sorry SC, it definitely did slip back, at the start of his round there was white showing in front of the saddle and it looked to be in the right place, but it progressively went further and further back until there was none showing at the front and loads sticking up and out at the back. lucky that it was anchored at the front and didn't disappear completely, i guess.
sorry SC, it definitely did slip back, at the start of his round there was white showing in front of the saddle and it looked to be in the right place, but it progressively went further and further back until there was none showing at the front and loads sticking up and out at the back. lucky that it was anchored at the front and didn't disappear completely, i guess.
I agree about NG's riding, I don't have an axe to grind with him either but he didn't look balanced or easy for the horse to carry, perhaps he was holding his breath due to the pressure/excitement and got exhausted or something? he isn't usually that messy. didn't see anything of his second round but have heard that it wasn't nice. I .know that effective does not always equal pretty, but it doesn't have to look rough and uncomfortable for the horse. the best combinations didn't look at all like that, and there were plenty of good sights.
I thought AN did a masterful piece of riding, yes he was pushing the horse along but it just looked like that sort of horse. he didn't look unbalanced, harsh or nasty to the horse imho.
I can't understand why everyone is slating Louise Skelton yet no-one says anything about Mary King's style over a fence? She's just as defensive at LS, sometimes much more so, i'd bet money she weighs a lot more than LS (who is tiny), plus M usually has a socking great American Gag in their chops and isn't afraid to use it. Imp Cav was jumping horribly inverted at times (how did they get away with it at the Hexagon Hedge?!) and he never used to do that with Vicky Brake. luckily he has the scope and heart to keep going. was I the only one who was really relieved that she withdrew Apache Sauce, as he now jumps inverted over just about every fence, even when she's not leaning back and hanging off his mouth?! i know she gets him around clear but i just dread watching it.
Sorry, i know she's a great rider and is obviously waay better than i could ever dream of being, but she never used to ride like that, she was the ultimate stylist and my ultimate heroine.
fwiw Lucinda Green and Matt Ryan also ride with the very defensive, forward lower leg BUT they slip their reins more and i have never ever seen either of them sock a horse in the chops in midair... they fold at the hips and push the hands generously forward, totally different style and so much more horse-friendly.
i just don't think it's fair to slate Louise Skelton and ignore a far worse culprit!
sorry SC, it definitely did slip back, at the start of his round there was white showing in front of the saddle and it looked to be in the right place, but it progressively went further and further back until there was none showing at the front and loads sticking up and out at the back. lucky that it was anchored at the front and didn't disappear completely, i guess.
I can't understand why everyone is slating Louise Skelton yet no-one says anything about Mary King's style over a fence? She's just as defensive at LS, sometimes much more so, i'd bet money she weighs a lot more than LS (who is tiny), plus M usually has a socking great American Gag in their chops and isn't afraid to use it. Imp Cav was jumping horribly inverted at times (how did they get away with it at the Hexagon Hedge?!) and he never used to do that with Vicky Brake. luckily he has the scope and heart to keep going. was I the only one who was really relieved that she withdrew Apache Sauce, as he now jumps inverted over just about every fence, even when she's not leaning back and hanging off his mouth?! i know she gets him around clear but i just dread watching it.
Sorry, i know she's a great rider and is obviously waay better than i could ever dream of being, but she never used to ride like that, she was the ultimate stylist and my ultimate heroine.
fwiw Lucinda Green and Matt Ryan also ride with the very defensive, forward lower leg BUT they slip their reins more and i have never ever seen either of them sock a horse in the chops in midair... they fold at the hips and push the hands generously forward, totally different style and so much more horse-friendly.
i just don't think it's fair to slate Louise Skelton and ignore a far worse culprit!
She is a great rider but you're right about a lot of that. Why the hell she insists on over bitting the horses so they're going into all the fences without even looking at them is an absolute mystery. It really looks like she's making the ride harder for herself and the horses than if she sorted out the bitting. FWIW I think she still does slip her reins as far as she can afford to most of the time, although with all the skinny combinations these days it does restrict how much the riders can still do this.
fwiw in the interviews part of the t.v. programme now, on, MK said that her worst habit is "leaning back, sometimes a little too much"...
just noticed that Nicola Wilson rides Buzz in a snaffle with flash noseband, v interesting... he'd be one of the boldest on the planet (nothing else went through the water on 3 then 2 strides!) but she doesn't feel tempted to bit him up more... fascinating.
Did wonder why the Red Button coverage suddenly cut out for ages but there was v little info at all as to what had happened which I think is wrong and sounds like the next rider wasn't held til the last minute. 
