"Wrong" show jumping team member going to Olympics?

hobo

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I do not think daddy shouting is going to help her in the future she needs to tell him to button it she is young there will be other chances. Picking a team must be a nightmare.
The way things are going hardly anyone will be fit to compete anyway they will all be isolating!
 

teapot

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I don't follow showjumping so does anyone know if the horse, rider, and horse rider has been tested over four rounds? The Olympics is a different comp to most in that respect, let alone factor in Tokyo temps etc
 

humblepie

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With show jumping not being on the BBC these days and not having competed show jumping for years, I am so out of touch with it - I recognise the names of those picked and think Harry has done amazingly well in teams hasn't he ? but some of the names I haven't even heard of. It is such a disconnect these days unless you are actively involved in a sport, which can't be good for the sport as a whole.
 

TGM

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Just an observation on the FEI rankings - they have been affected by both Covid and EHV. I note that Emily was able to continue competing and gaining in the results in the USA (presumably because she had the funds to do so). Harry, on the other hand, has a two month gap in his results when the European EHV crisis was on. Surely this was taken into account by the selectors when assessing positions in the rankings.
 

NinjaPony

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Honestly regardless of the wrongs and rights of the team selection, it does seem to highlight just how reliant showjumping is on big money and/or nepotism. And yes I know it’s hardly unique in that respect, but it does seem to be more noticeable than in other equestrian sports, and that makes it feel quite ‘closed’ to outsiders.
 

myheartinahoofbeat

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Selection can be further complicated by the all important owners whose wishes have to be considered as well. This is what has happened to Piggy March who is now out of the eventing team. Although this doesn't apply to Emily because I assume her Dad owns her horses.
 

eahotson

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The show jumping sscene has changed a lot.Most of the old timers like Harvey Smith\John Whitaker etc.didn't come from horsey background although Johns mother ran a riding school.Horses were much more varied.Remember Ryan's Son?There wasn't as much money around and the whole thing was much more amateur.It is much more professional now an there is a huge amount of money in it.
 

TGM

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So she is responsible for her father's behaviour??

Given the wording in the document, I think any potential team member should be aware that the actions of anyone in their 'support team' (whether relative or employee) might be taken into account when selection decisions are made. It would be different, of course, if her father was not actively involved in her support team.
 

eahotson

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As far as
Given the wording in the document, I think any potential team member should be aware that the actions of anyone in their 'support team' (whether relative or employee) might be taken into account when selection decisions are made. It would be different, of course, if her father was not actively involved in her support team.
As far as I can make out her father intervened only after she wasn't selected.
 

teapot

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She has been selected for the European championships so her Dad's 'behaviour' hasn't ruled her out from future teams.

Euros close to home are very different to an Olympic environment though.

It's a very baby team going to the Euros too I noticed.
 

Rowreach

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The show jumping sscene has changed a lot.Most of the old timers like Harvey Smith\John Whitaker etc.didn't come from horsey background although Johns mother ran a riding school.Horses were much more varied.Remember Ryan's Son?There wasn't as much money around and the whole thing was much more amateur.It is much more professional now an there is a huge amount of money in it.

They were all dealers and farmers and bought and sold horses in order to fund the sj'ing. And of course it was seasonal back then, you went round the shows in the summer months and there were few indoor shows and a definite closed season when most of them dealt in hunters. Quite a few of the horses did both jobs. Some of them even pulled carts!
 

oldie48

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I don't understand how the FEI rankings work but if a rider has more horses competing then do they all count? If this is so then the ranking is not that relevant as it's about choosing the right rider/horse combination for the competition and the team.
 

Winters100

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I suppose if it were just done on rankings then there would be no need for a selection committee. And rankings can presumably be affected by many things, such as having your top horse out for a period, or recovering from illness or injury yourself.

I would presume that it is, in many ways, no different to hiring employees. One does not always take the most qualified, but also would consider work ethic, how they will fit into the existing team, personality etc

I don't want to be unkind, but this article has not presented her in a good light. If she feels that she truly deserves a place on the team she should deal with it herself. Right now all anyone outside her circle can see is an adult woman, who competes using Daddy's money, and then has Daddy complaining that she was not selected. To be honest that would put me off hiring her in any capacity, let alone for a high pressure sports team.
 
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