Pentathlon anybody? Showjumping schedule...

the korean rider had a nice round, she's maybe holding the horse a bit too much but it looks like it's another strong one as well.
she didn't look the most stylish, but was able to maintain her seat and kept a good rhythm
 
Mexican girl really just needs to put her leg on, she's getting horrible sticky jumps from what looks to be a very honest horse who's carrying her round.

I'm guessing she's not much of a rider, and is just getting her canter and then aiming the horse at fences and hoping they'll clear them.
 
I do wonder if the riders who are the second riders of the horses are at a disadvantage if the horse has had refusals/falls with their first riders.
 
Kate had a lovely round. Shame our second GB rider's horse was a bit lazy behind over those spreads.

One just gone looked terrifying over the final double, good horse to jump the second part with that much yanking!
 
Harry Potter looked like one of those the less hand you use the better - all on leg and seat with odd checks round corners. Really lovely.

Yes that chestnut was taking her round the course, what a genuine horse to put up with her - no leg at all and absolutely no support whatsoever.

Irish rider looks solid.

I can't get over how many of them had toes jammed down, flappy lower legs and looked so unbalanced - if I was teaching any of them they would not be going anywhere near a jump!
 
Kylara said:
Kate had a lovely round. Shame our second GB rider's horse was a bit lazy behind over those spreads.

One just gone looked terrifying over the final double, good horse to jump the second part with that much yanking!
Click to expand...

I was pleasantly surprised, given that the other American rider was her sister and looked to be much more of a rider.

Irish girl has had a nice clear round, and her hair isn't flapping down her back! Maybe not the most stylish, but she looked like she's been one of the best so far along with the riders from GB.
 
Shame about that elimination, horse went so well for first rider (until it didn't) and obviously confidence heavily damaged - she rode it well, but it was balking a good 3/4 strides out. I think if she'd ridden first she would have gotten around fine.
 
Actual lameness I think rather than loss of confidence unfortunately - you have to hope you get a competent rider on the horse before you otherwise you're stuffed
 
After watching the women's showjumping round today I can safely say this is one sport I will not be revisiting as a viewer. There were a handful of sympathetic riders but equestrianism to me is all about the partnership between horse and rider and not about bombing around on an unknown horse without setting it up properly to fences. I am aware they only have twenty minutes and five practise jumps to aquaint themselves with the horse drawn but I wonder where concern for the horse comes into this sport?

On top the commentary was awful. One honest horse was described as "dour" for what reason? And the horses consistently kept getting the blame for the results of poor riding.

If this is the Olympic standard I do not want to think about what goes on in the lower levels of pentathlon.
 
I watched a bit of it in 2012 and was so horrified I haven't looked this time. Is there a way to influence this? BHS? Olympic committee? UK modern pentathlon people? Surely they could either bring their own horses or change the equestrianism to some other sport that didn't need an animal to be badly handled as part of it?
 
soloequestrian said:
Surely they could either bring their own horses
Click to expand...

That's not what the sport is about - it's about proving you can ride an unknown horse, which ultimately is one of the toughest tests any rider can do. It's why some riding school riders do far better at uni competitions than those who only ride their own.

I didn't think tonight was too bad tbf, ie I've seen worse at various places. Those horses knew exactly what they were doing and showed up those who weren't giving enough with their hand, not using their leg enough or on a duff stride.

As for 'badly handled', if you want to start heading down that route, go watch some of the jumping rounds from earlier on in the week! Heck Meredith MB had a duff stride this afternoon, got left behind and came through a 1m60 oxer...
 
Last edited:
And as others mentioned before me; that fall where the rider held onto the reins and yanked the horse's head was awful. Am I to understand a sport that relies on animals has rules in place (time taken up by a fall and remounting) that directly interfer with the animals' welfare following an incident on course?!
 
I didn't watch this evening but does the time allowed end up quite tight? I can never tell if that is why they go so fast, or whether because they go so fast they take the longest lines possible to everything.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top