Tokyo Showjumping thread

[myheartinahoofbeat]

His horse has a minor injury, he hasn't presented for the trot up so he can't be subbed in

Thanks. Ok we are up against it then for a Team medal.

 

[Equi]

The Irish have withdrawn according to Horse Sport Ireland.
View attachment 77146

Doesnt take away from the horrific round. That was hard to watch.

 

[Equi]

I wasn’t able to watch properly at work so fill me in, are we as a team through? Lol

 

[Season’s Bleatings]

Doesnt take away from the horrific round. That was hard to watch.

I haven’t been able to watch any of it unfortunately but it sounds like it wasn’t pleasant viewing!

 

[Equi]

I haven’t been able to watch any of it unfortunately but it sounds like it wasn’t pleasant viewing!

It wasn’t at all I really only got to see it and a few others and it made me quite angry so I stopped paying attention because the course seemed very hard and I didn’t want to see anymore.

 

[GrassChop]

Those of you watching on BBC Sport Live, is there going to be the round with Ben Maher coming up? The last one they played was the one with Saint Boy and rider crying. Have to watch all the other sports too on this one and can't see if there will be more showjumping coming up!

 

[fetlock]

so does that mean we can never read the news

If you open in a private window you'll be able to access them

(hover mouse over the article, right click and select "open in new private window"

That's how I do it on my laptop anyway.

 

[ElectricChampagne]

Doesnt take away from the horrific round. That was hard to watch.

I didn't get to watch that live but saw it afterwards. Made me ashamed to be Irish. Why oh why didn't he pull his horse up who was obviously struggling. It was inevitable that was going to happen. Just lucky it wasn't worse.

 

[teapot]

Just catching up

These are the course heights, so under max height by a way for some of the fences:

 

[Kat]

Just catching up

These are the course heights, so under max height by a way for some of the fences:

John Kyle said they weren't up to height but they are actually quite significantly under height which is a bit worrying.

According to equiratings the fence that caused most problems was 13a (22%), then 9 (20%) and 10 the largest fence on the course apparently third with 16% of attempts to jump it resulting in a fault.

Only 5 out of 52 starters went clear which can't be right can it?

 

[teapot]

I'm not up with top level sj, but do they normally put the spreads down by 10cm?!

 

[Equi]

I think it was the width many struggled with like they jumped then thought oh shit I didn’t realise it was this wide what do I do.

 

[Kat]

I don't know, from what the commentators were saying it didn't sound normal. I am sure they said that they weren't max spread either.

What will be interesting will be how tomorrow's course is built. Whether it goes up to height or stays under. In the individual it looked bigger on the second day (though I haven't seen actual fence heights)

 

[Pebble101]

I didn't get to watch that live but saw it afterwards. Made me ashamed to be Irish. Why oh why didn't he pull his horse up who was obviously struggling. It was inevitable that was going to happen. Just lucky it wasn't worse.

It was awful, not liking the three rider format at all. He might have given up before then if he hadn't had so much pressure to finish.

 

[teapot]

I don't know, from what the commentators were saying it didn't sound normal. I am sure they said that they weren't max spread either.

What will be interesting will be how tomorrow's course is built. Whether it goes up to height or stays under. In the individual it looked bigger on the second day (though I haven't seen actual fence heights)

Individual qualifier:

 

[teapot]

I don't know, from what the commentators were saying it didn't sound normal. I am sure they said that they weren't max spread either.

What will be interesting will be how tomorrow's course is built. Whether it goes up to height or stays under. In the individual it looked bigger on the second day (though I haven't seen actual fence heights)

Individual final:

 

[Kat]

Ah yes it did go up then

 

[ElectricChampagne]

It was awful, not liking the three rider format at all. He might have given up before then if he hadn't had so much pressure to finish.

I completely agree here. I'd say the pressure on the riders was huge. He must have felt awful all the same.

 

[KEK]

I don't normally follow SJ at all and really don't know much but also agree a lot of that was not a nice watch.. Obviously they have to put their heads up to jump those (enormous) fences but so many horses had the whites of their eyes showing and looks anxious/stressed. Much more than the eventers, to me.
The Swedes and Ben looked great, Explosion did a magnificent job.

 

[Bellaboo18]

I've found this thread hard tbh and wont be joining in tomorrow. I've really enjoyed the company but will enjoy watching top quality showjumping tomorrow without H&H.

I follow showjumping 52 weeks of the year. I am in my heart (albeit not currently competing) a showjumper so feel I have to defend it.

There are far too many combinations in the Olympics that are just not up to competing at this level. Probably over 50%. This needs looking at. I'd actually support it not being at the Olympics in future because we're getting judged on one event in 4/5 years. I hated to see the horse falls we saw today and such honest horses being asked too much off. It was scary at times.

However, it's so frustrating to see people jump to the conclusion pure showjumping is like this and not celebrate the pure class (in my eyes) we see. Harry Charles is far from the finished article but a classy round all the same? Ben Maher, no words. Scott Brash. Holly's round looked lovely to me. Team Sweden (mentioned rightly so alot). Belgium? Germany? Switzerland.

It seems clear there's not many pure showjumpers on the thread but I'm surprised showjumping has been called out when we saw an exhausted horse smacked and trotted in to a fence 3 from home in the eventing, one horse pts and some horrible falls. I do wonder if we get accustomed to what we're used to watching? I'm used to watching showjumping and really thought it was comparable to the xc.

 

[Equi]

I don’t think it is the overall showjumping people are objecting to it is the lack of good horsemanship some riders were showing some of their horses. That goes for the eventing and the dressage too. I’m angry at the Irish rider because I know he knows better, and I think that’s what’s got me so riled up.

agree the swedes had beautiful rounds. I was in and out and have missed Ben but I’ll try and find it cause explosion is beaut.

 

[teapot]

I've found this thread hard tbh and wont be joining in tomorrow. I've really enjoyed the company but will enjoy watching top quality showjumping tomorrow without H&H.

I follow showjumping 52 weeks of the year. I am in my heart (albeit not currently competing) a showjumper so feel I have to defend it.

There are far too many combinations in the Olympics that are just not up to competing at this level. Probably over 50%. This needs looking at. I'd actually support it not being at the Olympics in future because we're getting judged on one event in 4/5 years. I hated to see the horse falls we saw today and such honest horses being asked too much off. It was scary at times.

However, it's so frustrating to see people jump to the conclusion pure showjumping is like this and not celebrate the pure class (in my eyes) we see. Harry Charles is far from the finished article but a classy round all the same? Ben Maher, no words. Scott Brash. Holly's round looked lovely to me. Team Sweden (mentioned rightly so alot). Belgium? Germany? Switzerland.

It seems clear there's not many pure showjumpers on the thread but I'm surprised showjumping has been called out when we saw an exhausted horse smacked and trotted in to a fence 3 from home in the eventing, one horse pts and some horrible falls. I do wonder if we get accustomed to what we're used to watching? I'm used to watching showjumping and really thought it was comparable to the xc.

Out of interest, and I have no idea, so I'm asking - it is easy for the 'lesser' nations to compete on the world's stage at show jumping than it is say for eventing? I mean some of the middle eastern nations rounds have been far easier on the eye than nations closer to home?


We did see tired horses eventing and not just the lesser nations - while the Kiwi horses were all younger, if you asked me to bet money on a nation that could get their horses fit, I'd say New Zealand - can't blame where they're based as the British horses were fantastic. That said you can get a horse as fit as anything and for it to still hit a wall, regardless of sport/weather/conditions.

Look at what Laura Collett said about London 52's first pole 'he spooked at the reflection of the lights off the water tray' - that horse would have jumped under lights (perhaps not much to the quality that the main arena has) and he would have jumped over trays, but sometimes, things just happen.

 

[Bellaboo18]

Out of interest, and I have no idea, so I'm asking - it is easy for the 'lesser' nations to compete on the world's stage at show jumping than it is say for eventing? I mean some of the middle eastern nations rounds have been far easier on the eye than nations closer to home?


We did see tired horses eventing and not just the lesser nations - while the Kiwi horses were all younger, if you asked me to bet money on a nation that could get their horses fit, I'd say New Zealand - can't blame where they're based as the British horses were fantastic. That said you can get a horse as fit as anything and for it to still hit a wall, regardless of sport/weather/conditions.

Look at what Laura Collett said about London 52's first pole 'he spooked at the reflection of the lights off the water tray' - that horse would have jumped under lights (perhaps not much to the quality that that main arena has) and he would have jumped over trays, but sometimes, things just happen.

Oh 100% I'd say showjumping is more accessible re funding than eventing.

 

[Rowreach]

I've found this thread hard tbh and wont be joining in tomorrow. I've really enjoyed the company but will enjoy watching top quality showjumping tomorrow without H&H.

I follow showjumping 52 weeks of the year. I am in my heart (albeit not currently competing) a showjumper so feel I have to defend it.

There are far too many combinations in the Olympics that are just not up to competing at this level. Probably over 50%. This needs looking at. I'd actually support it not being at the Olympics in future because we're getting judged on one event in 4/5 years. I hated to see the horse falls we saw today and such honest horses being asked too much off. It was scary at times.

However, it's so frustrating to see people jump to the conclusion pure showjumping is like this and not celebrate the pure class (in my eyes) we see. Harry Charles is far from the finished article but a classy round all the same? Ben Maher, no words. Scott Brash. Holly's round looked lovely to me. Team Sweden (mentioned rightly so alot). Belgium? Germany? Switzerland.

It seems clear there's not many pure showjumpers on the thread but I'm surprised showjumping has been called out when we saw an exhausted horse smacked and trotted in to a fence 3 from home in the eventing, one horse pts and some horrible falls. I do wonder if we get accustomed to what we're used to watching? I'm used to watching showjumping and really thought it was comparable to the xc.

I think you are being rather disparaging about the level of knowledge among people who have commented on this thread. I may not have showjumped at top level but I was married (widowed) many years ago to a top international GB showjumper, from a top showjumping family, and I do have a fair grasp of what I was looking at today. And it broke my heart.

Olympic showjumping is nothing like the sort of top level showjumping that happens the rest of the time. And it needs looking at because of that. It was a sad day for the sport, and I hope to god it is better tomorrow.

 

[Bellaboo18]

I think you are being rather disparaging about the level of knowledge among people who have commented on this thread. I may not have showjumped at top level but I was married (widowed) many years ago to a top international GB showjumper, from a top showjumping family, and I do have a fair grasp of what I was looking at today. And it broke my heart.

Olympic showjumping is nothing like the sort of top level showjumping that happens the rest of the time. And it needs looking at because of that. It was a sad day for the sport, and I hope to god it is better tomorrow.

I think you've missed the point of my post. I was saying, exactly as you were on your last paragraph, that Olympic showjumping doesnt represent showjumping the rest of the time. So we agree?

I'm definitely not belittling peoples views and dont want to put quotes here but alot of posters have said, I dont normally watch showjumping, I'm not a showjumper etc and even asked if this is normal, and I'd like to say it's not.

 

[shortstuff99]

I was a show jumper (can't now due to a spinal fracture), I follow top jumping and go to the big shows. The show jumping today was very weird to me, the horses seemed to not enjoy it at all. Was the surface weird? The heat? The pressure of only being teams of 3?

I think the eventing got a lot of flack for what happened there too.

 

[HashRouge]

I think you've missed the point of my post. I was saying, exactly as you were on your last paragraph, that Olympic showjumping doesnt represent showjumping the rest of the time. So we agree?

I'm definitely not belittling peoples views and dont want to put quotes here but alot of posters have said, I dont normally watch showjumping, I'm not a showjumper etc and even asked if this is normal, and I'd like to say it's not.

But showjumping is not just the select group of riders that you follow and admire. It includes all the riders here at the Olympics, who are clearly able to go out and compete at a high level (I'm not saying successfully!) or they wouldn't have managed to get here. It's not like the ones that are unpleasant viewing just turn up once every four years to compete in the Olympics - they are clearly competing the rest of the time too! Like it or not, what we see at the Olympics IS showjumping - there is no point pretending the sport doesn't have its unpleasant side.
FWIW, I worked as a showjumping groom for a couple of years after I finished university. Some of the things I heard about the training methods of top level riders really left an incredibly unpleasant taste in my mouth.

I appreciate that you enjoy following showjumping as a sport, but burying your head in the sand about its less pleasant side will not make the fact that it has one any less true.

Also edited to add: how showjumping appears at the Olympics is incredibly important. It is the only time that many people will actually watch it, so to see horses being over-faced, falling, having nosebleeds etc, is absolutely awful. And yes, I would and have criticised the other equestrian disciplines for similar.

 

[Bellaboo18]

But showjumping is not just the select group of riders that you follow and admire. It includes all the riders here at the Olympics, who are clearly able to go out and compete at a high level (I'm not saying successfully!) or they wouldn't have managed to get here. It's not like the ones that are unpleasant viewing just turn up once every four years to compete in the Olympics - they are clearly competing the rest of the time too! Like it or not, what we see at the Olympics IS showjumping - there is no point pretending the sport doesn't have its unpleasant side.
FWIW, I worked as a showjumping groom for a couple of years after I finished university. Some of the things I heard about the training methods of top level riders really left an incredibly unpleasant taste in my mouth.

I appreciate that you enjoy following showjumping as a sport, but burying your head in the sand about its less pleasant side will not make the fact that it has one any less true.

Also edited to add: how showjumping appears at the Olympics is incredibly important. It is the only time that many people will actually watch it, so to see horses being over-faced, falling, having nosebleeds etc, is absolutely awful. And yes, I would and have criticised the other equestrian disciplines for similar.

I dont bury my head at all about horse ownership in general.
Some of the countries competing today would not compete at that level other than at the Olympics. Yes they would compete but not at that level so I stand by my original point.

 

[SibeliusMB]

Watching the team qualifier now. This is brutal.

Watch any five star competition in Europe or North America and you wouldn't see a fraction of the scary moments as this has had....and I've only just started into the second round of riders. ? I don't think this is representative of top level show jumping at all.

 

[teapot]

The green/yellow/red scores thing I think relates to faults to that fence - green is clear, yellow is front rail, red is back rail.

John Kyle said the other say the front rails are on shallower yellow cups.