Ok, who is disgusted at the pentathlon?

[myhorsefred]

I have just watched most of the equestrian bit of the pentathlon and have to say I am really disgusted and saddened at the quality of the riding.

I understand that they also have other disciplines to master, but surely to goodness no live, breathing animal deserves to be subjected to being hauled around by their mouth? The chilean riders' horse was being sawed in the mouth, and the slow camera shot showed the horse clearly rolling its eyes in pain!

I also understand that this sport is supposed to mimic soldiers activites in the 18th century, where soldiers rode horses into battle. But the main form of transport was horseback in those days, so many people could ride anyway, they had to.

Nowadays, most people ride for pleasure and soldiers do not ride into battle -some drive tanks! Surely this sport should be updated and the equestrian element dropped. Could they not race around an obstacle course in tanks instead?

Sorry for the rant, but I really think it is dreadful to see horses in so much pain just for the sake of some outdated sport mimicking soldiers skills of the 18th century. I think it is dreadful.

What do you all think?

 

[Lou_bert]

i couldn't watch! i'm starting my training for 2012 tonight!

 

[Happy Horse]

There are several other posts about it both here in latest news - it may be worth you having a look at them

 

[Kenzo]

have not seen it, any footage/links you can post so us lot at work (supposed to be working more like) can see?

 

[at work]

Try:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/modern_pentathlon/7574507.stm

 

[Smurphy]

omg god that is bad

 

[donna_louisa]

Thats awfull!!

 

[poiuytrewq]

OMG i just watched it, was the general standard or was he particularly awful?
Its really shockingly bad I am amazed thats he is supposed to be an Olympic standard rider ( i know not as such but in theory shld be loads better)

 

[Fransurrey]

Oh dear...

 

[Penguinboots]

God...that's awful!

 

[peanut]

The link doesn't work for me which is probably fortunate

 

[myhorsefred]

He was awful, but you should have seen the other riders whose horses did jump - jabbing their horses in the mouth when they landed, riders balancing themselves off the horses mouth, and hauling them around by their mouths instead of using seat aids or leg aids. It really was dreadful. Those poor horses, so honest to jump anything. i don't blame that horse in the link for not wanting to jump.

 

[ladyt25]

Hmm, yeah Kenzo, feel like saying the same - how come everyone is watching it - where??!! I am at work, have been on lunch (have TV on) but that just shows the 100m relay heats (which in case you don't know we right royally fcked up in the mens!)

Does noone else on this forum have to have work to do?! I am jealous of you all!!!

(obviously I should not be on line now like but I just skip in an out)

 

[Mischievous]

Had to have a laugh so bad it is! How many times are they allowed to have a stop before being eliminated?

 

[myhorsefred]

Sorry LadyT - it finished about 1.20 ish. It was on bbc interactive.

PS - I'm self employed and really should be working at my computer, but I keep HHO minimised and just pop in and out. No wonder I'm not making any money these days! lol

 

[Daffodil]

Agree with all you say. It was a disgraceful spectacle, and I saw about five horses go and couldn't watch any more. Probably not helped though by the appalling underfoot conditions. Of the few I saw, one was lucky to avoid the classic rotational fall. I know nothing about this sport, but feel that the time has come to remove the equestrian element from it. It does not sit happily with the other elements and if that is the standard considered good enough for the Olympics then the whole thing needs re-considering. I would imagine that, if that's the standard of horsemanship displayed by the majority, the competitors themselves would be quite glad to see it removed. I suggest that the sport's Governing Body look very seriously at the inclusion of this section in future.

 

[FinellaGlen]

Goodness, that is appalling! What shocking riding. I was actually hoping that the horse dumped him so that it could be free of him hauling on the reins

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Im just really surprised the pentathletes arent better at riding. But I did feel for the Belarus guy, 200 faults is quite cool. The horse looked a bit small for him and ive seen worse riding at shows in the UK.....

I think the riding should be retained but that a qualifying standard be introduced and in turn the better standard of riding would encourage better quality of horses to be available to the competitors.

I dont think the riding should be dropped tho, but something does need to be done. I think the ideal events for me would be:
riding (maybe dresage not SJ)
belgian bun eating
poo picking
lying in bath for longest time
excessive rug buying
))

 

[Daffodil]

I'd be in the team!

 

[Scribbles]

Urgh that was awful. The poor horse was probably thinking "why on earth is he making me run at the fence then telling me to stop as soon as we get near it?!"


Surely there must be a way to complain..

 

[0ldmare]

That is awful. Poor poor horse. Why on earth do they allow so many refusals? And its got to go again with another rider. Who on earth would allow their horse to be put forward for an event like that. I'm truly sickened by it

 

[Flame_]

Erm, I'm not disgusted with the pentathalon itself, but the standard of riding was mostly cruel and embarrassing. I've watched a few in the past and the riders have been far from the standard of our pro riders but nothing like the muppets we witnessed today. They were possibly in european games though.

Maybe the criteria for selection has gone wrong. Surely they could have found better all round athletes than those lot. It was an embarrassment to showjumping and it definitely needs changing. I liked someone's idea of making them do dressage instead.

 

[amberleystar]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/modern_pentathlon/7574994.stm

I believe the womens will be on tomorrow!

It was truly a disgusting display of horsemanship and I was appalled at how some of the riders beat the horses with whip and spur, not to mention hauling on the reins at the same time.

 

[jules89]

I watched one rider have a horse fall (he nearly fell off at the first, and the horse threw ts head up over every fence because it was being so horribly jabbed in the mouth) and yet he was not eliminated! (anyone else see it? happened at the wall, horse got its foot stuck and fell over...)
i watched one more go, who was in gold position i think, and could not BEAR to watch any more.
sick to my stomach.

 

[Beanyowner]

I am not going through all this crap again...go read the other threads.

I can't say anything about foreign countries but the Team GB pentathletes work extremely hard to get where they are...and I am annoyed at the fact people are so willing to sit there and slate and not actually consider the idea that the horses were not good examples and the officials are to blame for allowing riders to continue. Granted some riders were not very good but they HAVE to be able to get round a 1m20 track otherwise they would not even be at the olympics!!!! They have to qualify the same as every other sport in the olympics and the competition is fierce no matter which country your from.

 

[conniegirl]

personaly i was disgusted at the riding i saw. I dont care whether they had to qualify or not they need to up the level of riding, i managed to watch all of it and most of the horses i saw were willing but confused by the signals they were getting.

I've done a modern pentathlon, it was a BUSA competition and the riding was of a far better standard at the BUSA competition then i saw today! I cant say that the other disciplines were as good as the olympic ones but surely the showjumping is the most important because if oyu get it wrong you dont just hurt yourself you hurt an animal that has no say in whether it wants to be there or not.

Womens one tommorow should be better

 

[Beanyowner]

Yes the womens should be of a much better standard.

 

[0ldmare]

Beanyowner no horse could jump given that idiot on board. I dont understand how you can defend it. Agree a dressage test is a great idea and would actually be funny to watch!

 

[myhorsefred]

Beanyowner - if you don't want to go through this again, then don't post on my thread.

Just let it wash over you.

I cannot believe that you think horses should be allowed to be hurt in this way just so that the athletes can qualify. You absolutely cannot defend what we all saw today if you are a true horse lover.

I am sorry if you are annoyed at me 'slating' the standard of riding, but it really was apalling to watch. As I said in my original post one horse was rolling its eyes in pain as its rider sawed, yanked and then sawed on its mouth again, and I am apalled that you think this is obviously ok, as long as the rider/country qualifies. Horses are not a piece of sporting equipment to be used without regard, like a javelin, tennis racquet or oar etc and they should not be subjected to what we saw today.

As for the horses not being up to standard - rubbish! I think any decent rider with softer hands would produce far, far better results on any of those horses today.

I am not saying that the GB (or any other team) athletes do not work hard, and yes the competition is very fierce but I do not agree that the equestrian element of the games is the same as any other sport. In no other sport would you find such cruelty allowed to another athlete or team member just in order to qualify.

Let me ask you this - would you be happy for any of those riders to ride any horse of yours over a course of 1m20 jumps in the way they did?

 

[welshstar]

He's wearing spurs aswell!
to me, that should definately be dropped. The poor horse is being fired at each jump and it makes me cringe each time that rider looses their balance and jabs them in the mouth. By the end the horse looking upset and confused and i dont think its nice to see any horse 'whacked' so many times and with such force