanced riders who were a pleasure to watch.
 
Hmm I wonder if this is who I'm thinking of!! I was horrified, and thought she should have retired.... I was surprised this hadn't come up earlier... :rolleyes:
 
Totally agree. Usually admire this person and their riding but not this time. Horse was knackered. I actually don't understand why the course officials didn't stop it. Lucky the rider or the horse weren't injured
 
If its who I think it is.... if she has been riding for a county like Russia she would have been red flagged. It seems that the Officials might have given her "best" as she is such a respected rider... I was gobsmacked watching the BBC highlights yesterday.
 
They also showed pictures o f pippa afterwards she like the horse looked shattered!

All my comment about her round in general is both me and tpo knew what rider op was referring too ( provided of course we are right )
 
I really didn't think the round was that terrible. The horse tested her constantnly the whole way round and because of that she had to ride in a no nonsense approach
 
If it's who I'm thinking of you'll Probably Find ;) it on the Burghley TV site, 2nd horse for that rider.

http://www.burghley.tv/vod/portal/?sid=qe9qr53p1862u88iab7d9spnp7

Having watched a little of that round this morning, and it's no excuse, I did think the rider was totally knackered at the end. They way she kept flopping over the horses neck after each jump looked very odd. Unfit rider can't help an unfit horse around would be, my very uneducated, guess.

To be fair though, it was her second ride of the day and if I understand things correctly,it was a longer more galloping 4* than previous Burghley's? To correct myself, it's probably more accurate to say a tired rider can't help a tired horse. Both horse and rider and probably a million times fitter than me and my horse!
 
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Agreed and I also think if a horse isn't particularly committed, forward or enthusiastic that over a track like that the sensible thing to do would have been to retire. I would have given her a real *******ing if it were my horse and I do agree that officials should be more pro-active in stopping combinations who are clearly tired or not up to the challenge of such a big track.
 
I watched the BBC review and they certainly managed to paint a dodgy picture!

A wakeup call in the second water which helped avoid coming out of the water with too little energy and avoided falling. She got the horse home safe and clear. Yes the last two fences, the horse looked a little tired, but this is a 4* event we're talking about, and with not everyone following the same fitness plans, some horses are bound to be tired. She could have pulled up, but in her position, would you have done?

Ludi-doodi said:
Having watched a little of that round this morning, and it's no excuse, I did think the rider was totally knackered at the end. They way she kept flopping over the horses neck after each jump looked very odd. Unfit rider can't help an unfit horse around would be, my very uneducated, guess.
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If you watch Pippa's personal jumping style, it is a little unusual, she has always done that slight 'collapse' after big fences.
 
I didn't watch her whole round as I was watching on someone elses tv (as a guest in their house!) but did think the horse looked absouletly knackered and it seems like Pippa had to literally drag it over some of the last few fences!

Can't comment on the rest of her round however
 
out of interest isn't there a certain number of times u can hit it into a fence? as horse was hit 4 times through the 50-50 water...?

She did bloody well to get it round, so no comment from me :)
 
If you take the time to watch the rest of the round, you will see that it is only the last few fences over which the horse struggles. The rest of the time he is taking a good hold and clearly not giving the rider an easy ride. I think she did well to get them home safely.
 
I have to agree i was sat watching the highlights yesterday and couldnt believe they stayed on four legs, I gasped at ever fence the horse did not look happy and i do think the officials should have pulled this pair up both looked shattered by the last water complex and i thought were extreamely lucky to get home safely.. Was it a good experience for the horse to get round burghley or should she have realised his heart wasnt in it that day and come back fighting another one might ask.. I certainly know if was my horse she was riding i wouldnt be a happy owner regardless of name.. Horse and rider safety should always be priority.. Hope to see them both back looking much more possitive next time :)
 
As a pure spectator, so not really qualified to comment much, I was horrified at what the BBC showed yesterday but then having watched the whole round it did not look so bad to me until the end. I had wrongly assumed the whole round had looked like the final water and last 2 fences. But I did think the rider looked dangerously tired when she finished so maybe the whole thing was a bit out of character for her? I have never seen her look like that at the finish. I am unable to comment properly but it has always been my understanding that if you do not commit to a fence, and if you do not ride in a seriously positive manner, that you are more dangerous than if you are "nice" to the horse. She only seemed to use her whip to wake him up rather than "beat" him. Well that is an amatur (sp?) point of view anyway:rolleyes:
 
After watching it I think that after she'd gone through the finish she was more knackered looking than her horse, but I agree it jumped terribly the last few fences. It looked like it had plenty of running in between the fences though.

But I'm not fit to judge as I've never done anything over and above an area qualifier horse trials or jumped a few intermediate fences. That's the highest I'd ever dare to go XC!
 
Another one who agrees it was only the anniversary splash and the last 2 fences where the horse looked tired and backing off. I think she rode as she had to and the horse hardly looks on the point of collapse as she's walking him round after finishing. That was a huge track and she did a bl**dy good job to get him home safely. Pippa is one of the best producers of young horses ever and she knows what she's doing!
 
The last 2 fences were scrappy but before that I don't actually see what was wrong with the round. The smacks through the water were completely justified IMO. They nearly tipped up jumping in, he needed a reminder that now was not the time to get complacent.

He didn't look an easy ride and needed a lot of setting up before fences which is going to be much more tiring for horse and rider.
I don't think PF rode the 2nd to last particularly well...it looked to me that she just couldn't see her stride hence the adjusting right up until the last minute (much more preferable than letting a tired horse jump from nothing and possibly tipping up and killing them both IMO)That gave a pretty bad jump over that fence. But, I wouldn't expect the officials to pull her up for it. Possibly if the horse looked like this on the first half of the course but the 2nd to last from home....seriously?
He can't have been too badly damaged by the round because he still came out yesterday, passed the vet check and showjumped [shrug]

And what *is* the HHO obsession with whether or not these top riders pat their horses? Why does not patting them make them akin to Satan?
 
It did not make for pretty viewing and I am sure she will be horrified when she sees the footage. They were both clearly knackered and it is a shame she didn't pull up and retire.; she would have earnt respect from the spectators.
 
I haven't watched it online but I saw some of the round live and I think it was the horses first 4* so it was probably more mentally rather than physically tired! the only way to improve this is to push the horse out of it's comfort zone slightly! Agree with darkhorseb pippa is one of the best young horse producers and again how would most of you know anything about taking a horse round a 4* you all need to get a life !!!!
 
Only watched it on BBC, and yes what they showed the horse did look tired over the last fences, but the horse passed the vet inspection and showjumper ok, it's hard to pass judgement untill it's next Xc IMO, I've certainly ridden some horses that can get backwards and aggressive riding can be required but alot really learn and are more forward next time. I actually just think it was that BBC showed that footage, think there was plenty off others that they could off shown, to help with the pr in eventing IMO. And to say that if that was your horse that she was riding you would off not been happy with how she rode it (if that makes some sense), we don't know if the owner told her to get it round the course basically whatever, some horses will need to be ridden like this over the next step up, and can then asses the level of horse you have. Seen alot worse riding at lower levels, were the horse won't always have grooms and a team helping to wash off and recover straight away after finishing, and a vet righg there.
 
glamourpuss said:
The last 2 fences were scrappy but before that I don't actually see what was wrong with the round. The smacks through the water were completely justified IMO. They nearly tipped up jumping in, he needed a reminder that now was not the time to get complacent.

*He 'needed reminders' all the way round apparently.....*

He didn't look an easy ride and needed a lot of setting up before fences which is going to be much more tiring for horse and rider.
I don't think PF rode the 2nd to last particularly well...it looked to me that she just couldn't see her stride hence the adjusting right up until the last minute (much more preferable than letting a tired horse jump from nothing and possibly tipping up and killing them both IMO)That gave a pretty bad jump over that fence. But, I wouldn't expect the officials to pull her up for it. Possibly if the horse looked like this on the first half of the course but the 2nd to last from home....seriously?
He can't have been too badly damaged by the round because he still came out yesterday, passed the vet check and showjumped [shrug]

*Not suggesting for one minute that he WAS damaged in any way but i consider it dangerous to persist with an obviously reluctant horse over fences like that. Other riders chose the sensible option and retired.*

And what *is* the HHO obsession with whether or not these top riders pat their horses? Why does not patting them make them akin to Satan?
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*I'm sure the horse couldn't care less if they got a pat or not but it's pretty indicative of the rider's attitude towards their partner if they can't even be appreciative of its efforts!*
 
Suziq77 said:
Another one who agrees it was only the anniversary splash and the last 2 fences where the horse looked tired and backing off. I think she rode as she had to and the horse hardly looks on the point of collapse as she's walking him round after finishing. That was a huge track and she did a bl**dy good job to get him home safely. Pippa is one of the best producers of young horses ever and she knows what she's doing!
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Completely agree with this - also think it was unfair of the BBC just to show the last few fences of her round.
 
Horse started to get tired at about 5 mins. But to be honest I think it was the rider who struggled ultimately. It was actually a good round up until the second water.

As for excusing the rider because it was the second ride of the day - I think we only have to look at the other riders who came in the top 3 to knock that one on the head.
 
Alltheprettyhorses said:
*I'm sure the horse couldn't care less if they got a pat or not but it's pretty indicative of the rider's attitude towards their partner if they can't even be appreciative of its efforts!*
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I have just watched the whole round again.The horse did not need reminders the whole way round!! Pippa took her hand off the reins and used the whip several strides away from a couple of large fences to back up her leg aid. If you ask me the absolutely correct way to prevent a horse backing off a large jumping effort.

I ask again do you honestly expect the rider/ officials to pull up a totally sound but tired horse with 1 or 2 simple fences left to jump?
I'm really, struggling to understand what is so bad about a horse being tired after galloping and jumping around the Burghley XC. He was hardly staggering with exhaustion or completely broken down like Amy Tyron's horse. He was just tired. There are vets at the finish who move in and check over the horse BEFORE the grooms are allowed to wash down etc. If Pippa was bringing home a horse that should've been pulled up they would certainly have addressed it. As it was he recovered and was able to showjump the next day....showing that the right decision was made.
 
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