Orangehorse
Well-Known Member
Mm, this is stirring things a bit. Mark Philips was praising Mark Todd but added something about some older riders going on too long. Wonder who he meant?
Agreed, it's no one else's business.Lucinda Green had a nasty fall recently, might have been her, she was his era?
Odd thing to say, though, surely it's nobody's business but the rider if they feel capable? They aren't endangering anyone but themselves, and perhaps their horse, eventing isn't a team sport.
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I rarely watch showjumping nowadays but I watched Hickstead. One of the Whitakers should certainly give up, he looked awful and that was someone I have admired since a child. (Not eventing I know but sometimes older people need to face up to the passage of time).
I rarely watch showjumping nowadays but I watched Hickstead. One of the Whitakers should certainly give up, he looked awful and that was someone I have admired since a child. (Not eventing I know but sometimes older people need to face up to the passage of time).
Even if he did one dodgy round why should he give up - the horse might have been having an off day, or got spooked, it mightnt have had anything to do with the riders age!
Or should we all give up doing what we love at 65 just in case we do a bad round- after all we should be perfect all the time at that age, with all our experience surely?
Anyone can do a bad round for all sorts of reasons. It doesn't mean they should give up.
He looked really over faced and almost confused. A friend, who show jumps at a high level, said he should give it up and that was not on one round.
By your reckoning my Dad should still be driving even if he does crash into other cars!
Someone at the top isn't going to go down a level though. When they've had enough they retire.you don't have to give up the sport you love, just maybe not do it at the top levels-its a sport that has a partner that has little say in the matter.
Someone at the top isn't going to go down a level though. When they've had enough they retire.
I wouldn't fancy telling one of the Whitaker's to retireok, so maybe they should do that then.
I wouldn't fancy telling one of the Whitaker's to retire![]()
Off you go so.thats alright, we won't make you.
Is it because they're bringing on young horse's though? I had been wondering about Mary King because she doesn't seem to have been in the big competitions for ages. I thought I read, or maybe just assumed that was because she was bringing on younger horses.I'm not sure that's true if you look through some of the previous big names records, they are often out at lower levels.
Good point.Not if they don't ever come back, ie they aren't bringing on those younger horses for themselves, just producing them for others because they still enjoy doing that side of it even if they don't really fancy badminton anymore.
Obviously it's hard to know that any of them won't do the top levels again for certain unless they mention it.