Mike007
Well-Known Member
Got to go with Mark Todd. Doesn't just look great on his own horses ,looks great on anyone's.
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.
Lévrier;13719538 said:and of course Vittoria Panizzon
Is she the one who does the demo pics in Equi-ads? I didn't take much notice as it's not my thing but she rides with her stirrups rather short!
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 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"
Edward Gal is so tense and transfers that to the horse.
Got to go with Mark Todd. Doesn't just look great on his own horses ,looks great on anyone's.
Is it possible to sit so still on a big moving horse and be tense?
Edward Gal rides some exceptionally hot horses. It's on record that he had to be begged to take on Totilas, and turned him down the first time.
To appear to be motionless on a big moving horse, you actually have to be moving a lot, but in total synchrony with the horse. I would kill to be able to sit and absorb the movement as skillfully as he does.
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.
Yes , thinking about it,she does ride more of a steeplechase length xc .but she does also have a very distinctive position , slightly behind the action and able to brace against any unforeseen eventuality. In my opinion this is backed up with extreme fitness and agility . She is awesome .
Is she the one who does the demo pics in Equi-ads? I didn't take much notice as it's not my thing but she rides with her stirrups rather short!
Mark Todd is another who always looks good. And Tina Cook and Zara Tindall always look perfect SJ.
I don't rate any of the Whitakers in terms of style - they all have chair seats!
Is it possible to sit so still on a big moving horse and be tense?
Edward Gal rides some exceptionally hot horses. It's on record that he had to be begged to take on Totilas, and turned him down the first time.
To appear to be motionless on a big moving horse, you actually have to be moving a lot, but in total synchrony with the horse. I would kill to be able to sit and absorb the movement as skillfully as he does.
Lévrier;13720486 said:SERIOUSLY???!!! john Whitaker is THE best horseman I have EVER seen - would love to compare his seat to mine to see if he has a "chair seat"
can`t stand gal, toto should have had a rider to match his power and talent not someone who thought he was too hot, for god sake!!!!!!
I not sure if you've read about his background? The horse was so feisty no-one wanted to ride him. Gal turned him down for that reason. Later on the owner persuaded him to take the horse on, and history is history.
I suspect rollkür was first adopted as the only way to get these ultra hot horses under control, and then of course they won, and the rest of that is history too.
And while I dislike seeing rollkür and would never use it, the oldest horse I've seen sound and competing was Parzival, who was extensively trained and warmed up using it, so surely the jury must still be out on what actual damage it causes?
I've also heard that's how rollkur started. I actually read an old article with Gal back when the Dutch first started using Rollkur. He talked about it openly back then. He said he doesn't always use it. According to him it depends on the horse. I got the impression it is the ultra hot, forward types that he was referring to.
Give me a sensible horse anyday. I like my hacking aswell as my dressage. I wouldn't fancy passing tractors/ trailers etc, on these fire breathing dragons!
Rollkur is actually a sort of modern take on Francois Baucher's "premier maniére", so not new. FWIW I think Edward Gal has an exemplary seat (being 9' tall with mile-long legs certainly helps), it's the rest of him that causes me some unease.
I doubt that many GP dressage horses are required to pass tractors.