Set your DVR - Animal Planet Sporthorse Cup!

[KnickerB]

Don't forget the Animal Planet Sporthorse Cup premieres this Saturday (the 10th) at 3pm!!

http://animal.discovery.com/events/world-sporthorse-championships/video/video.html

Riders competing will be Brianne Goutal, Ben Maher, Henk van de Pol, Cara Raether, Callan Solem, Harrie Smolders and Beezie Madden!

[Melzy]

Thank you. I'll be watching it.

[equest]

Thanks! I'll set the DVR this evening :)

[KayPink]

Yay! Thanks for the heads up!

[nlk]

Of course the day I have a bunch of men over the house to play hockey! And I have no DVR I'll have to have it on in the club house so I can keep an eye on the little ones and watch it!

[MAD]

As a reminder, it is on at NOON on the West Coast.

[SimplyRed]

Eek! :winkgrin: Thank you so much! Just set the DVR and will be watching it asap! :yes:

[horsey nurse]

Thanks! set it to record. Is it going to be a series? I didn't have that option to record

[msrobin]

Thanks I just set it up to record. I would have missed it as I am always busy on Saturdays. What a strange time to air ????

[wildREDhorse]

Thanks! Didn't realize it was already that time of year again. DVR is set!

[galwaybay]

Thanks,

I was just asking about this the other day - thought I'd missed it. I hope they'll keep the horses coming and the commentary short but that's wishful thinking...

[superpony123]

thanks!

[mowgli96]

I had the oppertunity to be there this year and wow, it really was quite the experience. Got the chance to go to the autograph session with the olympic team, ben, and harrie after the cup and it was really neat to see how down-to-earth all the riders were. Ben and Harrie especially were a riot, just laughing with everyone and having a grand old time. Can't wait to watch it on television! Thanks!

[mypaintwattie]

Thanks for the reminder!

[Kahuna]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Amymcree]

My daughter had to write a business letter in her 6th grade class. She wrote to Beezie Madden. Beezie Madden wrote back (handwritten no less) and thoughtfully answered all her questions. She also mentioned the Sporthorse Cup this Sat. She said to tell all her friends at the barn to watch because the more people who watch, the more horse events we will have on National TV.

My daughter was thrilled to get the letter.


Amy

[Katy9532]

thanks!!!!

[zakattack]

haha, saw the preview on the television, and imediately went to the dvr and set it to record

its not often there's horsey stuff on tv!

[flogarty]

My daughter had to write a business letter in her 6th grade class. She wrote to Beezie Madden. Beezie Madden wrote back (handwritten no less) and thoughtfully answered all her questions. She also mentioned the Sporthorse Cup this Sat. She said to tell all her friends at the barn to watch because the more people who watch, the more horse events we will have on National TV.

My daughter was thrilled to get the letter.


Amy

That is so nice. I love Beezie. I would be thrilled to get that letter too!

[KnickerB]

bump so no one misses it today!

[Beethoven]

Just set my DVR to record, but hopefully I will be able to watch it when it airs!

[kowgrl]

Does anyone know if it is going to re air at some time? I am stuck at work untill 4 and dont have dvr:cry:

[BlueBobRadar]

It will re-air Sunday at 11am, at least on the East coast. I can't wait to watch!

[MR]

Bump - set your DVRs! :) It's on today!

[LazyTrot]

And it's snowing...a perfect day to stay in and watch horse tv!

[Hopeful Hunter]

MUCH appreciate the notice -- I just got the DVR set up for this!

It's nice to hear that Beezie Madden was as nice as she seems in her interviews -- I've long admired her, and I think she's one of the best possible ambassadors for the sport!

[ilikridn]

I think it's on again tomorrow (Sunday) in the morning, so if you miss it today you can catch it tomorrow!

[nlk]

It will re-air Sunday at 11am, at least on the East coast. I can't wait to watch!

10am here in Detroit area???? are we not on the same time zone or am I missing something?

[kowgrl]

Dang I will be stuck at work tomorrow at 10 also. UGH I guess i just dont get to see it.

[To the MAX]

Who can't stand the commentators already? I wish they would just shut up! :lol:

[dags]

I SWEAR I heard it the first phase likened to "indoor pinball", I'm really hoping I heard that incorrectly.

LOL. William Shatner is doing the voiceover for the USEF commercial. Think USEF paid for that? Or maybe he donated his celebrity status.

[dags]

Oh, and Robin Hood W = New Favorite Horse. What an athlete!

[LexInVA]

At least it's in HD. Even Rolex isn't in HD.

[Green Acres]

Who can't stand the commentators already? I wish they would just shut up! :lol:

Didn't you just love the comment "he bucked up"!!???:lol:

But yea, for Beezie!!! I love watching her ride - she's amazing! What is so cool is that I went to the same college she did for one year!!! She was awesome to watch then and even better now!!!!

And yes, the 'indoor pinball' comparison was made. come on folks.

[BlueBobRadar]

That was so much fun to watch! I really hope Animal Planet shows more horse stuff. That was a cool USEF commercial!
I SWEAR I heard it the first phase likened to "indoor pinball", I'm really hoping I heard that incorrectly.


Yeah, thats what they said. Not quite sure how that comparison was made!

[indygirl2560]

I love Beezie's horse Judgement!

[LexInVA]

We're getting Jockeys from Animal Planet but it's obviously focused on the life of the Jockeys and from what I've heard it won't focus very much on the horses apart from the track footage.

[redkat]

I SWEAR I heard it the first phase likened to "indoor pinball", I'm really hoping I heard that incorrectly.

You did hear it correctly, although I thought the point was to *not* hit things! ;)

I love Judgement, too, but I was really impressed by Beezie's ride on Prima.

[Nikki^]

Thank you Animal Planet!!!:D

Is it me or did they put clap/woot/whistle in the show? I heard clapping over every jump but the crowd wasn't clapping.
The commentary wasn't that bad and I really liked the guy's voice. Very pleasant and he sounded excited to be there. :D

[RumpusRaiser]

Tomorrow morning at 9 Central.

[meghan1963]

I was there, the clapping & cheering was all real. It was actually even louder there than on the show. I think you were hearing the people on the stage that were near the comentators - but you couldn't see them. In the AP Sporthorse Cup - the crowd is encouraged to make a lot of noise and show their appreciation - especially to their favorites riders & horses.

[dags]

You did hear it correctly, although I thought the point was to *not* hit things! ;)


Glad I'm not the only one that didn't get this reference. Good grief, pinball?? Let's contribute to the belief that all we do is sit there and "push" buttons.

[Nikki^]

I was there, the clapping & cheering was all real. It was actually even louder there than on the show. I think you were hearing the people on the stage that were near the commentators - but you couldn't see them. In the AP Sporthorse Cup - the crowd is encouraged to make a lot of noise and show their appreciation - especially to their favorites riders & horses.

That's really neat that the crowd really got into it and were encouraged to cheer the riders on. Way better then clap tracks.

[LexInVA]

Glad I'm not the only one that didn't get this reference. Good grief, pinball?? Let's contribute to the belief that all we do is sit there and "push" buttons.

I don't think the average person (in the unlikely event that people unfamiliar with horses were actually watching the program) would be able to connect the "push button" concept with the pinball analogy.

[Beezer]

Thanks for the head's up, albeit too late for today. But I just checked Animal Planet's website and it's on at 10 a.m. Sunday here on the West Coast. Yippee!

[SpicyMonarch]

I was there, the clapping & cheering was all real. It was actually even louder there than on the show. I think you were hearing the people on the stage that were near the comentators - but you couldn't see them. In the AP Sporthorse Cup - the crowd is encouraged to make a lot of noise and show their appreciation - especially to their favorites riders & horses.
I was there this year too, and the crowd does some serious cheering! During the four bar, the whole crowd was on their feet during Beezie's last trip! The crowd at that show sure is a special one, truly passionate about their sport and athletes!:yes:

Amymcree--that is too friggin cool that Beezie handwrote a letter back to yuor daughter!! I'm sure she'll treasure it forever! Beezie really is a great lady. I talked to her in Syracuse while she was signing a few things for me during the autograph session and she was just the nicest.

[dags]

I don't think the average person (in the unlikely event that people unfamiliar with horses were actually watching the program) would be able to connect the "push button" concept with the pinball analogy.

Not our "push button" concept per se, the public's "push button" concept . . . more along the lines of the "how hard can it be, you sit there, the horse does all the work" mentality equestrian athletes tend to face.

No real harm, just think there could have been some other analogy to liken our sport to.

[LexInVA]

Not our "push button" concept per se, the public's "push button" concept . . . more along the lines of the "how hard can it be, you sit there, the horse does all the work" mentality equestrian athletes tend to face.

No real harm, just think there could have been some other analogy to liken our sport to.

The general public doesn't really have that perception of showjumping since they don't know enough to know "push button" when they see it. They see showjumping as a sport for wealthy people and leave it at that. The whole "push button problem" refers to the opinion in the show jumping community that wealthy young riders (and adults to a lesser extent since there aren't many of them riding at the higher levels) who are show circuit fixtures but obviously not good enough to be considered amongst the best buy horses that are "push button" horses trained by much better riders which allow them to simply hang on, look pretty, and enjoy the ride after a fashion. While there certainly is a bit of truth to that, it is something that has been blown up and painted with neon blue spraypaint by the people who take anything said about the sport personally, so it no longer resembles the point it once was. The only people I ever see bringing up the "push button" issue are the riders themselves and they always seem to do it in a manner which suggests they have something to prove to those they see as outsiders. I've never once seen a non-rider infer anything along the lines of "The horse does all the work while you sit up there and look pretty." All equestrian sports are dealing with the issue of riding above your appropriate level including the Western ones though each discipline has their own variation of it. In Eventing, it would be riders buying made horses that are really beyond their skills to control and riding them through the competitions at breakneck pace until an accident occurs. In Dressage, it's wealthy people spending gobs of money on UL Dressage horses thinking nobody will pay any attention to the rider or that their scores will magically improve because they are riding Idocus (note I'm just making up a fictitious scenario here since Idocus is the only really awesome Dressage horse I can think of off the top of my head).

[dalpal]

Prima=GORGEOUS.....WOW! What a lovely mare, even if she is "grumpy" in her stall. :lol:

I also loved the 8 year old Gray Stallion, I can't remember who the rider was (US), but he was LOVELY!!

Robin Hood.....Super Nice

Breanna (did I spell that right)....she has, just beautiful, beautiful form...and her little Pinto was absolutely darling. :yes:

Iron Spring Farm is the owner of Judgement, Right????? What a sensational horse!!!

[BAC]

Iron Spring Farm is the owner of Judgement, Right????? What a sensational horse!!!

Yes, Judgment is owned by ISF. Michael Matz was his original rider, and when MM retired from showjumping Beezie got the ride.

[dags]

Sorry Lex, think you lost me. I'm well aware of the various push button arguements- they've been beaten to death on this board and I tend not to play. That wasn't what I was talking about, sorry I still haven't made that clear. Instead, I just thought it an odd analogy. I mean, pinball . . . you stand around, push a button, and run into sh*t. (sorry to any pinball wizards, please take no offense.)

"The horse does all the work while you sit up there" . . . I've actually heard that more times than I care to count. They don't even get to pretty because they have no idea that's a part of the game anyway. Gave up on that arguement years ago. And when I mention to the Average Joe in casual conversation what the going price of a decent show horse is, they tend to look pretty astounded.

I don't think the public really has a general impression of showjumping, most probably never took the time to think about it. But hey, can't be that hard, anyone can play pinball :D

[usuallyalurker]

Perhaps the commentators’ pinball analogy was simply referring to getting over the fences at a high rate of speed. It was a speed class, yes? I thought she was likening the fences to the paths in which a pinball has to navigate through to get to the finish. Is it possible that people are over analyzing her comment?

[WB Mom]

I always remind myself that the commentary in these television events is aimed at people who really don't know anything about the sport. Their goal is to keep people attracted. I never pay much attention to it as I am just happy something like this is on TV. I do chuckle at times....

[zahena]

What a great program yesterday. My boyfriend even sat and watched most of it. He was gasping along with me at the tight turns in Hit and Hurry and then was amazed by the heights in the 4 bar. He doesn't understand how a horse can jump that high. I think it's because he's seen my horse jump!!!

[Silk]

The commentator was Kim Prince? Isnt she a top level GP rider herself? Or was it Kim Williams? Either way, I believe the commentator is a rider. The pinball reference was made in reference to the size of the arena and how the sides and ends came up so fast, ie the fact that Americans show indoors much less than the Europeans. THAT was the context of the pinball reference. It had nothing to do with "pushbutton" but rather fast reactions on the part of the rider.

[FindersKeepers]

I caught this thread JUST in time for the Sunday replay! It's on at 10am, east coast. Woohoo!

[dags]

Perhaps the commentators’ pinball analogy was simply referring to getting over the fences at a high rate of speed. It was a speed class, yes? I thought she was likening the fences to the paths in which a pinball has to navigate through to get to the finish. Is it possible that people are over analyzing her comment?

yup :D

[mbj]

don't have a tv so missed this. Was the young grey a stallion, Torlando, part-owned and ridden by Callan Solem? IIf so, they both are very wonderful.

[SED]

Thanks for the heads up on this. I caught it Sunday morning, and absolutely loved it. The production was first rate, with a good balance of action, explanation and interviews. The hour was fast-paced, and the 3 class format was alot of fun. I thought Kim Prince did a fine job, and the pin ball reference was clearly to the need for fast reactions, and even a non-rider would have gotten it.

My only complaint about the format is that points in the first 2 rounds are so hard won, that having 4 subtracted for a single pole in the last round could be a real killer. But it certainly kept the suspense up! Go Beezie. Judgment is the best at 17!
Gives hope for the rest of us....

[SpicyMonarch]

OK, I wasn't gonna put this up, but since we have a lot of Judgement fans on here I thought I'd show you guys this:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff260/hunterguy398/DSCF1731.jpg

I touched him after the Sporthorse Cup!!!

[meghan1963]

thanks for posting that. I have tried to explain to people what a mob scene it was around Judge & his groom Emily but unless you saw it it is hard to image.

do you have any others?

[meghan1963]

Not our "push button" concept per se, the public's "push button" concept . . . more along the lines of the "how hard can it be, you sit there, the horse does all the work" mentality equestrian athletes tend to face.

No real harm, just think there could have been some other analogy to liken our sport to.

that analogy was used to liken how closed in it feels in the arena with the seating up along all the sides of the arena. everything comes up fast in that indoor.

[SpicyMonarch]

thanks for posting that. I have tried to explain to people what a mob scene it was around Judge & his groom Emily but unless you saw it it is hard to image.

do you have any others?

I do, actually! I'll upload them to Photobucket right now!

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff260/hunterguy398/DSCF1733.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff260/hunterguy398/DSCF1732.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff260/hunterguy398/DSCF1730.jpg

After this, Emily was walking Judgement through the streets of Syracuse. The horse is amazing. He acts like a 30 year old gelding on the ground. Totally calm!

[meghan1963]

they are great. He is a good boy for sure!

[Go Fish]

Did I hear the commentator say Judgement is 18 this year? Yikes, where did the time go?????

[suniday]

Does anyone know if/when it will be rebroadcast? I missed both Saturday and Sunday. :(

[SpicyMonarch]

Did I hear the commentator say Judgement is 18 this year? Yikes, where did the time go?????

Yes, he is indeed going to be 18! It's crazy how strong he's still going!:yes:

[JLC7898]

Looove Prima also, whats the low down on her?

[zahena]

Amazing how calm he is. What a true gentleman. They said he loved the crowds but I was just thinking in the ring, he obviously loves them out of it too! That's a testament to some great training!!!

[SpicyMonarch]

Looove Prima also, whats the low down on her?

She's a nice little mare! haha. Dutch, I believe. Beezie's actually had the ride on her for the last 2 or three years, I bleieve. She's done exceptionally well with her in the speed classes. :yes:

[Angela Freda]

I do, actually! I'll upload them to Photobucket right now!

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff260/hunterguy398/DSCF1733.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff260/hunterguy398/DSCF1732.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff260/hunterguy398/DSCF1730.jpg

After this, Emily was walking Judgement through the streets of Syracuse. The horse is amazing. He acts like a 30 year old gelding on the ground. Totally calm!
Aw Judge!
He looks great!

I had the... erm... pleasure of working with him when he was 3 and 4. He did not act like he was 30 then, but as you can see as he matured and found a job- look out!
I got to see him last actually years ago at The Festival at Gladstone when Michael Matz still had the ride and MM actually remembered me from the farm and chatted about how J-man was doing. Judge has been lucky, imo, to have some great people work with him, incl the riders at the farm who started working with him early on- Melvin, and then Wendy.

I always say I would give my eye teeth for a Roemer [and if they could clone me a Matador I would die happy], but I would not turn down a Consul either.
Or a Rampal. Or... you get the idea.
Still an ISF devotee after all these years.

[lauriep]

And Judgement and Authentic are having the entire winter off, staying in Cazenovia rather than going to Wellington.

[Angela Freda]

And Judgement and Authentic are having the entire winter off, staying in Cazenovia rather than going to Wellington.
Judge is not going home to ISF for breeding season?

[lauriep]

It is my understanding he will be staying at JMS.

[hollyhorse2000]

I'd guess I'm somewhat in the minority here, but I don't love this format. I did like the rider and horse interviews, I thought the commentators were fine, I loved Shatner's voiceover, but the first two phases of the cup leave me somewhat cold. I don't like the flatout "speed" concept or the high jump (I also hate puissance). Can't really explain why . . .

I do appreciate the horsey programming, tho . . .

[scot1las]

Dang! I was looking forward to seeing it, and then when the weekend came, I never thought about it! I checked the Animal Planet TV listings for the rest of January, and it's not scheduled at all. Guess I missed my chance.

I don't know why that channel repeats every other thing they show endlessly, but the horse stuff is shown one or two days and that's all. :(

[LexInVA]

I don't know why that channel repeats every other thing they show endlessly, but the horse stuff is shown one or two days and that's all. :(

Sponsorship and ads. Regular Animal Planet shows have a sponsor or two attached to each program who pays money for ad space and those sponsors pay a going rate for popular programs. There are a few other reasons which tie into it but it's basically just an issue of who is willing to pay to see it on the air and how much money Animal Planet makes from the deal. In the case of equestrian programming, it has never been a success for them, but the cost and ease of filming such things make it a great option for taking up space in their lineup every so often with something different.

[Anticipation]

Actually a super fantastic lady who works in the Marketing Department for Animal Planet competes and shows Jumpers on the east coast. She has helped a ton in getting these equestrian events onto the small screen and getting the Animal Planet name to horse shows around the country.

[poltroon]

Sadly, our DVR was broken over the weekend and we missed it.

But Judgement - that horse is just looking fantastic. He and Beezie made a Spruce Meadows derby class from 2008 that was broadcast recently look like an equitation round. Kudos to her and her staff for keeping a stallion going so well for so long.