Rotterdam Nations Cup

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SJFAN

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Both rounds of this afternoon's Nations Cup will be streamed live on www.feitv.org. Competition starts at 1.30. GB drawn 5th. Interesting change to regular order - Nick usually goes 1st:
Insul Tech Wonami Van Den Aard WHITAKER Michael
MA/10/BWP/grey/Bon Ami//
F. Schreiber & M Whitaker
Rosinus BILLINGTON Geoff
GD/11/KWPN/bay/Lancelot//
Patricia Fraser, Geoff Billington
Nemo 119 SKELTON Nick
GD/10//
dbay//
/
Mrs B Widdowson
Vangelis S SMITH Robert
GD/11/BWP/bay/Nonstop//
Sharon Baldwin, Shelley Redbart
 
too interesting maybe? I see we have been well beat, I shall wait for sjfan to give us the details but it looked like it was very close amongst the top teams, well done to the french still my tip for the team to beat at windsor .
 
It certainly looks like it was tricky. Only Jessica Kürten on Quibell went double clear. I looked at the course plan and it looked quite simple on paper!
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I see that the average of our team was 50 (and a half). Not sure that's really building for the future.
tongue.gif
 
Sorry to be slow to reply - having spent the afternoon watching the event, I had to do some jobs! It was a very close-fought competition. Ireland had a really good chance of winning until the 3rd riders went. There were a few surprises, including Marcus Ehning in the 1st round, hitting a couple of fences then stopping in the treble (he nearly came off). For GB Michael had the 2nd fence (oxer) down in both rounds, Geoff had 3 verticals down, and went a lot better in the 2nd when he had the 1st part of the treble down - an oxer which was the bogey fence of the class, Nick had 2 verticals, and a different fence in the 2nd, while Robert for whom the scopey but inconsistent Vangelis S went so well in the 1st had the same fence as Nick and the A of the treble.
I don't envy Derek's task picking the team for the European Champs. For me the obvious 3 are Ben, John and Peter. It's the 4th and reserve places that are the tricky ones.
 
did the french and the usa have to jump off? when i got home it was nearly all done according to the scoreboard and if they did who did?
 
The age thing is a problem. With the new format for the Super League series, they are only allowed to send 4 riders to the show instead of the traditional 5 (often used to be 6 years ago) - La Baule was an exception as the show was happy to accommodate the extra riders - so Derek (and other team managers) are unable to give as many other riders & horses needing more experience the chance. Derek is using the series as selection trials for the Europeans and sadly there are not too many much younger candidates. Ben & Robin Hood W must surely have already been selected.
 
Surely though this new rule regarding how many members can go is very recent. I actually thought it was in last couple of weeks. (But of course will apologise if I am wrong) On this basis what was the excuse before this rule. We have always had the same old same old. Old being the operative word LOL
 
Not sire about eurosport but the rotterdam web site is showing all the other classes JC.
and the rule re amount of riders came in with the new format this year. I believe they will be testing out a couple more younger riders in Falsterbro (sp?) e.g. Gemma paternoster, charlotte platt, I am sure there will be others.
 
Charlotte Platt of course was successful in the Hickstead team last July, and remember she was named on the La Baule team, only to be replaced by Guy Willimas because her horse was feeling sore. The mare needed a rest after that. The "oldies" are still at the top of their game, and it's hard to know who of the younger generation apart from Ben could be picked at the moment. As you know it's a big step up from Area Trial and CSI 3* level to technical 1.60m tracks. Will Whitaker hasn't got a horse ready for this level right now. Rob W does not want Lecroix considered for the Europeans. Ellen with Ocolado is a possibility as there's no sign of Locarno at present. Tim G hasn't been jumping Omelli yet. Another "oldie", Tim S has Corlato back in action now so is another possibility for the European team. Doubtless Derek would be delighted if you could point him in the direction of suitable candidates! I certainly wish there were more at present.
 
But that is my whole point SJFAN This has gone on for years now. In the days when Michael & John was in their late teenage years they was allowed to get out there & have a go. These days it is not possible. I am not suggesting for Super league stuff but there are plenty of other 2, 3 &4 * events that could give up & coming riders the experience needed. Then maybe just maybe owners would be more inclined to send horses to the lesser known riders if they could get in at some good shows. Believe me trying to get an authorisation these days is a nightmare. Until this changes Derek will not have any one else to choose from in the next 3 years. I actually believe that is how the old school like it.
 
Too true, but the fact is of course that horses with both the scope and temperament for Championships are rare beasts, take several years to produce, and come with a huge price tag (can't blame Will Funnell for accepting big offer for Billy Birr). Will W has a nice ride in Clark 12 but he's quite inexperienced for a 10-year-old.
Ideally YRs should go with very experienced ones who can mentor them. As for the YRs being given in a chance in the smaller CSIOs, Gemma Paternoster and Gemma Plumley were in the team for Lummen; Sophie Tobin was in the team for Lisbon, along with Laura Renwick, Graham Lovegrove and Rob Whitaker. The team for Linz was not so young, but gave experience to the up-and coming horses: Rosinus for Geoff, Master Cruise for Di, Sefana for Ellen along with the established pair of Helen and Opportunity B. The latter are an example of a combination of remarkable consistency at Area Trial level, who have repeatedly gained qualifying places for HOYS and the British Open, but have yet to succeed at the 1.55 level. There are actually more international shows in Europe for riders to go to than there were when John, Michael, Nick, Graham Fletcher, Tony Newbery etc were in their late teens and early 20s. Howver, competing both in the UK and overseas is more expensive than it used to be. If the sport had the same sort of financial assistance that some other nations do, it would be possible to fund more people needing overseas experience, but it's hard to see that happening soon if ever.
Other riders have made the breakthrough to Championship teams e.g. Alison Bradley, Mark Armstrong, Warren Clarke (picked for WEG 1994 but injured his leg and was replaced by Kelly Brown).
 
It is a shame that they have had to drop the '5th' person as this was sometimes the only way that horses and riders got the experience and a chance to get to the bigger shows and demonstrate the potential. I have been with riders when they have got the call to be 'reserve' when other names have dropped out which has made a huge difference and boosts confidence. It is going to be very difficult to break into the teams and I cannot see the top 10 rankings change for a very long time and I can see a few riders changing nationality to try and get into teams. The people in the teams will fight to go as this is the only way to make money and there is no way the riders, or even shows, can afford to have a rider who will be there for 'mentoring' as in the past.

As each month goes by you see more a more sports fragmenting into different leagues due to finances (premier league, motor racing etc) and showjumping at the top end is becoming very elitist and closed shop and divisions are becoming wider. It used to be trying to break into the top 10 now it is going to be breaking into the top 8. Due to the overheads involved with horses, many people are now looking at reality of continuing in the sport. I see professional riders now being very selective in what shows they go to. Some are even giving up. People cannot afford £400 for a show to win £100 and that is excluding their time. It is impossible to produce a horse in this country unless you are extremly wealthy.

The sport, especially in the UK should have looked at the writting on the wall years ago but they sat on their laurels looking back instead of looking forward and are are now paying the price for not being proactive.

I think we will all soon be walking down memory lane as the future for the sport is looking very bleak.
 
The writing on the wall was so many years ago I suspect that sitting on there laurels has now become a very thorny crown! It's all well & good complaining about we 'now' can not take a 5th member & have a senior mentor, GB have never really done that consistently ever. Unlike the German team & many others. It is time we stopped making allowances for mistakes made over many years by the powers that be.
 
I think you need to disband the BSJA and start again tbh. Any governing body that doesn't have the respect and goodwill of its members is on a hiding to nothing imo.
 
Just seen the team for Aachen next week, the biggest of all events. Gemma Plumley has her first chance at Super League level, the other team members being Geoff Billington, Peter Charles and Michael Whitaker.
 
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