What's the biggest XC fence ever jumped in competition?...

Chloe_GHE

Chloe_GHE

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 January 2009
Messages
4,902
Location
Wonderful Wiltshire
Visit site
Just looking at the Kentucky virtual course walk and cringing at the thought of a 3'11'' high jump that is 6ft wide!!!
crazy.gif


Just out of interest (or is that boredom coz I'm stuck in this office and not outside riding my horses) what is the biggest XC fence ever jumped in competition?...

I'm guessing it is probubly a brush fence...
 
I think its one of the Badminton brushes. Something like keepers.
 
I remember Lucinda Green talking about some huge fence that I saw a picture off. It was flimsy looking rails like a huge oxer and over a ditch at the bottom of a hill. It was overseas and one of her first major comps I think. Can't for the life of me remember where it was but it looked impossible and a lot of people fell at it. I've never seen a picture of a bigger fence
shocked.gif
 
Not the one in Russia where Princess Anne fell? It was a huge solid oxer that claimed quite a few scalps except those of the home team apparently?!
 
There is a pic of Ginny Leng as she was then, at I think the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles on Priceless literally flying over a massive downhill oxer.....that was pretty huge!

Look on the Brendon Hill stallions website, and look at performing prgeny - there is a pic on there....

JB xx
 
[ QUOTE ]
Not the one in Russia where Princess Anne fell? It was a huge solid oxer that claimed quite a few scalps except those of the home team apparently?!

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah your right they did it on purpose wasnt that in H&H i remember reading it?
 
I know the one you mean. Everytime I look at the cover on that I just can't see how a horse can jump that and land and carry on it looks impossible.

Found pics of Princess Ann falling off at it. Imagine that as the 2nd fence!!!!!

Awesome, and look at the tack and the rough grassy course I love these old pics...

kiev1.jpg

kiev2.jpg

kiev3.jpg
 
yes, it was Kiev. there was a lot of suspicion that the Russians had practised over it before, because they all galloped straight down the hill at it like lunatics and theirs all jumped it fine, everyone else skirted the hill and came at it from the bottom of the hill which necessitated a turn a few strides from it, and a LOT came to grief. i've got pics of them jumping it and it looks enormous!
the downhill oxer that Ginny jumped on Mr P at the Olympics looked ginormous too because of the drop on landing. again, it was quite a poley oxer.
i think Murphy Himself has probably done the biggest ever jumps over fixed fences because he took strides out everywhere without flattening (a real feat), he bounced Luckington Lane for example, where most horses were taking 2 strides.
the Taxis hedge in the Pardubicka ride is the biggest fence i can think of, but it's a hedge with a huge ditch behind, not a solid fence. you can see them jumping it on youtube, i watched it yesterday actually, lots came to grief. the hedge is 6 ft high ad 6 ft wide and the ditch on landing is 6ft wide.
 
K do you have a link for that clip on you tube?...

What cheats practising before the comp!!! That jump just looks impossible I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when all the teams walked the course!
smile.gif
 
it's here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjr2FIrLcjI
they jump the Taxis at about 9.56 on the clock, it's a long vid.
great course, there's an in-and-out, huge bank, uprights... a lot more interesting than our Grand National!
i can't find the vid i watched yesterday, that was a different year where loads fell at the Taxis, this vid is 08 and they all jump it beautifully!
that fence at Kiev was proper vile and very very unfair, it's amazing no-one got totally splatted at it actually.
 
OMG
shocked.gif


That is the most amazing horse race I have ever seen! I just watched the 2007 one.

Ditches, banks, rivers, drops, fixed rails, brushes,
different surfaces, light and dark twisting and turning and all in about 10mins!!!!

I have never seen anything like it!
 
Chloe, if you really want to see something, look at Timber Racing or Maryland Hunt Cup.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M5YRlHYK-o
race starts at about 2.31.
those are totally upright sets of post and rails, fixed, no ground lines, and they jump them at steeplechase speed, and I've not seen one fall yet! Oh, and at least 3 of the fences are 4'10". that is not a mis-type. nearly 5' of fixed gappy vertical at steeplechase speed...
 
here's the Pardubicka in 1995, before they modified the Taxis, i believe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM_KEAWpcck&feature=related

Gamebird, at least they keep the number of runners down a bit, unlike the GN. i'd love a crack on a guaranteed amazing jumper! might need a GPS though, it looks very confusing, I think Richard Dunwoody got a bit lost when he did it and ended up in the lead at one point!
 
O thanks, Chloe & Kerilli.... this post is great. I have watched all these links...and found more...I am a bit fed up atm...so this has cheered me up no end. Those horses...they are amazing...such courage...and the jockeys too!!
Wow.
 
Bubblegum, glad you enjoyed it. There are some great stories about the Pardubice. Marcus Armitage fell and came round to find the French jockey next to him having his heart restarted...! the French jockey went back for more next year, but iirc MA had decided he'd rather live!
on a different but related note, this link is UNBELIEVABLE. nothing to do with horses, but utterly amazing. i was sent it last week and have been forwarding it to loads of people. bet you watch it more than once! it makes me smile a lot every time i watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHH-6ZQktRQ
 
[ QUOTE ]
Bubblegum, glad you enjoyed it. There are some great stories about the Pardubice. Marcus Armitage fell and came round to find the French jockey next to him having his heart restarted...! the French jockey went back for more next year, but iirc MA had decided he'd rather live!
on a different but related note, this link is UNBELIEVABLE. nothing to do with horses, but utterly amazing. i was sent it last week and have been forwarding it to loads of people. bet you watch it more than once! it makes me smile a lot every time i watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHH-6ZQktRQ

[/ QUOTE ]

K that is just SO american! BTW, I saw a real life actual superbowl ring when I was out there, which is, it would seem, only impressive to americans
wink.gif
Great clip though
 
[ QUOTE ]
SO cool, huh? i reckon those guys really do earn their mega-dosh. I wonder whether Beckham could kick 3 footballs in a row that far, that accurately...?!

[/ QUOTE ]
I think HHO should make a request that he tries!!!!
tongue.gif
Do you have his email??? !!!!
grin.gif
 
That USA clip is amazing!!!

those timber jump jockey must have balls of steel I thought eventing was tough but galloping at a 4ft+ solid post and rail....I think I'll bow out on this occasion
smile.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top