Olympic Eventing xc thread

[Kadastorm]

I have to agree that we relied too heavily on WFP and I was shocked to see Gemma, Izzy and Kitty picked (glad Pippa was called up and although it was a silly mistake today, the rest of the ride was fab). I know we need fresh people and those guys have had some great results but I can't help but think that Tina Cook and Zara Phillips would have been great additions, Zara and High Kingdom can pull things out the bag under pressure.

Anyway, it is a shame but a learning curve and it's not over yet. Very pleased for the Aussies and French teams who have done very well. Didn't get to watch all of it as was watching on my phone whilst fishing with my dad! Now waiting for it to pop up on catch up so I can watch in full!

 

[Northern Hare]

I have to agree that we relied too heavily on WFP and I was shocked to see Gemma, Izzy and Kitty picked (glad Pippa was called up and although it was a silly mistake today, the rest of the ride was fab). I know we need fresh people and those guys have had some great results but I can't help but think that Tina Cook and Zara Phillips would have been great additions, Zara and High Kingdom can pull things out the bag under pressure.

Anyway, it is a shame but a learning curve and it's not over yet. Very pleased for the Aussies and French teams who have done very well. Didn't get to watch all of it as was watching on my phone whilst fishing with my dad! Now waiting for it to pop up on catch up so I can watch in full!

Try iplayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07nn2tk/olympics-day-3-bbc-one-13451800

 

[sywell]

I thought we took the wrong type of horse to Athens and have we taken the right type since. chilli morning is a Brandenburg.

 

[teapot]

Oh hands up here, I was one of the ones saying we needed horses capable of 30s/low 40s dressage to be in with a shout. But I still stand by that - that's where the leaders are, and that's modern competition for you. I don't think anyone who was arguing that point of view thought that we didn't need strong jumping performances too. As it turned out, we didn't deliver that today.

Tina Cook's horse is no more experienced than Pippa's, Zara is unlikely to have done a good dressage and been quick across country. On form, Quicklook and Ceylor LAN were better choices. It didn't happen for us. Sometimes competitions go that way. There were a lot of people having problems today that you wouldn't have predicted beforehand.

Me, I'm not quibbling with the selectors. I don't think we've got a lot of really top 4* horses to pick from and we've been unlucky this time round.

Biz wasn't Pippa's first choice. Had she not had the crunching fall on Sandman, he would have been the first choice, and she was reserve remember. Tina's reserve horse choice hasn't been 4* BUT it's not solely about the horse, Tina is a championships/team rider, it's where she seems to perform at her best and that's something that should have been considered. If Izzy T had remained on the team, it would have been Wfp and three people at their first Olympics, which by all accounts have a very different feel to a Euros or a Worlds.

The course caused trouble for everyone there's no denying that, but I'm not sure Rio has been what was maybe slightly naively expected or assumed, and that's something you have to plan for.

 

[lannerch]

I has planned to record the XC on my virgin box, however i have now learnt that they changed the channel at the last minute! Sooooooooooo p****ed off! Does anyone know where I can catch up on the coverage? I can not see anything on the red button or BBC sport website! I can't believe they have done that! I was looking forward to watching it all day and in the search to try and find it to watch I pretty much know all of the results anyway! It's just outrageous.

It looks like it's on iplayer:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07nn2tk/olympics-day-3-bbc-one-13451800

Thankyou thankyou thankyou

 

[Lexi_]

I get what everyone else is saying but really, when you take out all the injured horses, what were the other options? If Tina was such a strong choice then she wouldn't have been second reserve, she'd have been straight in the team. The only other one I can really see is High Kingdom and Zara and I'm going to have to disagree with you all about them - I don't think they'd have made that much difference. Kitty and Gemma were both in amazing form going into this and surprise, surprise, it's only when they have a minor slip up that they suddenly become partnerships that shouldn't have been chosen. If you go back to that squad selection thread, it was WFP that people were saying shouldn't have been there!

We were unlucky on the day but regardless of that, there really weren't a lot of other choices.

 

[Jo_x]

I'm a huge fan of Zara but she hasn't had good form recently, it would have been a travesty if she'd been picked.

With the benefit of hindsight, Arctic Soul might have been a better choice for Gemma, his dressage scores aren't top class but they'd have been good enough for the competition it turned out to be. But noone was suggesting that beforehand..

 

[Honey08]

Well that was an eventful afternoon! I had a few friends round for lunch and to watch. Very dramatic competition. A bit disappointing, but it wasn't the easy ride for any team really, was it. I thought the Germans would cruise this Olympics, but it's not gone that way for them either.

I thought it was such a shame for WFP. He'd ridden so well for all the rest. It reminded me slightly of him missing the fence at Burghley last year, which was pre accident. Pippa, what a disaster that she chose not to circle. Again she'd ridden him so well. He'd looked very strong and she'd coped wonderfully. I wondered if he was just feeling so strong and brave so she decided to kick rather than circle as she was struggling herself? Biz will have a good future. So will Kitt's horse, he was lovely to watch and she should be proud of how far they've come. Gemma, well I have to say that her horse just hasn't looked a 4* horse and I wished she was on Arctic Soul. She rode her really well, the mare really wasn't up for it today. We aren't going to go home with medals, but we got all our riders safely round, and we have e perience under our belts for the inexperienced team members.

I did find myself thinking that that course would have suited Andrew Nicholson or Oli!

 

[Lexi_]

I'm a huge fan of Zara but she hasn't had good form recently, it would have been a travesty if she'd been picked.

With the benefit of hindsight, Arctic Soul might have been a better choice for Gemma, his dressage scores aren't top class but they'd have been good enough for the competition it turned out to be. But noone was suggesting that beforehand..

He's injured as well! Everyone was saying beforehand it wasn't a cross-country to suit him though.

 

[teapot]

They are on incredible form on two young horses who can score decent dressage marks - it's why they were chosen, but I know a a few people who thought they'd be chosen on that form but weren't convinced it would continue into Rio.

I was surprised at the team when it was first announced, I still am surprised. Billy the Red's results are very similar to Billy the Biz's actually, yet wasn't chosen because apparently he might not cope with the atmosphere rather than anything else, or that's what Tina implies http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/36714889

This is an interesting read with nations side by side http://eventingnation.com/by-the-numbers-which-teams-will-win-medals-in-rio/

Sadly it hasn't paid off and we seem to have lost the ability to win medals consistently. That said we got four home which is something in itself.

 

[Jo_x]

teapot that eventingnation article is fascinating, thanks!

 

[stencilface]

I maintain that Nic Wilson would have been a good choice, as she can generally get a good ride xc. However, fingers crossed the rest act as eventers tomorrow and our guys make like show jumpers and leave the fences up

Looking forward to th showjumping and dressage now.

 

[Kadastorm]

I can see arguments from both sides, Gemma, Kitty and Izzy have been great and for them to get there is an amazing achievement, I am no great rider myself so I do respect them, Quicklook did look strong, haven't seen Kitty's round. And Thankyou NorthernHare, will go on laptop and have a look. Got IPlayer on NowTV but it keeps saying 'error' grrr.

 

[teapot]

Thoroughly recommend listening to this too, the questions Chappers asked, and Tina's insight is fantastic http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07mwln2

 

[chestnut cob]

Thoroughly recommend listening to this too, the questions Chappers asked, and Tina's insight is fantastic http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07mwln2

Do you know whereabouts in the programme it is? I can't bear listening to 3 odd hours of Chappers just to hear 1 min of Tina Cook!

 

[teapot]

Do you know whereabouts in the programme it is? I can't bear listening to 3 odd hours of Chappers just to hear 1 min of Tina Cook!

Oh there's loads of it and it's Chappers and Tina - he's surprisingly good with the eventing stuff. I'll try and go through and find the times.

 

[only_me]

To be fair - the horses picked for the GB team performed as good as or better than the majority of the horses competing.
I felt a lot of horses were lacking their usual spark (humidity?) and maybe because of the initial riders having such disasters the rest of the riders were riding more cautiously and perhaps not as attacking as they normally are, which may have confused the horses.

I will admit freely that my favorite round of the day was from the *edited* the Chilean rider on Franco - he may have been slow, took longer routes, but he and his horse made it all look effortless and as if they were Simply at a normal ode. He never hassled the horse, they jumped each fence as it came and I'm quite envious, as they appeared to have a great time

I'm also impressed by the course builder, he made a course where the fences were not actually the problem for the horses but instead created problems mainly through rider error! The falls were caused by big rider mistakes putting their horses into positions that they couldn't get out of. I don't think there was a pin break at all today?

Eventing should never be a dressage comp

 

[teapot]

I will admit freely that my favorite round of the day was from the Brazilian rider on Franco - he may have been slow, took longer routes, but he and his horse made it all look effortless and as if they were Simply at a normal ode. He never hassled the horse, they jumped each fence as it came and I'm quite envious, as they appeared to have a great time

Ranco was Chilian - agreed though, super round!

 

[Violet]

Why wasn't Ingrid Klimke elimimated at the last water?
She jumped A again, Linda Algotsson who did the same got eliminated. Or is there another reason for LA's elimination?

 

[teapot]

Why wasn't Ingrid Klimke elimimated at the last water?
She jumped A again, Linda Algotsson who did the same got eliminated. Or is there another reason for LA's elimination?

Turns out Ingrid re-jumped it correctly

 

[Slightlyconfused]

I'm a huge fan of Zara but she hasn't had good form recently, it would have been a travesty if she'd been picked.

With the benefit of hindsight, Arctic Soul might have been a better choice for Gemma, his dressage scores aren't top class but they'd have been good enough for the competition it turned out to be. But noone was suggesting that beforehand..

Funny you say that I said to my mum I was disappointed Artic Soul wasn't selected to go to rio as I thought they were a great combination and did amazing at badminton

 

[Lexi_]

Wouldn't have mattered if he had been selected - he's injured!

 

[sasquatch]

I felt that Pippa's refusal was a bit more easily explained when it came to light she was having problems with asthma after she finished. If she was tiring and could feel herself losing her breath, I can imagine her riding and decisions wouldn't have been as calm and collected as normal.

given the horses and riders available, who else would you have brought? there's lots of names who could have gone, but it's also hard to say given who's available.

GB definitely didn't do badly, all 4 got home without any big slips, near falls or really scary moments. Considering that the top 3 teams all had one rider who didn't complete it's not a bad achievement. What is shocking is that not a single GB rider managed to make it into the top 20.

I can't really comment on Ireland as we just had a bad day, but we've had worse. Glad that our faller is fine.

Still can't find any news on the Polish horse, but hoping no news is good news.

 

[Mariposa]

Just read the last 15 pages of this, it was almost as entertaining as watching it live yesterday ( missed most of it because of work!) - this was a good alternative! Thank you!

 

[Mooseontheloose]

I don't know whether the horse type had much effect, after all Santano's warmblood and seemed to cope with the undulations and difficulty.

 

[oldie48]

Although GB had a very disappointing day, I thought the course designer had done an excellent job in making a course that all the competitors could have got round if they had made good riding decisions but was tricky enough to test the best. Not an easy job and good to see it wasn't a dressage comp. I didn't like the 2 brushes as the line seemed very awkward but most took the long route by choice or not! I think it would have been known that the course would be fairly twisty and undulating as the venue would have been known a long time ago and I guess horses were chosen on that basis. I was very sad to see WFP have 20 pen, his riding, as ever, looked exemplary. Actually there were relatively few horse falls including 2, I think, on the flat which shouldn't have happened and a few riders eliminated for course errors, some lessons to be learned there! I watched most of it at my laptop, thank goodness for my back friend or I'd have had backache today!

 

[Chloe..x]

Does anyone know when the trot up is?

 

[tiga71]

12.30 i think

 

[Chloe..x]

12.30 i think

Could get interesting!

 

[Apercrumbie]

I did question the selection before Rio - taking three non 4* horses was always going to be a big risk and despite their reasonable dressage tests (and reasonable is admittedly pretty good by British standards, we have many fabulous eventing combinations who just aren't up to the dressage element) the gamble has not paid off. Quicklook was far, far too green to be taking on such a course and while Gemma did keep her head, her riding did not always help the horse out. Inexperience did show there. I was gutted by WFP's 20 pen - Chilli Morning was looking so classy and WFP was riding beautifully.

It was a very tough Olympic xc course with a lot of big questions. It really tested riding ability and with a technical course like this, you do need a horse that can help the rider out, not one that will say no if the line isn't perfect. I was happy to see such a challenging course, but of course we are all gutted that it got the best of our riders.

Saying all that, I do agree that we don't have many other options for selection at the moment. We do need to have all team members capable of getting a decent dressage score - some of our best xc combinations cannot do that. A tricky choice for selectors, and I hope we will see some really proactive decision-making in the coming years.