Olympic Team Predictions

LEC

LEC

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Going early with

Dressage
Lottie
Charlotte
Carl
Becky/Gareth reserve

Eventing
Ros
Laura
Oliver

Tom/Kitty reserves

Showjumping
Harry
Ben
Scott
Richard Howley/Jessica Mendoza or Jodie Hall McTeer reserve
 
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teapot

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I don't follow the others as well, but I think the third eventing spot may go to someone that isn't top of everyone's list. Who'll it be I don't know. Will see how Badminton goes!

Agree re Ros and Oli though.
 
ihatework

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I don’t follow Dr/Sj sufficiently to form an informed opinion.

Eventing Ros, Oli + Ihavenoidea - pleased not to be a selector! Might come down to behind scenes vet reports for the remaining place and any final prep intel on Tom/Kit/Laura/Yas
 
LEC

LEC

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Escapade said:
I hadn't heard this news? 😛
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It’s just a guess. Ben is world no2. Harry is in world top 20 so natural choice and Scott is only other one to jump at serious 5* shows. Richard has won some decent stuff. Jodie’s good horse is just coming back now ready for the summer and Jessica is next highest ranked in world at something like 89 which means to pick up points must be jumping some decent classes.
 
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humblepie

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LEC said:
It’s just a guess. Ben is world no2. Harry is in world top 20 so natural choice and Scott is only other one to jump at serious 5* shows. Richard has won some decent stuff. Jodie’s good horse is just coming back now ready for the summer and Jessica is next highest ranked in world at something like 89 which means to pick up points must be jumping some decent classes.
Click to expand...
Jessica Mendoza was at the World Cup finals.
 
RachelFerd

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I don't have much of a clue for dressage or SJ, and for eventing I'm fairly stumped too! I don't envy the selectors at all - there's a huge amount of strength and depth in the eventing team *but* there is also a chink in the armour of nearly every horse and rider combination, bar Ros w/ Walter. For me that's the only secure place.

I don't think any of the horses that went to Kentucky have done enough to secure their places. Cooley Rosalent is still a young horse, picked up a 20p at Luhmuhlen 5* last year, dressage in the 30s at Kentucky is too high. The Maryland result with a 23 dr last year was good, but she had 2 SJs down there - so i don't think the proven consistency is quite there yet.

Banzai and Yas - I love this partnership, but I really feel last weekend she needed to nail that XC closer to the time - he appeared to tire, and the fact he went to the hold box in the first trot up would potentially just have me asking questions too.

Ballaghmor Class is the absolute don XC, but he's an older horse now and the SJ record has question marks in it. I'm assuming the Badminton is the aim for him - although if he wins that on a mega-score he could be putting himself into the mix. But I also think there are questions about team dynamics, optics etc. etc.

Kitty and Froggy - the DR and SJ are nailed-on brilliant, and he has laid down some fab results at 4*, but has repeatedly been tripped up by 5* questions. Olympics isn't a 5*, but having that extra XC reliability and scope in bank feels important.

Tom and Dubs - I think Tom has a very cool head, and the partnership does seem to be cementing. But there still have been those little errors while their partnership was newer...

Laura and London 52 - I'm not as convinced by this horse's SJ - Tokyo was a let-down.. and whilst he's won all those 5*s, he was really disappointing at Pratoni with that drive-by XC run-out. I don't feel inspired watching him go XC.

... and then knocking on the door you've got Tom Jackson with Capel's Hollow Drift - a *huge* Badminton result could maybe put him back in the eyes of selectors after their little blip at the Euros. Emily King and Valmy Biats could also throw a big curveball at Badminton - it was no mean feat wining Thoresby and finishing 4th at Burnham Market in the 4*s this spring - but there have been a series of mishaps at 5* XC... David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed would've been guaranteed team partnership back in the 'old' days when we weren't looking for a 25 dressage. But that's probably the only horse that truly convinces me on both jumping phases.

sooo - my personal team choice would be:

- Ros & Walter
- David Doel & GN
- Tom & Dubs (because I believe in Tom's cool head)
(Kitty as reserve)

but what i think we'll see will be Ros, Tom and Laura...
 
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teapot

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Something that kept being mentioned on the Kentucky commentary was ‘closest 5* to Paris set up’ ie surfaces, all the Brit horses are used to working on grass or arena for dressage and show jumping, but I wonder whether conditions will be a factor though? End of July could be somewhat toasty! Could also be an absolute mud bath, but either on a twisty course will be interesting, then two sj rounds.
 
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Penguin_Toes

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Is Kitty King part of the King family? It's a common surname so I never thought she was, but now I'm wondering if there is a link with both horses have Biats in their names too!
 
Nicnac

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Saw a fantastic comment on a French eventing site stating that the British Eventing "Short List" (which is very long) is akin to the menu choices offered at a 3 star Michelin restaurant - how apt!

Good to see some new names on there. Tough choice for selectors.
 
Bernster

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The dressage seems much easier to cal. I agree with OP on that one.

Eventing is tougher but my first vote is Ros and LG. Not sure on their others.

I tried to get some equestrian tickets recently but was too slow to purchase, a good job though as they are very pricey and didn’t come with accommodation so no idea if we could have even got there, or stayed over!
 
Michen

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That’s very interesting. I didn’t think we’d see any Olympic hopefuls run at 5*, I wonder why some do and some don’t.
 
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teapot

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Walter’s also entered for Bicton and Bramham so may well be just playing with options.

That said I wonder whether they’re using Luhmuehlen as a possible trial run for Paris - travel, team environment, team orders etc, twisty xc, crowds, especially given the dressage and show jumping are on a surface… In theory should also be warmer so a good prep run in that respect.

There will be method in Dicky Waygood and Chris Bartle’s madness I’m sure!
 
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teapot

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London 52 and Lordships Graffalo first and second respectively in what appears to be a pretty eventful Bicton 4*.
 
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