So who honestly believes THEY could ride round Badminton or Burghley?

No way!

I am terrified at the thought of doing a Novice atm, besides some rather drastic resizing of my pony might be required ;)! I don't think I could have got round Burghley on any of those horses that were there, the open corners were huge and the road crossings - no thanks! Even with all the time, money and training in the world I wouldn't want to do it or be brave enough to either.
 
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DEFINITELY NOT!!!
confirmed by watching Nicola Malcolm fall off Mcfly at Burghley sunday..
also last time I get a good place to watch!! makes you remember how dangerous horse riding is :(
 
Well, I would!!
The Dressage would be rubbish, get many 0's and 1's, could push a 2 or a 3 if the judges have a 'blind' moment.
XC - it would be a very short course, jump the first, gallop a bit, look pro (lol) splash through the water, (I was so brilliant you missed me jump in!), gallop a bit more and jump the last - forget the rest! Even then I'd have to have a serious pep talk about 'riding it'.
SJ - take the back rails off the spreads, take the top poles off too - arhh, thats better. Now, remove the crowds and let me have a practice round first!
Good plan?

Mini Burghley should be on the cards now!!! lol
 
Hmmmm...now here is an interesting post! lol :p

Im surprised how many of you say no...!

If i had unlimited £££, training, support & help i would definatley have a bash at it!
Nothing beats the feeling of total exhileration of doing something that scares the living crap outta ya!

But....coming back down to earth...there is no way me and CJ could do that!! :D
 
I'd love to :p :D But I would never get round.

Maybe jumping just one or two of the fences rather than the whole course would be better ;) On a lovely scopey horse that helps you out :D
 
I'm sure I could do it in a golf cart, obviously just leaving the jumps to one side :D

I know this, even if my daughter had the money, horse, ability to do it, I couldn't watch her!
 
icz, i know Baydale's done quite a bit of Badders, and pulled up when her boy just didn't feel like his usual self... he was found to have a virus. Terrible timing, but a very good decision from her, especially with the adrenalin running, the pressure, etc etc.
in case anyone is convinced i'm totally fruitbat delusional, my grey really was super-special, soo talented, so brave and scopey. She romped round Bonn-Rodderberg (apart from falling on the flat, 100% numpty on top's fault) as if it was an Intermediate and I really thought, when I walked Burghley properly in 1999, that we'd be doing it in 2000. I walked it seriously, analytically, as if I was going to have to ride it, and there were only about 4 fences/combos that I was really concerned about.
Of course, that wasn't the same as having to ride it though!
I'd still totally love a crack at it - just need the horse, the luck, the back-up team, the money, the training, the talent... yeah, right. Probably more likely to win the lottery.
 
No! having got as far as Novice before, this actually made me appreciate the sheer technicality of some of these fences. Of course there are some 4* fences that are "straightforward" but unfortunately, these tend to be at the very beginning and end". I could cope with a large spread with a good horse because that is "just" riding in a rhythm, but shortening, positioning at speed over that size? I am aware of my riding limits AND the effort/time (try years) that would be needed to bring me upto that standard!
 
been round burghley about 6 times now - on foot :D
have found myself looking at them thinking wow what a feeling you would get ,one of my life regrets is not jacking in school and going straight to work at an event yard ,if i knew then what i knew now eh !

i now consider myself lucky to have a horse to have a go at 90 ;)

but if i had marius voit logistc to take me round and won the lottery so i didn't have to work i would have a go but don't think i would be good enough :(

my instructor has been round both a few times and has an element of insanity about her so i'm thinking you may have to be very slightly mad and i'm far too sane ;) :D
 
I always think if you have a dream and you work heard enough then why not aim for its dosent matter how unrealistic people may say it is at the end of the day if you have tried to reach you dream and not suceeded then at least you have tried un like those who say they have dreams and expect them to happen by sitting on their ass.

I dont know how good my girl and I will be as we progress up through the levels or even if we will be good enough to progrees and gain points but we will give it a bloody good go.

And im not being an air head just sometimes if you dont try you dont get if we are no good then atleast I tried.

Although WOW!!!! It would be imence
 
I shouldn't really speak for Rosie but I'm going to. I believe she could do it - not right now but at some point in the future. She's pretty damned determined and thrives on hard work. She'd need a lot more training and support from those who know what they're doing though and if she did it on Bertie he'd probably get a cricket score in the SJ and the dressage would be problematic. I can also state categorically that there is no way I (or her Mum) could watch her - we have to hide in the lorry when she does Int/2*.

Footnote - I have to say this because if you tell Rosie she can't do something, she'll keep on and on until she's done it. :rolleyes:
 
Thats where I'm aiming for!! :D :D I'm never going to be able to buy a read-made 4* horse or even a lower level ready - made horse! I am going to have to work hard! Buying youngsters bringing them on and selling them to finally one day be able to get that 4* horse and get round Badminton or Burghley..or any 4*!!

*going to sound really big headed*
Yes I think my dressage will be good enough to do that test (my trainer is more dressage than anything else and has ridden to PSG, so my dressage is pretty solid and I have been learning higher movements than they do in the tests!), I would definatly do the SJ round (ok with a bit of practice but the height doesn't worry me or the technicality of it!), and when I go XC ( ok they aren't that big...but I always want to jump bigger and bigger... and the ditches and drops don't scare me!)...!!

So yes I would ride round a 4*, I have the guts and (imo and most people's I know :o) the talent, just not the horse power and the money to do it just yet! I WILL ride round a 4* one day and I will have worked damn hard to get there :D :D

Oh and my comment at Badminton jumps this year "I thought that they would be bigger" :o :o :o !!! I had never walked round the XC course!! :p


ETS: Of course I need a lot more training before I would be ready to do it, but I believe with hard work and determination I can do it!! :)
 
I have ridden a badminton bound horse (who I think only got 3* and hd to withdraw from badminton). He was nearly 20 when I rode him xc schooling with a top instructor, it wass her horse.
To be honest I had no control whatsoever. We approached a coffin combo flat out (or what seems to me but probs Advanced pace) and it was quite scary actually. The horse obviously jumped the fence perfectly, though it felt like I was just hanging on! And I do ride pointers so I am used to strong horses, but that much pace into that fence was terrifying!
I think on a compelate schoolmaster, i *might * manage the first and last fence if you miss out the rest! :D
 
Badminton or Burghley? :eek: Aintree?...... just tell me when to turn up! :D :p

Seriously, thinking of people like Chatter1 and several others with the same story, and given a horse from Novice onwards so that by the time you got to the top you knew one another inside out I don't think it's unrealistic to get to 3*. Personally for me I don't think the drive is there, 2* will be plenty, but if you break it down into one small step at a time and factor in a lot of training and self-discipline then I'd maybe consider 3*. Then hope the horse was a bit stiff on the Sunday morning so I didn't have to show-jump!!! ;)
 
Aaah dominobrown, thank you for that, that is what I am getting at, to ride round a course of those type of fences at that speed which is pdq is a whole different ball game!
It might sound like a cop-out, but at least with pointing there is a margin of error and the fences are horse, rider and speed friendly!
And like you say schoolmasters are usually canny old buggers!
 
Baggybreeches said:
Aaa
And like you say schoolmasters are usually canny old buggers!
Click to expand...

And I've ridden several horses who were destined for/had been to the Olympics etc. and most of them felt like nothing very special! (though they probably thought the same about me :p).
 
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I walked the course at Blair and the 3* were absolutely massive. Some of the ditches and drops just looked terrifying. So no, I could never in a million yrs do a 4*. Having said that some of the 1* fences at Blair looked really nice so that might be fun on a fabulous schoolmaster! Is it likely to happen.....No. Unless I come into a LOT of money!
 
So many years ago, back before time began (i.e. before the internet and mobile phones were invented ;)), then, with all the training, etc., I'd have given it a damn good go :). No idea if I would have got past the first couple, but I was brave enough (or certifiable enough lol) back then to go for it.

Now....? Well.... maybe Dizz has it in her, she was bred for such things, but me? I think I have the guts still, but I don't have the fitness, capability, skill, etc. etc. etc., so will have to continue to watch from the sidelines and day dream :D

Ah, for all that youth offers :cool::rolleyes:
 
I think with training, time and a decent horse i could... i dont for a minute think i would be placed, but if i was to get a good horse, and had the help to bring it up through the grades i think it would be possible.
Id like a 16.2 version of my welsh ive just had pts, he was so nimble, quick thinking and bold xc, he was as straight as a die. At his last event i dislocated my thumb, but he carried on, and jumped a double, on quite an acute angle with me holding the buckle of the reins in one hand, i had no real influence, but he locked on and jumped it for me. i would have trusted him to get me round burghley (if he were bigger, at 14.2 it may have been physically impossible)
 
Always liked to think that if I had the right horse, training, etc etc then I would but then every time I go and watch at one of the 4* events I realise this is a stupid fantasy!! Those guys are amazing!! However.......If I didn't walk the course and you put a pack of hounds and a huntsman infront of me, and a sloe gin in my hand I reckon Id give it a go!!!! ;) Hunting seems to bring the daring side out of me!!!
 
nope, nada, no way! i am far too much of a wuss... :eek: i would LOVE to do a 1* but beyond that i have no ambition whatsoever. i know that i am just not naturally talented enough- i could have a lesson with mark todd twice a day for the next ten years and i would still be a muppet who missed at a fence.... (and then...lets face it, my crap riding would be being slagged off on here...and i'm too thin skinned for that ;) :D )
 
In THEORY I'd love to but in reality I would be totally terrified and petrified. I think my section d x tb would give the jumps a damn good try even at 15hh (but hey if Phoebe Buckley's mare can do it :) ) I love the jumps but would only jump them at a fraction of the height- like 3ft max- even that's generous! If i had the opportunity I'd love to jump the course, but only after removing the top third of the jumps :D!
 
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