Puissance

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SJFAN

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Look at tonight's start list at the British Open. Had it not been thrown open to riders/horses not otherwise at the show they'd have been down to 7 starters - not I think likely to be a great crowd-pleaser. I'm baffled as to why GB show organisers still insist that Puissance night is the real crowd-puller - surely it's just that it's held on Friday or Sat nights, which are traditionally the mos popular for people to go out. The class has declined in popularity throughout Europe, and a lot of overseas shows also invite riders not at the show, and run it late at night.
 
well I am not going to night. I have seen a few on the continent with five or six starters, there arent enough of these classes with decent prize money i think to attrach the sort of specialists they once used to.
 
Puissance is not one of my favourites. I preferred it when it was over the sloping poles or bareback.
 
I think the puissance is good fun. My non horsey Mother and VERY non-horsey step-dad always get into it when we watch the Olympia one on TV.

On another note - ive just seen that William and Ellen have come joint first again - William with 2 horses!
 
I went last night and the Puissance was brilliant!! Lots of starters and it was really exciting. Witnessed some fantastic riding, definitely a crowd pleaser!!!!
 
I am glad to hear that it was a good class. William certainly has what's needed i.e. excellent judgement of the last few strides to two huge jumps, and confidence in his horse/s. And Ellen's horse is one of the relatively few specialists around at the moment. However, 12 starters cannot be called lots in my opinion!
 
I was totally put off it last year when two whitakers came first and second, and so split the prize money?! Is THAT what competition is now about?? Why don't all the golf masters, tennis champs and to finish it off football clubs decide to just halve the totall winnings.

Load of ***** really. There's no sport left in it.
 
I've been to the British Open (final day) for the past two years but declined this year. The price of the tickets is too much in my opinion. If they reduced the price they would get more bums on seats and there wud be more atmosphere! Trade stands are pants, the food on offer is pants, tickets are too expensive. Think the organisers need to have a re-think! Only 12 starters in the Puissance is bad too. Not everyone qualifies to to go to the comp but I'm sure there must be some Puissance people who given the opportunity would gladly enter. Riders who qualify should make more of an effort in some classes!
 
Last year it wasn't a Whitaker first and second, William won with Leonardo and Dale Burnham was second with Cointreau Z, both made the last round but Dale had it down.
Sorry, but I have to disagree about the number of starters. I think it was a nice number, given that it nearly always goes to five rounds these days. Last year there were about 30 starters and nearly all went clear in the first round, it just dragged on far too long.
I was at Birmingham on Friday and thought the puissance was the best class of the day.
However, puissance walls very rarely get about 7' 2" these days. I'd like to see a course builder put it up higher in the last two rounds than seems to be the normal nowadays. I'd really like to see someone have a go at the world record. Is it Frankee Sloothak who holds it still?
Anyway, well done to William and Ellen, they must have velcro on their jods!
 
Sometimes people havve to stick horses in the classes like the puissance as this is the only to get to some of the better shows to give the horses the experience and pick up a bit of price money.
My horse has jumped 2.20m easily and has won puissances and we would like to have a crack at a record at some stage as he is arrogant enought to do it. Apparently he was declined an entry for the BO.

i would like to see them a bit like a pole vault competition where you can opt in at different hights as by the end of the 5 rounds some are off the boil and jumping less than 2 metres is using up energy, with the triple bar used as an optional practice fence (which I think they used to do).
 
I agree with Outinthesticks, thought the number of starters was just right as they nearly all went clear first round, any more and it would've just dragged on too long. The crowd were buzzing so I really don't think the 'entertainment factor' has diminished at all - the way that wall swayed after William's final jump it was just unbelievable it managed to stay up!
 
I was in Birmingham and it was a geat night. My very non horsey brother loved it (believe me that is quite something.) I think that there was just the right amount of starters as anymore and it would have dragged on for too long. It was a great night with lots of spectacular jumping. Huge well done to Ellen and William
 
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