amage
Well-Known Member
Welfare rules only allow 5 rounds hence why there are draws so often! Liam O'Meara would be better taking his horse back from Robert Whitaker. It doesn't seem to go at all for him and jumps for Liam
Olympia: were the puissance audience cheated
- Thread starter pepsimaxrock
- Start date
redmone
Well-Known Member
Me and daughter loved watching it on tv! Ben Mayer was such a showman going for it even when he had won (don't know why but didn't expect that of him!), Laura imo made exactly the right decision and the Italian guy was awesome hehehe!! We really enjoyed it and wish we HAD bought a ticket!!!!! Jumping like that is just amazing! : )
Honeylight
Well-Known Member
They always used to draw even in the 1970s.
stacie21
Well-Known Member
Some puissance classes offer £1000 for just jumping first round so easy money plus some use it to back the horse off ready for a Grand Prix it's naughty but it happens
Minstrel_Ted
Well-Known Member
I was there watching the puissance and must admit I never felt cheated, I have gone every year for the past few years and always enjoyed it, the atmosphere is electric and it always makes me feel Christmassy and I would rather watch one finish then any injuries tbh.
Outinthesticks
Member
Admittedly I am more of a lurker than a poster on here (I think my average is one post every six months - lazy typist!), but thought I needed to set the record straight having spoke to Laura and her connections before and after the puissance.
Laura did not think that Roller Coaster had reached his limit (despite what some publications printed) in the puissance and, in fact, said she felt he could go the distance - she had initially intended to only jump one or two rounds. However, he had jumped and finished second in an extremely competitive speed class (The Mistletoe Stakes) a few hours before the puissance and was jumping in a big class the following day. He didn't go another round simply because his rider, very sensibly, thought it only fair to say "well done lad, you've done enough for today".
Fair play to Ben for jumping again, he only had to enter the arena to claim the win. But I don't think the experience jumping over the wall one last time would have been detrimental for his fantastic specialist and multiple puissance winner Noctambule Courcelle.
Laura did not think that Roller Coaster had reached his limit (despite what some publications printed) in the puissance and, in fact, said she felt he could go the distance - she had initially intended to only jump one or two rounds. However, he had jumped and finished second in an extremely competitive speed class (The Mistletoe Stakes) a few hours before the puissance and was jumping in a big class the following day. He didn't go another round simply because his rider, very sensibly, thought it only fair to say "well done lad, you've done enough for today".
Fair play to Ben for jumping again, he only had to enter the arena to claim the win. But I don't think the experience jumping over the wall one last time would have been detrimental for his fantastic specialist and multiple puissance winner Noctambule Courcelle.
BBH
Well-Known Member
Just caught up with this thread and haven't read all the posts but we were there on the night having managed to get Puissance tickets at last.
We both said that although it was a lovely evening there just wasn't enough jumping to be seen with not enough entrants so we won't go to the Puissance again. To hear that the already small class was further depleted by people pulling out was disappointing but understandable. No-one wants to risk a horse and every rider will be doing what they feel is appropriate for that horse. However I would have preferred not to have heard the commentators later in the week whilst watching telly saying riders were using the Puissance as schooling rounds to get horses in the air higher for subsequent classes. You do feel slightly cheated.
So for us we think the Puissance has run its course and is not good value for money, dog agility, shetland grand national etc etc are padding for the jumping for us and there are too few riders and and rounds to make the Puissance interesting.
Next year we will go for something like the grand prix where you get to see a good amount of jumping for your money.
We both said that although it was a lovely evening there just wasn't enough jumping to be seen with not enough entrants so we won't go to the Puissance again. To hear that the already small class was further depleted by people pulling out was disappointing but understandable. No-one wants to risk a horse and every rider will be doing what they feel is appropriate for that horse. However I would have preferred not to have heard the commentators later in the week whilst watching telly saying riders were using the Puissance as schooling rounds to get horses in the air higher for subsequent classes. You do feel slightly cheated.
So for us we think the Puissance has run its course and is not good value for money, dog agility, shetland grand national etc etc are padding for the jumping for us and there are too few riders and and rounds to make the Puissance interesting.
Next year we will go for something like the grand prix where you get to see a good amount of jumping for your money.
Garfield1537
Well-Known Member
Yes I watch it live most years and felt very disappointed by it! ESP as my friends with me where watching live for the first time. But always next year I suppose and thankfully Ben & Laura were fab to watch. Shame the others clearly used as a schooling round for the FEI class : (