Equestrian Events at the Olympics

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's nice that unathletic wealthy people still have a way to compete in the olympics

It’s definitely more about precision and skill than raw athletic ability, but I think “unathletic” would be a stretch. Sometimes you have kind of extraordinary things like nick skelton in 2012 was clearly not at his physical peak
but made up for it with talent and experience.

There are other Olympic sports like that though. Some lean more towards athletic feats and some towards skillful performance, no?

What other sport has purchasing housing and transporting a 750k horse as the initial barrier to entry?

Those horses cost way more than $750k! I mean maybe they did at some point. You can bet your butt that Karl Cook paid way, way more for that amazing mare.

Also that’s not initial barrier to entry, that’s more like ticket to the top, or at least ticket to the middle.

It’s obviously unlike any other Olympic sport, but idk why that’s such a hang up for you.

The closest sport maybe is F1?

It would be fine if it wasn’t in the Olympics. It has the WEG and a bunch of other top moments. The point is just that since it is in the Olympics, it’s good if it goes well, and this one is going great.

[Anonymous]

[list]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's nice that unathletic wealthy people still have a way to compete in the olympics

I grew up on a horse farm, and I competed in dressage and three-day eventing/show jumping for years. You DO have to be athletic, actually. We ran, did weights, and there was intense pressure to maintain a certain body weight and form. Riding is not just sitting, despite what you may believe. I had an aunt who had been a prima ballerina and ran a dance school, and it always seemed to me that the physical demands and pressure re: body image and training on the ballerinas was similar to what you find in the upper competitive circles of elite equestrian sports. (Not that I was ever allowed to or invited to dance: ballet and riding train muscles the "opposite" way, so one destroys the potential and capacity to engage in the other at the elite level).

I think this is really a stretch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[list]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's nice that unathletic wealthy people still have a way to compete in the olympics

I grew up on a horse farm, and I competed in dressage and three-day eventing/show jumping for years. You DO have to be athletic, actually. We ran, did weights, and there was intense pressure to maintain a certain body weight and form. Riding is not just sitting, despite what you may believe. I had an aunt who had been a prima ballerina and ran a dance school, and it always seemed to me that the physical demands and pressure re: body image and training on the ballerinas was similar to what you find in the upper competitive circles of elite equestrian sports. (Not that I was ever allowed to or invited to dance: ballet and riding train muscles the "opposite" way, so one destroys the potential and capacity to engage in the other at the elite level).

I think this is really a stretch.

My aunt was a prima ballerina with a company in Europe. I'm pretty sure she knew what she was talking about.

[Anonymous]

I saw a jumping event on TV while waiting for spouse. Sound off. One horse kicked its heels up on the jumps to be sure it cleared the bar. Commentator mentioned it. I thought it was touching. Horse knew the point. Sweet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw a jumping event on TV while waiting for spouse. Sound off. One horse kicked its heels up on the jumps to be sure it cleared the bar. Commentator mentioned it. I thought it was touching. Horse knew the point. Sweet.

I have no idea what you mean here.

[Anonymous]

I'm French, come from an equestrian family, and my aunt competed in Olympic events back in her day. And I couldn't go to watch these once in a lifetime events at Versailles!!!


Life is hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw a jumping event on TV while waiting for spouse. Sound off. One horse kicked its heels up on the jumps to be sure it cleared the bar. Commentator mentioned it. I thought it was touching. Horse knew the point. Sweet.

Wut

[Anonymous]

It shouldn’t be an Olympic sport if it has such a ridiculous barrier to entry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It shouldn’t be an Olympic sport if it has such a ridiculous barrier to entry

Like gymnastics is cheap? All high-level sport is expensive. Sure you can run or play soccer for free just like you can ride your backyard pony for basically nothing, but the training time, facilities, and gear that elite athletes need is expensive. People move to be near gyms, switch to private tutoring instead of school, buy crazy shoes, need PT and nutritionists and personal trainers, travel to meets ....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw a jumping event on TV while waiting for spouse. Sound off. One horse kicked its heels up on the jumps to be sure it cleared the bar. Commentator mentioned it. I thought it was touching. Horse knew the point. Sweet.

The horses are high-level athletes as much as the riders. They would not have made it to this level of competition if they weren’t enthusiastic about it. They have a competitive drive to run fast and jump clean — they totally understand the assignment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's nice that unathletic wealthy people still have a way to compete in the olympics

Try it. Riding a trained and talented dressage horse is like driving a Ferrari with a mind of its own, while standing on a trampoline someone else is jumping up and down on.

This is an excellent description. I’ve also likened it to pairs figure skating, except your partner weighs half a ton, has an anxiety disorder, and speaks an obscure foreign language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's nice that unathletic wealthy people still have a way to compete in the olympics

Try it. Riding a trained and talented dressage horse is like driving a Ferrari with a mind of its own, while standing on a trampoline someone else is jumping up and down on.

Perfect analogy

[Anonymous]

If you can get the mortgage go for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's nice that unathletic wealthy people still have a way to compete in the olympics

Try it. Riding a trained and talented dressage horse is like driving a Ferrari with a mind of its own, while standing on a trampoline someone else is jumping up and down on.

This is an excellent description. I’ve also likened it to pairs figure skating, except your partner weighs half a ton, has an anxiety disorder, and speaks an obscure foreign language.

Thanks! That is a good one too.

I think what a lot of people don’t get is just how much a dressage horse’s back moves. Sitting still is a feat of athleticism and requires an incredible core.

Mine isn’t even that huge of a mover and I have to work back into sitting the trot when I’ve had a week off. God forbid I overuse my aids, accidentally touch him in the wrong place with my heel, or grip with my leg to hold on. He has an excellent “FU, learn to ride better” buck. If I used the reins to balance on my hands he’d completely lose his mind. And he’s “easy” and an “amateur ride” for an upper level horse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's nice that unathletic wealthy people still have a way to compete in the olympics

Try it. Riding a trained and talented dressage horse is like driving a Ferrari with a mind of its own, while standing on a trampoline someone else is jumping up and down on.

Perfect analogy

PP here, forgot to mention that the anxiety disorder is spot on. Last year at Regionals my guy had a complete and utter meltdown right before we went in the ring because he had to walk past…a bicycle. He’s seen hundreds of bikes in his life. That one was particularly horse-eating, apparently.