The thread of all Olympic Threads

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NinjaPony

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You shouldn’t need huge aids for flying changes, and particularly not at this level given they are meant to be the best of the best. Not everyone will manage it but the marks for the changes should reflect that, with really obvious swingy legs getting marked down.

The first time I cantered this PRE we did about 11 two time changes in a row, having barely ever risen one before. I was cantering around doing changes asking ‘how do I canter normally?!’ and the answer was of course that I was moving my seat side to side and accidentally giving him the aid. In the end by sitting up straight and holding the outside leg behind the girth I managed to get some normal cantering and some deliberate changes but it was a real eye opener.
 
LEC

LEC

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Burnttoast said:
Also quite interesting that you distinguish between 'purity' of training and what's required for competition. I guess we do all accept that competitive dressage ceased to be anything other than quite grubby a long while back, though.
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I do low level dressage but training and competing are different… training I have all the time in the world and can work on minute detail. Competition sometimes you are patching over small holes… I think it’s a fair description rather than grubby.
 
Burnttoast

Burnttoast

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LEC said:
I do low level dressage but training and competing are different… training I have all the time in the world and can work on minute detail. Competition sometimes you are patching over small holes… I think it’s a fair description rather than grubby.
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Agree, I'm not denying training and competing are different (though I tended to freeze rather than compensate in any other way when things didn't go quite to plan which might explain my uselessness as a competitive rider!), but you do see this apparent over-aiding in e.g. training videos as well, and this is supposed to be the creme de la creme here, highly experienced and skilled riders who have excellent communication with their horses. I might be wrong, but I do think at least some of these very obvious aids are a way of compensating for/getting through the very loud hand aids which are so often seen.
 
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Fieldlife

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LEC said:
I do low level dressage but training and competing are different… training I have all the time in the world and can work on minute detail. Competition sometimes you are patching over small holes… I think it’s a fair description rather than grubby.
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100% in a test you have to go on the marker and make do with what you have. Schooling you can wait until you and the horse are ready. There is a lot more tension to defuse in both horse and rider due to the precision of test riding and the need to be on the marker and do all the moves immediately one after the other.

Competing is meant to be the true test of training. It is always I think going to be more tense and less fluid and artful be training. Good training should be improving the fluidity of test riding.

I also think sometimes when horses (and riders) are tense in big atmospheres, a tense horse can block aids and need more extreme aids to achieve the movements.

Anyone who schools regularly and competes knows the difference in quality they can get at home / in a lesson and the quality they typically achieve in a test. It is several levels lower for the vast majority of horses and riders.
 
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teapot

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LEC said:
I do low level dressage but training and competing are different… training I have all the time in the world and can work on minute detail. Competition sometimes you are patching over small holes… I think it’s a fair description rather than grubby.
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There’s patching over holes in a BD Elementary, and then there’s patching over holes at the world/top level stage though. Chalk and cheese in some ways.

You wouldn’t want to be patching over holes on a 5* event horse - the risk is too great, why should top level dressage be any different? All the training time should in theory be reflected in the competition too as you’re at the constantly refining stage, not teaching horses to change or half pass for the first time. An old boss of mine who’s a List 3 judge would come back from a morning’s judging commenting on being able to spot a mile off the people not doing good enough homework (both at BD and BE).

Obviously any top horse could have a bad day and it becomes damage control, but patching the gaps at top level, I’m not so sure, especially again if it doesn’t look as good as it should. Thankfully the general public don’t see what goes on at your local BD venue, but they do see the Olympics.
 
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Squeak

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Tiddlypom said:
This begs the question as to whether it is, in fact, ethical to compete with horses rather than just to train them.
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I think there could be an argument that competing can make people more aware of their riding and highlights any training flaws and encourages people to improve. Obviously this is not the case for all though...
 
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Miss_Millie

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teddy_ said:
Adrienne Lyle for the US (there’s over 15 images of this horse in this position of hyperflexion, in today’s test, doing the rounds):

View attachment 143833

I personally thought the magnificent TSF Dalera BB was wonderful, as always 🥰💞.
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How can anyone think that this kind of neck looks good? 🤢
 
SaddlePsych'D

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splashgirl45 said:
I might catch a bit of the show jumping but just as people are criticising dressage I find the height and width of the jumps very uncomfortable to watch and then add in the load of contraptions on many of them as well I may not watch much
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I feel similarly about SJ, will be a bit like with the dressage - looking for the nuggets of loveliness among some hard to watch.
 
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U.N.Owen

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teddy_ said:
Adrienne Lyle for the US (there’s over 15 images of this horse in this position of hyperflexion, in today’s test, doing the rounds):

View attachment 143833

I personally thought the magnificent TSF Dalera BB was wonderful, as always 🥰💞.
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To be fair she has only recently acquired this horse, bought as a fully trained grand Prix horse from Europe. So the foundation training isn't hers https://www.eurodressage.com/2024/0...two-paris-olympic-hopefuls-adrienne-lyle-ride

I also thought Dalera was amazing in real life.
 
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Fieldlife

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teapot said:
There’s patching over holes in a BD Elementary, and then there’s patching over holes at the world/top level stage though. Chalk and cheese in some ways.

You wouldn’t want to be patching over holes on a 5* event horse - the risk is too great, why should top level dressage be any different? All the training time should in theory be reflected in the competition too as you’re at the constantly refining stage, not teaching horses to change or half pass for the first time. An old boss of mine who’s a List 3 judge would come back from a morning’s judging commenting on being able to spot a mile off the people not doing good enough homework (both at BD and BE).

Obviously any top horse could have a bad day and it becomes damage control, but patching the gaps at top level, I’m not so sure, especially again if it doesn’t look as good as it should. Thankfully the general public don’t see what goes on at your local BD venue, but they do see the Olympics.
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It’s not necessarily holes though. If a horse and rider are relaxed and horse is through back can potentially do all the moves correctly at home. Add tension in competition and some will struggle and then show gaps. Competing is harder.

Poor work shown in competition doesn’t necessarily mean the horse and rider aren’t technically capable of doing requirements.

Haven’t most dressage riders doing medium upwards (where have to sit trot) had the nightmare of horse tense and tighten through back in test atmosphere. Eg at flowerpots etc Not because can’t do moves but just external tension making it all uglier to keep together.
 
teddy_

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