Which pro riders have the best seat/position?

JustMe22

JustMe22

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Just curious to see what people think really - dressage or jumping :)

If you had to identify one rider as having a consistently good position, quiet hands etc, who would it be?
 
Hayley Watson-Greaves always looks fantastic in my opinion. She has a very strong core which helps I think. Obviously her trainer Carl Hester as well!
 
Charlotte Dujardin. Studied her at length I'm a physio and Equipilates™ Biomechanics trainer. You can pick fault with most other riders in some small way, but really not CDJ. She is so so strong. I haven't looked at Imgrid I might do that today as nursing a cold.

William Fox-Pitt is awesome in all three phases as is Michael Jung.
 
I'm a bit behind the times but - Laura Tomlinson - especially when she rode "Alf" - Adelinde Cornelissen most of the time, and from my personal experience of watching her work ride many times Jook Hall (but you'll need a good memory for her!) I saw many top International riders work riding and can tell you that I saw quite a lot of remarkable horsemanship - none of it to be reccommended!

You can ride how you like in showing jumping as the only thing that matters is keeping the poles in the cups and getting round quickest.

Mary King for eventing - before her, HRH The Princess Royal - who is my all time celebrity Horseyperson as I've never seen or heard a bad thing about her, great competitor and role model - successful inspite of being a Princess rather than because of it.

I have an on and off love affair with Racing - big issue with the whip and general treatment but for me the hands of Johnny Francome will be hard to beat.
 
Edie Machen, Irish Showjumper a few years back.
William Fox Pitt & Mark Todd Eventing
Charlotte Du Jardin Dressage
Richard Dunwoody, jump jockey again a few years back, not up to play with racing these days.
 
Michael Jung, Andrew Nicholson, Charlotte Dujardin, Astier Nicholas, Mark Todd, Hayley Watson-Greaves, the Whittakers, Pippa Funnell - the list is endless!.
 
Ingrid Klimke is the absolute queen! Not only does she sit up perfectly straight, she moves with the horse (not against like loads do these days), her hands are soft as can be. Edwina Alexander-Tops has quite the seat too, especially jumping at the height she does.
 
Identityincrisis said:
Ingrid Klimke, CDJ & HRH Carl Hester (King Carl!) I literally drool over Carl and Ingrid
Click to expand...

Yep, same here! Ingrid is just unreal.
I have seen Carl Hester ride quite a few times and I don't think there is anyone else that comes very close, its not even just the seat/position, its his relaxed and positive happy attitude that seems to go though to the horse and the overall picture aswell, he deserves all the accolades he gets, just perfection :)
 
Interesting that someone said Mark Todd, the first thought that popped into my head when I saw this thread was "definitely NOT Mark Todd". Don't get me wrong I could not ride the horses he does as well as he does but he's a very physical rider and he always looks slightly hunched over and manic- very flappy elbows :D The riders that stand out for style for me, Laura Renwick and Ben Meyer in SJ, Mary King and Lucinda Green both very stylish in eventing and Charlotte Dujardin is a beautiful rider.
A good counter thread would be "Who is the least stylish rider but gets the job done just as well?"
I remember being told by a PC instructor that Will Funnell "rides like a farmer but his horses seem to like it"
 
A few years ago I saw a lot of Scott Brash jumping up here before he hit the big time - he always appeared really calm, quiet and balanced, lovely to watch and stood out from other competitors.

I recently saw pictures of Pippa Funnel riding a tiny pony at a demo - to ride something small takes great balance IMO.

WFP and Ingrid Klimke always look good and of course CDJ and Carl Hester.
 
Which makes his methods so ugh more abhorrent. There are people doing Rollkur because they're not strong or skilled enough to ride or control their big moving big horses. Then there is this man who has so much skill and talent and directs it so so badly, through choice. Eurgh...

But yes he has a good seat. Just doesn't use it well. He's so tense and transfers that to the horse. I'd always wanted to see Carl on Totilas, or any of his horses.

Actually saw something when CDJ was test rider at a Swedish young horse show. She transformed each horse and had very careful comments to make about each horse too. I can't remember where I saw it or even what year it was.
 
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