Your thoughts on the xc course at Badminton 2010?

[kateD]

Ok just wondered what everyone made of the xc course today-I think reading the preview of the course in H&H by Pippa Funnell and listening to some riders interviews-it was rather underestimated! Ok so hears my opinion -soz in advance I have 2much time on my hands due to a broken ankle- so have watched all the live action on bbci 2day!!
Quarry-shame they took out the short route-long route seem to flow well of turning lines.
Huntmans close- I really don't like this fence-as some horse just did'nt seem to understand the question and there were a lot of dodgy jumps.
The Lake-needs a re-vamp-I think the brush fences in the water should go.
The countryside complex-good test-surprising how many horses dropped a leg going in.
The Farmyard- Loved this fence-I think its a good idea to go back to the open corner design. Rewarded accurate yet forward riding
The colt pond- the fence in was big-yet forgiving-there were alot of uncomfortable jumps going out though.
Hexagon Hedges-great fence needed respect and commitment.
Shogun Hollow-I think they should reinstante the old coffin fence here! I really dont like the corner out-the distance looked very suspect.
The Corral-alot of riders said this was a kind of 'nothing' fence-but it jumped well.
The village-have to agree with Fox-pitt here this is a horriable fence on awful ground that tired horse just don't need to be jumping on..
I'm not slatting Hugh Thomas here-I think he did a good job and Badders proved in no way to be a dressage competiton this year. It just seems that course designers have to tread a very fine line between testing top riders against confusing horses with fences they dont understand.....sorry to ramble on!

 

[kateD]

sorry tried to delete this thread as just noticed there is another one!

 

[kerilli]

sorry, i put mine up at the same time.
i thought:
Hexagon Hedge after that water of upright brush - water - brush didn't work very well somehow, good experienced horses were getting suspicious.
Quarry short route would have been fascinating, real shame they had to remove it. Direct route in down long drop is v punishing, i agree with what WFP said on commentary.
new combo of light timber near the end (upright, parallel, upright) was a bit of a nothing fence actually.
Lake needs a revamp but at least it wasn't punishing on the way out, it was forgiving. V sorry for Tina, didn't deserve that.
The hollow thing with the corner out, wish they'd have the nerve to build an old fashioned proper coffin, the real McCoy.
glad they took 2nd part of penultimate fence out (2nd log) as some combinations jumped the first log v badly and i think the 2nd log would have really taken its toll.
the sunken road with flowerbed upright ovals - hope we never see that again, some did it brilliantly but they're v upright and some v good horses left a leg at them. don't agree with coming at an angle off a decent step either, unfair, random whether horse gets both hindfeet on lip of step or not.
i think the corner question in Huntsman's Close has done its time too, tbh. hope that gets torched!

 

[zefragile]

Those ovals at the Sunken Road have had some horrible moments from good horses and riders for the past few years.