The thread of all Olympic Threads

[SaddlePsych'D]

The mind boggles. It was, however, deemed good enough to score 72.5% .

She was yesterday. It was grim. I was thrilled when Becky scored higher!

I did wonder about the USA horse today; something happened on their final centre line and the horse seemed to hop on three legs for a few moments. Couldn't settle into the halt and then it was like it was a computer crashed, stuck in passage despite the reins having been loosened, all the way out. It did not seem happy at all.

I actually thought that Carl Hester's horse (Fame) was very tight and compressed in the neck. I do know that this is where the tension can really show on some of the more hot/sensitive/fine horses. I just found it interesting that it wasn't mentioned here, but maybe it's just my perception.

I think I wrote that I didn't love his test but didn't articulate why. This was basically it though.

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.

That doesn't explain/excuse the marking of the test.

 

[shortstuff99]

I also thought Dalera did a great test (and I'm not usually the horses biggest fan).

I also thought IW did a good job of keeping Wendy as relaxed as she could. Which also surprises as I'm also not usually a fan

 

[teapot]

Kevin Staut is out of the French sj team - horse didn’t pass trot up!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Are there any sort of tack checks or even much in the way of prohibited tack in SJ?

There are in dressage and eventing, albeit you do sometimes wonder about how it’s fitted.

 

[YourValentine]

Kevin Staut is out of the French sj team - horse didn’t pass trot up!

Oh dear! Can they call up a reserve like in eventing?

 

[teapot]

Oh dear! Can they call up a reserve like in eventing?

They certainly can. H&H alluding to fact he could compete in the Individual if horse is right, as it's a seperate competition? Not sure if that's right or not.

 

[YourValentine]

They certainly can. H&H alluding to fact he could compete in the Individual if horse is right, as it's a seperate competition? Not sure if that's right or not.

That sounds very odd, surely if it's failed the vet, it's failed the vet

 

[daffy44]

I think its appalling that Helix scored so highly, but I would like to reserve judgement on the rider, as her previous horse, trained by her, did not go like Helix, so at the moment she is still riding someone elses training.

 

[teapot]

Might try and dip in and out the sj (not seen a dressage horse) as it's first day of team competition sj wise, no start list and times published as yet.


However the dressage start list for Saturday with a 9am UK start time has been published: https://olympics.com/OG2024/pdf/OG2024/EQU/OG2024_EQU_C51(D)B_EQUODRESTEAM----------GPSP000100--.pdf

Substract an hour if you want to work out times, Team GB as follows (caveat of they may well change as it's three days away):

Becky M at 10.10am
Carl at 12.05pm
Lottie at 2.05pm

Top 18 go through to the GP Freestyle on Sunday.

 

[94lunagem]

Thank you @teapot !

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Might try and dip in and out the sj (not seen a dressage horse) as it's first day of team competition sj wise, no start list and times published as yet.


However the dressage start list for Saturday has been published: https://olympics.com/OG2024/pdf/OG2024/EQU/OG2024_EQU_C51(D)B_EQUODRESTEAM----------GPSP000100--.pdf

Substract an hour if you want to work out times, Team GB as follows (caveat of they may well change as it's three days away):

Becky M at 10.10am
Carl at 12.05pm
Lottie at 2.05pm

Ooh yay I'll have time to see Becky before I have to go do stuff!

Thank you for sharing all the info here, it's been so helpful and very appreciated

 

[teapot]

That sounds very odd, surely if it's failed the vet, it's failed the vet

Looks like there IS an individual sj horse trot up pre competition so maybe H&H is right?

 

[Burnttoast]

I didn't see this one but it sounds like the same old story marks-wise. What did people think of this combination?

Milestone Equestrian

French rider Pottier rode a test with his horse’s poll at the highest point for a lot of it and on or ahead of the vertical for most of it. Horse walked with a low head and neck, relaxed, on a loose...

www.facebook.com

 

[piebaldproblems]

I didn't see this one but it sounds like the same old story marks-wise. What did people think of this combination?

Milestone Equestrian

French rider Pottier rode a test with his horse’s poll at the highest point for a lot of it and on or ahead of the vertical for most of it. Horse walked with a low head and neck, relaxed, on a loose...

www.facebook.com

I might be misremembering but what I do remember is that the horse was on the vertical but the overall frame frequently looked quite tight. Frame also didn’t open up in the extended trot and canter. Didn’t sit in the piaffe. But the mouth was settled and not full of froth, and the tail was quite still but did start swishing in the tempis and in some of the passage if I remember right.

I wouldn’t say it was the most harmonious test and I don’t remember being particularly disappointed by the final mark.

Most horses looked nice in the walk and walked off freely so I don’t know why she’s using that as a point.

 

[TheOldTrout]

Just watching Olympics on BBC now, is it my imagination or does Clare B not look well?

 

[RachelFerd]

Well this really is a lovely interview - https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/fea...LrGZLi9tvmbdRiocY8_aem_xg5DXs01TcJiPp31puizfA

 

[Apercrumbie]

Never afraid to call it out - love Lucinda - the only one with enough cajones to call out Olly Townend

I somehow missed this incident (was I away for Badminton or something?) but googled to find a video. Found one on tiktok - that riding id absolutely shocking, it's a miracle neither horse nor rider were killed frankly, and I was delighted to hear Lucinda Green's comments. For once someone high up in the sport saying it like it is.

Very envious for viewers with her commentating, do share any gems of her wisdom if you have time!

 

[YourValentine]

Well this really is a lovely interview - https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/fea...LrGZLi9tvmbdRiocY8_aem_xg5DXs01TcJiPp31puizfA

That's a lovely interview! And I'm really disappointed he didn't qualify for the freestyle. I always think the 1 nation riders should get instant qualification if they score above the median score, or something.

 

[Apercrumbie]

Well this really is a lovely interview - https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/fea...LrGZLi9tvmbdRiocY8_aem_xg5DXs01TcJiPp31puizfA

Gorgeous, what a great story! Such a shame that they haven't qualified, I'd love to see them more.

 

[Apercrumbie]

That's a lovely interview! And I'm really disappointed he didn't qualify for the freestyle. I always think the 1 nation riders should get instant qualification if they score above the median score, or something.

This might be a silly question but do we actually need qualifiers? Could they not all just do their tests and then that's the competition?

 

[teapot]

Thursday team show jumping qualifier start list, 10am UK start time https://olympics.com/OG2024/pdf/OG2024/EQU/OG2024_EQU_C51(S)B_EQUOJUMPTEAM----------QUAL000100--.pdf

Three to a team, all scores count, top ten teams qualify for Friday

 

[myheartinahoofbeat]

Just watching Olympics on BBC now, is it my imagination or does Clare B not look well?

She sounds like she’s losing her voice. Hubby thought she’d put on a lot of weight

 

[Miss_Millie]

Well this really is a lovely interview - https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/fea...LrGZLi9tvmbdRiocY8_aem_xg5DXs01TcJiPp31puizfA

That's so lovely, you can tell how much he truly loves his care and care for his welfare:

“When he’s at a venue, like here in Versailles, he’s fine, because he expects his ‘dad’ to spend 24/7 with him. I hand-graze him every two hours for an hour. It’s a lot to do but if he’s happy that way, my goal as an owner is to keep him happy. If he decides tomorrow he never wants to be a riding horse again, I’m going to respect that decision and never compete him again."

I'm guessing that there's no turnout for the horses at the Olympics then if he has to graze in-hand? Sounds very dedicated to the wellbeing of his animal. Reading this has made my evening, how refreshing. Thank you for sharing

 

[misst]

She sounds like she’s losing her voice. Hubby thought she’d put on a lot of weight

She had thyroid cancer a few years ago so likely related to that re weight and poss voice change?

 

[LadyGascoyne]

What on earth happened with other American horse, Steffen Peter’s horse?

I’ve seen brief clips where it looks absolutely broken legged lame. Surely that must be really odd footage? I missed the test.

 

[Orangehorse]

With you on this. It was never made public what the fallout was with MSJ and CJD over Freestyle. It seemed to happen after the blood incident and choosing Gio for the Olympics. Strange, she will obviously be competed until her nerves get the better of her but she does seem to be very fragile, mentally.

No, I wondered about that. Nothing was ever reported, but I don't move in circles where it would have been discussed.

 

[Orangehorse]

I didn't see every test. I liked the French horse's test, it certainly did look lighter than many, although there were some mistakes.

Overall there seemed to be a lot of tail swishing, which I thought was very undesirable, but it didn't seem to affect the marks. Some of the piaffes weren't good, with horses stepping their hind legs higher than the front legs.

I'm quite surprised that the Americans aren't higher placed in dressage in international competition. They certainly haven't had a good time this Olympics.

 

[Orangehorse]

What on earth happened with other American horse, Steffen Peter’s horse?

I’ve seen brief clips where it looks absolutely broken legged lame. Surely that must be really odd footage? I missed the test.

He got in a muddle/blew up/got unbalanced on the last centre line and shot forward. I think he was just very, very tense.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

He got in a muddle/blew up/got unbalanced on the last centre line and shot forward. I think he was just very, very tense.

Thank goodness, the clip I saw was just a few seconds of him hopping on three legs but I didn’t want to click on it because I thought it might be clickbait.

 

[Kat]

That's so lovely, you can tell how much he truly loves his care and care for his welfare:

“When he’s at a venue, like here in Versailles, he’s fine, because he expects his ‘dad’ to spend 24/7 with him. I hand-graze him every two hours for an hour. It’s a lot to do but if he’s happy that way, my goal as an owner is to keep him happy. If he decides tomorrow he never wants to be a riding horse again, I’m going to respect that decision and never compete him again."

I'm guessing that there's no turnout for the horses at the Olympics then if he has to graze in-hand? Sounds very dedicated to the wellbeing of his animal. Reading this has made my evening, how refreshing. Thank you for sharing

There's no turnout at most shows but they normally have areas where horses can be hand grazed and the grooms will take them for a walk and a graze however much suits the horse.

I have a family member who grooms at the top level (not dressage) and they all have plans for their horses. He has some horses who aren't that bothered about hand grazing and so they might only go out a few times a day, and another who lives out at home so they take out as much as possible and they hand graze it for many hours a day, wheneverthey aren't doing something else.

At the Olympics the grooms have one horse rather than several so the horses will get more one on one time, and will get out as much as they need.