Older Riders - who was Mark Philips thinking of?

Orangehorse

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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?
 

ycbm

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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.

.
 

Mule

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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.

.
Agreed, it's no one else's business.
 

Rowreach

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I don't know, I posted on here last year about a very well known and respected older rider who literally whacked her very tired horse over a relatively simple fence, and then overturned shortly afterwards. You'd think age would = :confused:experience
 

Red-1

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I have seen a rider, whom I used to really look up to, ride a simply awful round XC on the TV. The rider looked really stiff and uncomfortable in their hips/back. I was quite sad to see the change, their balance was wrong and it was just not a pretty picture.

Having said that, they were a stack better than I would ever be!

Double scary thought, I am nowhere near the rider I was once, but I intend to keep going while ever it is enjoyable.

TBH, I think it is rather judgemental for someone to say someone else is too old to do stuff.
 

MotherOfChickens

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there's one very popular older rider that I just can't bear tbh but everyone seems to love them! I expect RR are talking about the same one-I've always disliked her though, even when she was younger :eek:
 

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

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Am just scratching my head and thinking about who was around when Toddie started out..................

It would have been helpful if he'd said whether they were lady riders or not........ I can think of one who's been around a very very long time and would certainly tick the box of having been around when Toddie was, but I'm not aware she's been in any major events for a good while now as I know she hasn't got anything that's good to compete on.
 

ycbm

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Why is everyone being so shy of naming which rider they are thinking of?

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{97702}

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Mary King always used to make me gasp later on in her career - the London Olympics was a good example - where she scarcely appeared to be in control when she went XC. For me personally it didn't make pleasant viewing.

That said, naturally she has more talent and ability in one hair folicle than I will ever possess......
 

stormox

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Young riders have good days - and bad days. So do older riders. Young riders fall off. So do older riders
How can anyone generalise like that???
 

Velcrobum

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I spend a lot of time helping at events there are a fair few "names" who have more not riding well days than good ones. The independent seat that older riders had ingrained due to messing about bareback on ponies is not there for many. Those whose parents knew the value messing about bareback have that advantage. Carl H learnt that way. The modern risk adverse pony club/riding school is paranoid about kids falling off which IMHO is part and parcel off learning to ride.
 

Clodagh

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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).
 

{97702}

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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).

OMG please please tell me you don’t mean John 😱😱😱

I didn’t watch Hickstead so I don’t know, but I’ve idolised John all my life as the best horseman I ever seen bar none
 

stormox

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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).

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.
 

Clodagh

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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!
 

stormox

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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!

Hardly the same. Crashing into other peoples cars affects other people. Doing a bad round doesnt. Its just a bad round and he could win next time out!
 

ester

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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.
 

Mule

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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.
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.
 

ester

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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.
 

Mule

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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.
Good point.
 
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