The thread of all Olympic Threads

I am just putting it on now and watched the first rider go. Pleased to read here that it's not a complete car crash like the last Olympics but why, for the love of God, are they allowing spurs?! And whips?!
millitiger said:
If anyone is ever stuck buying me a present, I will accept any of the horses from the pentathlon.

What lovely, generous, careful and kind horses they all were.
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Let's form an orderly queue!
 
Also just happened upon the "dusting the floor with your t-shirt whilst knotting legs in the air". Bonkers and why on earth do they have such ridiculous names? What next ballroom dancing in LA?
 
Nicnac said:
Also just happened upon the "dusting the floor with your t-shirt whilst knotting legs in the air". Bonkers and why on earth do they have such ridiculous names? What next ballroom dancing in LA?
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Apparently the IOC wanted to attract a younger audience
 
teapot said:
Apparently the IOC wanted to attract a younger audience
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Hmm looking at those in the stands it seems to consist of the contestants parents, some youngsters and Snoop Dogg who is 52 :rolleyes:😁 The rounds aren't timed either so you could have somebody with huge stamina who could go for 5 minutes against a person who can only dust for 20 seconds.
 
ihatework said:
On the whole that wasn’t too horrific!

The French have supplied a very good set of genuine honest competent horses.

A handful of nice riders. A couple of those with an unlucky pole.

Some wobbly riders who got lucky with horses that got them out of trouble! It does amaze me that at Olympic level some of these athletes don’t just put a little more effort into improving their riding!
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I used to train with a man Olympic pentathlete.

He’d train for four years in fencing, swimming etc etc

He’d turn up for riding lessons and jumping practice with about two months to go to the Olympics. It was bizarre.
 
What fabulous horses! All would get me into the ring again!

BUT.... some of these riders should NOT be wearing spurs.

Probably I'm just jealous...
 
Crazy_cat_lady said:
The pentathlon is confusing me as to why they're in groups, I thought previously they all competed in each event at the same time?
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It confused me too. As far as I can work out today was semi finals and there is the main competition tomorrow when they do it all again. Joseph qualified but Charles didn’t (if I’ve read it correctly)
 
SaddlePsych'D said:
I am just putting it on now and watched the first rider go. Pleased to read here that it's not a complete car crash like the last Olympics but why, for the love of God, are they allowing spurs?! And whips?!

Let's form an orderly queue!
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Agree that spurs are just not appropriate in this context, far too high a risk of injuring a horse. I suppose it won't be a problem anymore but surely this is just a no-brainer? Frankly these sports deserve to be eliminated if they can't think of basic things like that.

So glad to hear that the standard was mostly good, I will breathe a temporary sigh of relief!
 
millitiger said:
Gosh there's nothing to make me squirm like watching people break dance competitively in front of an almost silent crowd, with no atmosphere... I had to turn it off with embarrassment 🙈
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I haven't been watching much of the Olympics but Mr. J was telling me about the breakdancing, I thought he was joking! I googled it and couldn't believe my eyes as my toes curled with embarrassment. What a travesty of the spirit of the Olympics that was.🤭
 
I'm rewatching the women's rounds from this morning, and the commentators for Discovery this morning appear to be wildly misguided. "look what a great ride this is" *horse gets the rider out of trouble after being ridden slowly into the first fence* *horse says no after being caught in the mouth over the last fence*
 
Nicnac said:
Hmm looking at those in the stands it seems to consist of the contestants parents, some youngsters and Snoop Dogg who is 52 :rolleyes:😁 The rounds aren't timed either so you could have somebody with huge stamina who could go for 5 minutes against a person who can only dust for 20 seconds.
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A very old person's idea of what this strange, uncontacted tribe called "the young" want.

Ridiculous to be doing it at all but to make them wear 1990's fashions too...
 
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At the last games the horses jumped 2 or 3 rounds in each of the mens and womens competitions, but at this games there are 40 selected horses for the 36 competitiors.

Add to that, the French are excellent at breeding and producing horses and you have a better class and selection of horses, jumping a slightly shorter and smaller course. All horses accompanied by a Cadre Noir rider means they are prepared perfectly.

The French have set modern pentathlon up to be a success at this Olympics.
 
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clinkerbuilt said:
I'm rewatching the women's rounds from this morning, and the commentators for Discovery this morning appear to be wildly misguided. "look what a great ride this is" *horse gets the rider out of trouble after being ridden slowly into the first fence* *horse says no after being caught in the mouth over the last fence*
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As the commentators aren't "horse" people they did quite a nice job really. The horses were all lovely. Some of them clearly 1.30m horses finding it very easy, and mostly wearing simple tack. Clearly martingales are less popular in France!

The riders mostly rode forward at the risk of a few rails which the horses liked, the few that didn't were the ones that had a stop, mostly by getting into the bottom of an over or by not making the double. The horses generally stopped very politely - I'm an experienced horse and I'm not going off that stride! It was an interesting watch, and better than many Discovery classes I've seen.

All horses were hugged and patted afterwards and the riders were mostly a joyful lot after the finish, but clearly very nervous at the start.
 
The fact that it's better with a good supply of beginner friendly horses that France were able to do almost reinforces taking it out of the Olympics. Other countries without a long show jumping and horse breeding tradition will struggle to provide this leading to more problems.
 
I’m completely confused by the modern pentathlon progamme.

How many rounds of SJ will the finalists have ridden to complete the competition and get in the medals, and do they stay with the same horse throughout the whole event or do they draw lots again each time?
 
Tiddlypom said:
I’m completely confused by the modern pentathlon progamme.

How many rounds of SJ will the finalists have ridden to complete the competition and get in the medals, and do they stay with the same horse throughout the whole event or do they draw lots again each time?
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2 rounds and they draw a random horse both times.
 
SaddlePsych'D said:
but why, for the love of God, are they allowing spurs?! And whips?!
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I'm not sure if it's still the case at international level, but at competitions in the UK the owner/supplier of the horse chooses whether the rider is allowed a stick and/or spurs on said horse (but it's a blanket decision, not rider X can have spurs but not rider Z). I think I wore spurs in all bar one competition (but hopefully my lower leg is acceptable) - some other competitors didn't even on horses on which they were allowed to because they were too worried about misusing them.
 
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