lindsayH
Well-Known Member
Without judging anyone's 'behind closed doors' training methods and based purely on watching the tests, I don't like what I see. I haven't watched any pure dressage for a year or so and was hoping it would have improved. The horses look SO tense with such short, overbent necks. The paces look artificial and forced and many of the horses seemed disconnected and lacking engagement. I didn't enjoy watching CDJ as much as I have in the past although the Brits are clearly the best of a bad lot.
Of course the riders are superbly talented and the horses are stunning but that seems irrelevant to me.
As for EG, he really worked the sob story when Totilas was sold and I think it bought him a lot of public sympathy. I never enjoyed watching that partnership either. Freaky front leg waving craziness.
How on earth does dressage go from this back to the glorious grace and harmony of times past? Do all sports that involve training of animals eventually descend into these extremes as we get closer and closer to 'perfection'?
Of course the riders are superbly talented and the horses are stunning but that seems irrelevant to me.
As for EG, he really worked the sob story when Totilas was sold and I think it bought him a lot of public sympathy. I never enjoyed watching that partnership either. Freaky front leg waving craziness.
How on earth does dressage go from this back to the glorious grace and harmony of times past? Do all sports that involve training of animals eventually descend into these extremes as we get closer and closer to 'perfection'?