Olympics XC - spoiler alert tho, don't read if you haven't watched it

It was amazing i couldn't stay wake for all, but saw all brits go round , Mr WFP almost gave me heart attack at last jump, but so glad he did say sorry. MK was just beautiful to watch and and poor Cavvy
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jumping huge bit of offset brushs, was a generious star and MK always praises and is so gratefull to her horse - magic
TC lovely round and did feel for SH but TT did look a bit out of puff but she admitted she should have used her brain.

Only bit i shouted at TV was when karma got AT

What happened to Eton school boy (china's chap)??? and LC with little brit???
 
just checked BE rules "the whip should not be used after the horse has jumped the last fence on a course." unequivocally stated. hope the FEI rules are as specific.
just watched the highlights again, Romeike rode so kindly the whole way round and after the last. Really pleased to see him in first overnight, hope with all my heart that Mary gets gold though.
MJ should be given a 10 sec penalty imho for what she did, it is very clear in the head-on shot that she whacks the horse behind the saddle and then down the shoulder after it has jumped the last fence really well for her.
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I too hope that Mary King can keep up Cavvy's SJ record and get an individual medal... surely no-one deserves it more than she does? And also not forgetting the year's work that Caroline Pratt put into the horse - I am sure she would have been so proud too. Their XC round was so polished - and mary so 100% focused all the way... she completed her first badminton in 1988 which was the year I was born - she has been at the top of her game for 20 years, talk about longevity!

Other horses that I actually enjoyed watching yesterday..

Hinrich and Marius, was a class partnership all the way.. flawless performance and a deserving overnight leader.

Ingrid Klimke was riding fast, but accurately - and a perfect example of how dressage training can make a horse quick and clever, rather than autonomous and dangerous as it is so often argued.

Miners Frolic and Tina looked brilliant - long deserved olympic appearance, and just looked classy all the way.

Frank Ostholt's Mr Medicott is a stunning horse... massive stride and seemed to have endless enthusiasm for the job.

Susanna Bordone and Vittoria put up an impressive show for the italian girls.. both rode really forwards and were obviously inspiring confidence in their horses.

I love seeing the 'lesser' nations put good clear rounds in - Pawel Spisak for Poland actually looked really classy all the way round, and Passat the horse with bizarre dressage-y movement turned out to have a complete brain reversal cross country and looked confident and keen, and ridden sensibly and steadily to complete clear.

Sam Albert also looked great bouncing round on her short striding horse - he looked happy and confident all the way to the finish too.

Found it odd that none of the british horses looked good over the penultimate angled brushes, when plenty of other less experienced riders seemed to have no trouble with them. One of those bizarre luck of the day things I guess


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From the FEI website, for those that haven't seen it;
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Olympic Cross Country day, 11 August 2008, shall certainly be remembered as a day of spectacular success, which was brought by years of in-depth preparation, planning and results, but also helped by luck. “We were lucky with the weather,” Foreign Veterinary Delegate Prof. Leo Jeffcott, who has spent three years monitoring the climatic conditions in cooperation with the Hong Kong Observatory, said. Indeed, with a temperature of around 25°C (80 °F), a cloudy sky and light rain, the weather was by no means extreme. Moreover, it remained stable throughout the morning which allowed for all the participants to compete under equal conditions. Humidity was high at around 70%.

“The horses were tired, some more than others, but all did finish well,” Prof. Jeffcott explained. All were taken to the cooling installations – cooling box and misting fans - which functioned very well. Most teams took care of their own horses but help was provided whenever necessary; it proved very efficient. At approximately 41°C, the body temperature of some of the horses was rather high upon arrival. They were monitored until it went down to 38-39°C, a proof that the cooling had worked well. Some horses needed rehydration and were administered fluids.

“All went extremely well,” Prof. Jeffcott pointed out.

The only serious injury was that of Keymaster ridden by Magnus Gallerdal (SWE). Upon arrival in the cooling box, the horse seemed well. Subsequently, lameness on the right was noticed and a strained tendon was suspected. Ice and a bandage were administered. A horse ambulance was offered but Keymaster could walk by himself to the stable where the leg was X-rayed. A hairline fracture – a very small sliver or crack – on the pastern bone was diagnosed, which is not an uncommon injury at this level of competition. The horse was given painkillers and a strong bandage to support the injured leg. It will be transported to the equine clinic of the Hong Kong Jockey Club tomorrow by ambulance and an operation will be performed. In the meantime, Keymaster is comfortable and the Swedish team vet is well satisfied with the care provided.

Where the riders are concerned, there were several falls, but no injuries at all have been reported.


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So good news, apart from Keymaster. I do remember him looking a bit dodgy at a couple.............he's in the right place tho', the vet facilities in HK are awesome.
 
AN fell in Athens too. I cannot remember the horse but wasn't it LK? Going too fast and downhill.

I played my Athens DVDs last week. David O'Connor did the expert commentary for the American broadcast. I was thankful he was busy coaching on cross country day and was missing. That man talked and talked and talked.

Brian O'Connor seems to be much better. He is the American voice I hear on the live stream this year. Do you get the same voices in the UK? We hear Mike Tucker as well.

Also I agree w Gonetofrance, Mike Tucker is just too much. I am so glad I have a mute button to play all the VCRs and DVDs I have bought since 2004--including the out of date Punchestown in 2003 with Nico, so young, winning gold.
 
Granfan, AN was on Fenicio in Athens. I had a look at the results, but I think it was an unseat as he only got a 65. Was he not one of the ones caught out near the end of the course over the pimple type fence?
The nasty fall was, I think, Expo du Moulin..............but I can't remember fully..........

Upsettingly, Mike Tucker is ubiquitous........
 
I am so glad that I watched it live. Thankfully I did not feel sleepy at work today!
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Mary was fantastic! I got emotional when she crossed the finish line. She really adores Cavvy, doesn't she?! We need more riders like her for sure. I hope they win an individual medal tomorrow. The other GB riders were great too. Good to see Kristina back on the team! Feel so sorry for Sharon, but hey, she will bounce back next year.

I am so pleased for Marius - he's a truly wonderful horse, who enjoys his job, and I enjoyed watching Toddy - he is still the master! Gutted that Lucinda and little Brit got alot of time penalties, though.

I got upset when Lord Killinghurst fell; he did not deserve that at all
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I am going to miss this wonderful horse. I was so angry with Andrew for not checking whether he was ok or not. He just got up and led him back to the box! He walked fast, didn't he? He can be so ruthless, unfortunately.
 
It was too much of a coincidence that so many top riders had a spate of problems at that fence all of a sudden. I wondered if the light at that time of day was so bright that they failed to see what they were jumping.

Or else, my pet theory (that is scoffed at by my more cynical friends, lol), that a horse can somehow leave a mark behind at a fence that the following horses sense and stop too...........
 
no, don't believe that one, sorry! that fence had caused a lot of head scratching and problems all day, the later riders had realised that they had a real chance of medals if they kept their foot to the floor, but the conditions were worsening and it was getting slippery etc, more tiring on the horses.
a fence like that on a tired horse is a very very big question, very clever course designing, 10/10 to M E-S.
 
Part of me is glad that Sharon didnt force her tired fella to take that brush on... it showed that she knew Jasper well enough to know it wasnt a naughty stop. She has, after all, been riding him for 10 years. He is not a stopper and to force him might have caused a fall...or worse.

Fair play to her. Maybe its a sign of a rider who knew when to let the horse have its say.
 
I'll gloss over the pet theory in this instance then...
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I need to see it again to know if I agree with you or not, so I can't comment .......... I'm amazed I even remembered it, to be fair!!!

Back to HK, did anyone see the horse at 29 that nearly went into the judges tent.......
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mrussell, i think she just didn't react fast enough tbh, if she'd corrected his drift in the middle he could have jumped it, he wasn't exhausted, i thought.
very very disappointing, but i think a lot of us could see it coming unfortunately, he was getting a bit strung out on the approach. gutting because her chance of an indiv medal went in a second.
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Well, we have watched it time and time again and you could see him just "die" in the middle. I dont think he was running out as he presented but had no impulsion. She turned the same circle as Mark Todd whereas the others had gone right around the back to represent so I think she thought extremely quickly, considering she was on a tired horse.
 
Managed to avoid all the olympic threads today as I taped xc last night, came home from work & watched it, it stopped just after Tina, so am watching highlights now, just want to see Sharon & Mary.

Am sooo glad AT came off, hope her horse is ok though. Very disappointed in AN, and WFP had me almost being sick
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but I do believe he apologised!!

Not sure what the leader board is at as I'm still watching highlights and my nice boss has given me the day off tomorrow so will stay up tonight and watch the SJ.
 
Am all caught up now. WOW Mary flew home. What a shame for Sharon. I think someone said this the other day but how fit do Team GB look? They are all super trim.

Well done to IRE for getting home and safely, I know their times weren't great but well done anyway.

I can't believe how much bad luck the French had.
 
From someone who saw it on French TV (and understood!)
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.............. watched the interview with Nicholas Touzaint after he withdrew, and the horse fell in his box during the night of the storm but the groom wasn't too worried as he was ok and he passed the vet's inspection later in the day but when he was being worked in Nicholas said he just didn't feel right and they decided to withdraw and are waiting for the scan results etc.

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Maybe the French do it differently, but I wasn't aware the responsibility for determining the soundness or capability of the horse was left up the groom????
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thought the brits rode brilliantly, though mr fox-pitt almost put me in a+e!!! Was horrified about AN. Discusting behauviour. He wouldn't even look at LK, let alone checking him over. Like it was the poor horseys fault! greed. The hitting over the horse after the last fence was dispicable. Also i can't remember which rider it was but they wouldn't get off the horses back because they were unfit. The poor horse was trying its heart out and it wasn't even given a helping hand. Also may i just say I LOVE MINERS FROLIC!!! wat a superstar. and of coarse little brit.
Luv Elle
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