Official Rolex thread! Post all Rolex-related oddities here... [Archive] - Page 2

EventerAJ

Apr. 24, 2004, 05:21 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Sammy's Mom:
Passed Ralph at the finish of the modified. He was on foot and looking very sore, but ok.
All I have to say is Windfall is an absolute amazing horse. Saw him before and after his run and he looked awesome.

I was priviliged to run groom shuttle and met some great people. Kim's grooms rock!

The day was perfect weather and other than the few falls, I think everyone was happy.

There is no spoon--Neo<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sammy's Mom-- which shuttle were you?! I also helped Jess with the groom shuttle. I think you may have been on break when I was on duty (11-12ish). Sorry I missed ya!

What beautiful weather we had today! It was just sunny enough to make spectators happy, yet slightly cloudy and breezy to be great for the horses. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

~AJ~
If you're big-star bound let me warn ya it's a long hard ride.

Sammy's Mom

Apr. 24, 2004, 05:48 PM

Eventer AJ--
Sorry I missed you. I was at lunch from 11-12. I discovered I still have one of the shuttle signs on my truck. If you talk to Jess, ask her what I should do with it!! I am not going out there tomarrow so I don't know what to do with it.

There is no spoon--Neo

tecumsea

Apr. 24, 2004, 05:51 PM

The day at rolex went great. I am back from the grooms shuttle and the 5 hour gas break I took. I had a blast doing the shuttle. I may do this again next year.

EventerAJ

Apr. 24, 2004, 06:06 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Sammy's Mom:
Eventer AJ--
Sorry I missed you. I was at lunch from 11-12. I discovered I still have one of the shuttle signs on my truck. If you talk to Jess, ask her what I should do with it!! I am not going out there tomarrow so I don't know what to do with it.

There is no spoon--Neo<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oops! lol I'm planning to meet up with Jess tomorrow during SJ, I'll probably talk to her (many times) before then and I'll ask about the sign. What part of Lexington are you in? Someone (me or Jess?) could pick it up from you if they need it soon.

~AJ~
If you're big-star bound let me warn ya it's a long hard ride.

tecumsea

Apr. 24, 2004, 06:13 PM

Sammy's mom, I think you could take it to haggards this week or give me your address, email me and I can go by your house tomorrow morning. You are on my side of town now.

Sannois

Apr. 24, 2004, 06:15 PM

Glad to hear Ralph is OK! I have done 2 clinics with him, and he is super! Wonderful news about Kim and Dan! Hope they kick butt tomorrow! Hmmm This is too Deja vous! 2000???? I hope not! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" Benjamin Franklin, 1755
Founding member of The Fossils over Fences Clique!

Carol Ames

Apr. 24, 2004, 07:20 PM

I just got a call from Mya Lea, formerly Bonnie lamphear, as she was driving home to,Aiken, from the rolex; She said the course was beautiful, and the riding good, she saw Bruce on Little Tricky at the Head of the Lake, and said, "it looked like a gymnastic, 2 'high on dry land!"and "he deserves to be 2x World Champion!"

breeder of Mercury!

remember to enjoy the moment, and take a momento enjoy!, and give thanks for thesewonderful horses in our lives.

Candle

Apr. 24, 2004, 08:02 PM

sooo.... what happened? i've never seen the Rolex course ride like that! a lot of people got held on course, a lot of people had falls, and about 3/4 of the people i saw go through (i saw most of the 4* and about half of the mod) scraped through by the skin of their teeth, hung a leg at the fences, hit the fences hard, or sucked back so badly at the base of the fence that they barely made it.

Like i said, i've never seen a Rolex course ride like that. am i crazy? or was that extraspecially insane?

edited to say yes i did see quite a few riders who made fences look easy, but Karen O'Connor having a refusal at the Head of the Lake on her experienced horse??? something wrong there.... the whole thing just bothered me... i dont like this new course design very much
----------------------------------------------------------
*upon viewing John Williams and Sloopy bucking through their third-to-last flying change*
Mom: "Ooh! That's a pretty horsie! Maybe the judge will give him points for that!"
Me: "Yeah! Penalty Points!!"

adamsmom

Apr. 24, 2004, 09:47 PM

Well, the course may have ridden tough, but that's okay.
I'd much rather see refusals & falls (minor ones!) than serious injury.
I'm sure the weather & footing played a part, but we have to remember, we are generally spoiled by lovely weather at Rolex, barring the hurricane a couple of years ago.
And it is not unusual for even the best riders to have the occasional stop at the big events.
Remember Karen had a run out both times at Rolex with Regal Scot.

To be conscious that you are ignorant is a great step to knowledge.
Benjamin Disraeli, Sybil, 1845

JDufort

Apr. 25, 2004, 04:40 AM

Pol

would you believe...
1) its my regular commute
and
2) Jo is still working in Florida and couldn't get away
so...
instead of having our much anticipated first ever journey to Rolex, we are both hard at work and trying to follow this via internet and cell phones.

maybe next year, say the die hard cubs fans

Jeanne
eventing - what doesn't break you makes you strong!

clayfan

Apr. 25, 2004, 06:08 AM

Does anyone know what happened with Nina and 3 Magic Beans?

Raven's Wing

Apr. 25, 2004, 06:31 AM

Ok here is my take on what I saw of the course -- (Preface this by saying I am new to riding eventing but have attended Rolex and watched for many years. So take my observations for what they are worth.)

The time was very tight and the questions were technical. Going into the head of the lake yes there was a huge oxer but where horses stuck was having to do what some said was a tight bounce into the water.

The duck pond had a big mound with a jump on top. Again you would see horses get to the top to take the fence, look over the top and see the drop and water and really suck back.

My first year at Rolex many years ago the course demolished a lot of horses and riders. In fact when I got there that first year the first jump I went to was the big water complex. As soon as I walked up a hold was put on course and a rider had to be airlifted out of the park. The hold was lifted and the next horse that came to the water took a nasty spill and I later learned had broken his tailbone and was retired from eventing.

The years after that the new course designer I thought really did a nice job of making the course very technical without wiping out everyone with really ugly spills.

From what I saw this year there were several tight groupings of fences with lots of questions being asked in a very short space. Hence leading to run outs and refusals.

From what I could tell the park did a really nice job maintaining the course and its footing. Esp. considering we had 3 days of rain leading up to Saturday.

[This message was edited by Raven's Wing on Apr. 25, 2004 at 10:02 PM.]

Melinda

Apr. 25, 2004, 06:59 AM

Nina Fout broke her collar bone. Beanie after doing a million three-days didn't realize that he was in the Modified Division and there was not any steeplechase. He didn't listen to Nina very well and fell at the 2nd fence on cross-country. He has a couple of swollen knees but will be okay. Nina is not too happy but she will be okay as well.

Sannois

Apr. 25, 2004, 08:11 AM

Well better runouts refusals and minor spills than seriously injured horses and riders! Sounds like it was a thinking riders course! Thats the kind that really shows who has done their homework! Cant wait to see the Video! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif Melinda any cross country photos?? http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif BTW Thanks for doing a super job this weekend keeping us all abreast of the latest scores! Being that the rolex site was a bit slow and had problems, you wer right on top of it! thank you soooo much! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif I know all us stay at home folks really appreciated it! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" Benjamin Franklin, 1755
Founding member of The Fossils over Fences Clique!

LAZ

Apr. 25, 2004, 08:11 AM

Poor Nina is having a run of bad luck!

I saw Beanie in the infield being held by someone after Nina fell--he was lit up and dancing around--you could see the thoughts bouncing around in his head--"Come On!! Come On!! We haven't gone NEARLY far enough or fast enough yet!!" I didn't envy whoever had to lead him back to the barn, I'm sure he was a handful.

Raven's Wing

Apr. 25, 2004, 08:53 AM

I was in the infield when Beanie was being taken back to the barn. He was half passing all the way. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif There was a lot of conversation going on about the possible effects of not having the steeplechase. Both directions -- was it why some horses where sucked back because they didn't have that stage to get them rolling forward before stadium and/or was it why some horses seemed too forward since they were anticipating steeplechase before going cross-country.

Candle

Apr. 25, 2004, 08:59 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Raven's Wing:
The years after that the new course designer I thought really did a nice job of making the course very technical without wiping out everyone with really ugly spills.

From what I saw this year there were several tight groupings of fences with lots of questions being asked in a very short space. Hence leading to run outs and refusals.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

i think this is more of what i'm trying to say. to me, Rolex is more famous for well-rounded horsemanship on cross country. can you answer technical questions while at the same time making the time and proving that your horse is fit? This year a lot of people were flat out galloping racetrack style between fences, which i don't see often, and it seemed like a lot of unreasonable technical questions. I really do want to know if i'm off-base in thinking this and why, because this Rolex was dramatically different than the cross country runs i've seen for the past five years, in my mind at least, so keep talking to me... it'll get through eventually http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif j/k anyways, can there be such a thing as no serious injuries but so many runouts and refusals that the course is deemed unacceptable?

----------------------------------------------------------
*upon viewing John Williams and Sloopy bucking through their third-to-last flying change*
Mom: "Ooh! That's a pretty horsie! Maybe the judge will give him points for that!"
Me: "Yeah! Penalty Points!!"

Raven's Wing

Apr. 25, 2004, 09:53 AM

Candle -- I will admit you are heading into a level of conversation that I can theorize on but not with a great depth of personal experience or knowledge. I am anxious to see the media coverage of the course since my insights are based on the narrow scope I could witness.

I will say that from what I saw riders that seemed really in tune with their horses seemed to know when to push through the short route and when to back off and throw in a long route. In some ways I think this adds a cool thinking element to the sport. Now not only do riders have to ride the technical elements and ride their horses correctly into the jumps but they now need to know their horses and make good decisions on course. Not that that hasn't been a part of the sport but maybe now just taking it to another level. For instance, Karen O'Conner's mount in the modified that I saw go through (towards the bottom of the field) seemed to be going wonderfully. But she still made the decision to take him the long way at the Lexington Bank rather then push the short route. Had a great run and I think less than 2 seconds time faults. This is one example but I saw several top riders who seemed to not only ride well but evaluate their horse and the course to find the best way through for the way their run was going so that they didn't have run outs and refusals.

I didn't like where the sport seemed to be going a number of years ago with just making courses that were bigger and badder and demolishing horses and riders. Like the technical/thinking aspect that weeds out the top from the bottom.

While the course had lots of questions grouped everyone of these groupings offered an option that a rider could take if they felt it was too much at once for their horse. At that point I guess the question is were the refusals a result of poor course design or a rider making a decision that didn't work out.

All in all it was a wonderful day. Enjoyed getting to meet many of the folks that post on here.

It will be interesting to hear others thoughts.

bip

Apr. 25, 2004, 12:23 PM

Does anyone know how different the video/DVD will be than what is aired on NBC? I want to buy the DVD, but not if it's the same or almost the same.

Party Rose

Apr. 25, 2004, 12:29 PM

What happened to Natalie Rooney-Pitts & Aladdin? I see no scores, not posted as scratched, yet they are on the roster.

Row Wisco, Row!

Apr. 25, 2004, 02:37 PM

Whoa!

Who wrote the most recent headline over at www.rk3de.org (http://www.rk3de.org) ?!?

Methinks said person had too many "spectatorial" beverages! http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/winkgrin.gif

To be great is to dare to rise above the sea of mediocrity and surround yourself by the elite... To be excellent is to never give in to the mental weakness or fear.

subk

Apr. 25, 2004, 06:55 PM

I'm baaaack.

What a great weekend!(always good when the weekend start Wed morning http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif ) Took 190 pics at Wed jog, plus another few hundred up to today, leaving me with much editing to do. None of them are action photos of competitors since I just have a little point 'n shoot. I got to the holding area and have candids of most everybody, so let me know if you have a favorite rider and I'll post.

I walked the Modified course on Wed afternoon with Jimmy Wofford (my act of "international kindness" was wheeling it for the Canadians) and the the CCI course Friday morning. Based on what Jimmy said: The technical questions were "moderate." Definately up to 4 star standards but not world games hard. The galloping fences were all maximum efforts--so the "easy" fences were as hard as they could be. The time was hard to make. In predictable Mike E. style they wheeled 124 and 136 meters LONGER than the published distance. That's about 15 seconds harder than it looks. Fifteen seconds is forever.

I did not talk to Jimmy about the XC course after it rode so the next opinions are my own and as such quite up for dispute.

Lots of good riding but a surprising amount of riders who know better picking to the base then paying the price. At the sunken rode both Robert C. and Phillip D. in shockers picked up falls. (Phillip' was actually an extraordinary athletic feat on his part to dismount when his horse got in trouble.) Both of them tried to adjust, adjust, adjust all the way to the base and trouble on the D element was inevitable.

The distance of the bounce at the Head of the Lake was not tight, 11 feet. The drop off the second element (6'2" I think) was quite the question. Problems I saw there tended to be because horse's were backing of the first element because of what they saw at the second and then not forward enough to make a landing deep enough into the distance and/or forward enough to jump the second.

Saw some beautiful riding from Kim S., and Will F. who still hasn't figured out how to apply the brakse but has discovered when you make a mistake going forward it's rarely as costly as one made not going forward. William Coleman does the O'Connor clan proud as they've been teaching him since he was 12. Beautiful rider and New Hope is my new favorite horse. Amamda Vines (CAN) another first timer with several stops but d@mn if she wasn't going to finish. Grit. Lee Smith who was a bit over the top fashionwise at the jogs, unattractive in dressage but showed everyone how to kickbutt XC with a double clear. You ride like that you can wear whatever the hell makes you happy!

The brits were as expected, lovely. William F-P. was oh so casual jogging Wed. Looked like he didn't have a care in the world sauntering up to the Ground Jury with his hand in his pocket. I guess when you're at Kentucky with amazing horses as his Fifth and Sixth string (top horses going next week) you can be laid back. But boy does he ride nicely. I don't even want to like him, but I can't help it. Polly Jackson also caught my eye.

Darren C., lord love him, I know he's cute but he sure seems to know where the cameras are. What an incredible stallion Windfall is and what a beautiful ride he gave him all weekend long. You have to beleive he'll star in Athens.

Natalie B. poor child. Blonde moment on stadium and drops from first to seventh, she never engaged for the first fence. But she is a beautiful rider, and always well mounted no doubt we'll see alot more of her. Dresses well for the jog, too.

Ok, ok sorry. I didn't mean to go on and on here. I'm going to go hang out with my hubby, do some photo editing and check in tomorrow.

One last thing. Stadium. SOOO much better than last year. Looked like time with George Morris has really, really, really paid off!

[This message was edited by subk on Apr. 26, 2004 at 02:51 AM.]

Mariequi

Apr. 25, 2004, 07:19 PM

I thought the technical questions and necessary thinking and efforts in xc AND stadium were right on. Was lucky enough to sit in on a discussion with Richard Jeffrey and other course designers and am so impressed with how they approach their planning processes.

Adamsmom, thought of you many, many times. Sent hugs through A. Know you were being brilliant, but hope you're back soon!

Bensmom

Apr. 25, 2004, 07:30 PM

subk -- check your PTs. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

*Proud member of the Hoof Fetish Clique*

olympicprincess

Apr. 25, 2004, 07:56 PM

Did I read correctly that Windsome Adante had colic surgery just this past fall??? WOW!!! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif That is AMAZING!! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

Anyone happen to know how extensive the surgery was?

I recall being told by a surgeon at the equine hospital that they can recover fully depending on how serious the surgery is. Definitely something to keep in mind if I ever have a horse that requires colic surgery (*knock on wood*).

horse_poor

Apr. 25, 2004, 10:58 PM

ok i am home and for the first time in 4 days not covered with mud

but i am sunburned---guess i was being punished for wishing for a bit of sun

and all i can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!!!

unbelievable-could not believe my eyes

and for the record even though i SAID i wouldnt shop, came home with a suitcase weighing over 50 pounds and a lot more poor!!!!!!

******************************
molly
**proud member of the calendar- CBW FOR LIFE !!**
http://community.webshots.com/user/mavw1971
www.oasisequestrian.com (http://www.oasisequestrian.com)

Mudroom2

Apr. 26, 2004, 07:47 AM

I couldn't be there Sunday. Was the stadium course the same for the CCI**** and the modified?

It seems like an interesting phenomenom that there were very few stadium faults among the top **** horses but many of the top modified riders had faults in stadium. Were the modified horses too fit? Not fit enough? Some other issue?

Windy Willow

Apr. 26, 2004, 08:03 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>I got to the holding area and have candids of most everybody, so let me know if you have a favorite rider and I'll post.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Subk
Did you get any pictures of Jessica Heidemann on FRENCH TWIST!?]
She did a wonderful job and ended up 13th.I met her and her family Friday night and had dinner with them. CompetitiveHorse.com is sponsering her now.We are proud of her!

www.competitivehorse.com (http://www.competitivehorse.com)

http://community.webshots.com/user/windywillow100

"Ain't no horse ever run faster than I could ride it" (Wind whistling through Willow)

hitchinmygetalong

Apr. 26, 2004, 08:23 AM

Here's a Rolex-related oddity:

A beautiful day here in the Bluegrass, with clear skies and moderate temps predicted for the entire week.

Go figure.

"I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning to sail my ship."
-Louisa May Alcott

Sannois

Apr. 26, 2004, 08:51 AM

Yup I looked up the forcast on the weather channel! Figures! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif Hey Where are all the pictures??? Saw a great one of David and Tigger that Subk took, but NEED pics!!!!! Especially Cross Country! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" Benjamin Franklin, 1755
Founding member of The Fossils over Fences Clique!

Laurel&HollyFarm

Apr. 26, 2004, 09:53 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by fernie fox:
Do they sell Rolex hat pins,if so would someone get me one,I can trade a Sydney or Atlanta Olympics pin for it.

fernie fox
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Fernie, I have a hat pin for you. PT with your address and I will get it in the mail to you.

Terry

subk

Apr. 26, 2004, 09:56 AM

Windy Willow here's Jessica at Wed Jog...I think.

Laurel&HollyFarm

Apr. 26, 2004, 10:02 AM

The actually changed the course without moving a single fence!

Sally made a lot of comments about how tired the CCI**** horses were compared to the modified horses since they hadn't done steeplechase the day before. Perhaps that had something to do with it.

wanderlust

Apr. 26, 2004, 10:16 AM

We watched the Lexington bank complex in the morning while the **** ran, and then again in the afternoon during the modified. In the morning, almost everyone did the direct route(corners). In the afternoon, we watched probably the last 8 or 9 horses, and I think one of them took the direct route and it involved alot of scrambling and banking/bellying. The afternoon horses appeared far more tired than the **** morning horses.

[This message was edited by wanderlust on Apr. 26, 2004 at 01:28 PM.]

dsedler

Apr. 26, 2004, 11:58 AM

I agree that the afternoon horses were much more tired than the morning bunch. Actually, the ground jury pulled one horse off the course in the Modified division at fence 25 due to the horse being just exhausted. I was judging at the Thatched Cottages (26 and 27) and the majority of horses in the modified division were REALLY tired by the time they got there. There were several comments that the Modified horses were not as fit as they needed to be for this level since they didn't have to do steeplechase and the 2nd roads and tracks.
The Lexington Bank was a couple after mine and all but a couple of riders took the long route in the afternoon. I think the 2 or 3 falls there made them decide better safe than sorry.

___________________________________________
http://community.webshots.com/user/dsedler

Holly Jeanne

Apr. 26, 2004, 12:10 PM

I also heard several comments by riders that, after all the morning horses had gone through that the most frequently used routes were pretty deep.

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” Goethe

horse_poor

Apr. 26, 2004, 12:15 PM

wanderlust--were you there when ralph fell?

we were--very scary, especially when he didnt get up!

******************************
molly
**proud member of the calendar- CBW FOR LIFE !!**
http://community.webshots.com/user/mavw1971
www.oasisequestrian.com (http://www.oasisequestrian.com)

wanderlust

Apr. 26, 2004, 12:47 PM

No, I actually didn't see a single fall. Although there were a couple of near misses at the water and the bank. Jenny Jarnstrom's horse coming through the water (modified) was completely exhausted, she was lucky he was a good-natured fella, else she would have gone swimming. Alas, she fell at the next fence.

alschwartz

Apr. 26, 2004, 12:47 PM

For those of you that are talking about the falls. . . I saw a lot more falls/refusals in the modified than in the ****. Past experience shows that there tends to be more injuries and problems when horses don't do steeplechase. David O'Connor and Jimmy Wofford both talked about this a few years ago at the FEI forum when we were discussing the future of the 3-day.

subk

Apr. 26, 2004, 01:56 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by alschwartz:
Past experience shows that there tends to be more injuries and problems when horses don't do steeplechase. David O'Connor and Jimmy Wofford both talked about this a few years ago at the FEI forum when we were discussing the future of the 3-day.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, yes! The FEI all but ignored those numbers at the time, too unpopular I think. I wonder if anyone is going to publically examine the results in relation to this. I hope so.

Pol

Apr. 26, 2004, 03:31 PM

Be careful what you wish for...Clearly we all want Eventing to remain a CCI format, but if we squeal too much that the Modified might not work, then the FEI might just pull the entire rug out from under us.....

NRB

Apr. 26, 2004, 04:25 PM

My memory could be wrong but I don't remember this many falls, and refusals last year. I shot all of what I saw on vidoe and now have about 55 min of XC and almost the entire stadium for the 4star.

The modified XC seemed to be where all the trouble was. Watched Robert C and Dalliance refuse the last element of the sunken road, saw Nina Fout and Beanie just screaming (ie running VERY fast) down to the second fence then a riderless Beanie trotting around the course. I didn't see the fall but friends were near by. Can't re what they said she did, thought it sounded like the horse banked the fence in an awkward momment then they crashed. Watched William Coleman have some sticky momments at the Squirrles and then just plain get stuck halfway over the first element of the new duck pond. His horse sort of scrambled over the jump and stradled it for a momment then scraped his stifles getting over. Didn't think they'd make it after that, but what pluck and determination! Did see Kim and Dan's dressage and was a nice ride, not many that day was wet footing.

Wonderful time, still tired from it all. All were wonderful courageous riders and horses, hats off to all of them and all the hard work that went into that event.

Robby Johnson who was driving the white duelly w/ the Arkansas plates and the huge Area III Rocks sticker on the back? Was that you?

Carol Ames

Apr. 26, 2004, 06:21 PM

r those of you that are talking about the falls. . . I saw a lot more falls/refusals in the modified than in the ****. Past experience shows that there tends to be more injuries and problems when horses don't do steeplechase. David O'Connor and Jimmy Wofford both talked about this a few years ago at the FEI forum when we were discussing the future of the 3-day.

Posts: 2 | Is there anyway that we can bring knowledge , and awareness of these findings to the commentators for NBC?, i remember the horrid coverage from rm Barcelona by NBC

breeder of Mercury!

remember to enjoy the moment, and take a momento enjoy!, and give thanks for thesewonderful horses in our lives.

subk

Apr. 27, 2004, 06:29 AM

I believe although am not positive that Jimmy Wofford is doing color comentary. He's done it in the past for productions (KET I think) and I heard someone in the stadium warm-up who knows him say something about him getting back to "the booth."

Hopefully he is, as that will surely go a long way in getting the right story out there.

bambam

Apr. 27, 2004, 07:27 AM

We saw Jimmy W sitting at one of the TV desks but were not sure whether it was for OLN or NBC. That would be great if he were commenting for NBC.

Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!

TrakEventer

Apr. 27, 2004, 09:29 AM

I spoke with David O'Connor who is supposedly doing a spot with Custom Made on the Today show sometime this week... I imagine it'll be closer to Friday or Saturday to plug the coverage of Rolex... anyone else know anything about it?

alschwartz

Apr. 27, 2004, 10:40 AM

As for the NBC commentators. . . both Jimmy W. and Dorothy Crowell spent time with NBC on Sunday. Either would be better than what we have had in the past.

alschwartz

Apr. 27, 2004, 10:43 AM

Pol,
I agree that we have to be careful. But it isn't our team that has been the problem. The majority of big injuries in the Olympics (lately anyway) has been from countries will lesser qualifications hence less experienced/qualified horses and riders than us, GB, NZ, AUS, etc.

If all they will give us is the CIC format we will take it, we will just have to figure out how make it work.

QHEventr

Apr. 27, 2004, 11:29 AM

Robby Johnson who was driving the white duelly w/ the Arkansas plates and the huge Area III Rocks sticker on the back? Was that you?[/QUOTE]

Could it have been Alabama plates? If so it was probably our area III YR coordinator Fran Summerlin

JO

"If I had to pick one thing to hang my hat on, I would want the horse that I was going to buy to have a face that I would enjoy seeing poked over the stall webbing every morning, waiting for breakfast"
- Jimmy Wofford on selecting a horse

"Event parties are all about adrenaline release, beer, loud music, and unacceptable behavior. Dancing on the table is strictly OK, as is climbing up the tent pole."
- Denny Emerson

Xctrygirl

Apr. 27, 2004, 06:39 PM

OK here is your official, inside information re: the commentator for the NBC broadcast etc...

This year it was supposed to be Melanie Smith Taylor. As bad and horrible luck would have it, she has befallen a very bad family "situation" that required her full attention. So in the pinch they used Jimmy. The same situation has also removed Melanie's availability for the Olympics.

Screen tests were done this weekend on a few individuals that NBC is considering for Athens. No decisions yet and believe me its a complex situation of who they will choose.

~Emily

"The brave may not live forever, but the cautious never truly live at all"

Pol

Apr. 27, 2004, 06:47 PM

Well, sorry for Melanie, and hope she can work everything out the best way possible. That being said,
YIPPPPEEEEEEE!!!!!!! HOORAY FOR JIMMY. YAAAAAYYYYY!!

http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/lol.gif http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/yes.gif http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/winkgrin.gif

Xctrygirl

Apr. 27, 2004, 06:58 PM

I should add, Jimmy CAN NOT do the Olympic broadcast. Due to his commitment to the Canadian team, he is unable to be the on air commentator for Athens.

Which sucks but I understand!!!

Some people in consideration, Dorothy, Jil Walton and some others.

~Emily

"The brave may not live forever, but the cautious never truly live at all"

Windy Willow

Apr. 27, 2004, 07:01 PM

Subk
Thanks for posting the good picture of Jessica and French Twist!

www.competitivehorse.com (http://www.competitivehorse.com)

http://community.webshots.com/user/windywillow100

"Ain't no horse ever run faster than I could ride it" (Wind whistling through Willow)

Sannois

Apr. 28, 2004, 01:27 PM

THANK God Jimmy will be doing the commentary! As we all know what a spin the media can put on things! http://chronicleforums.com/images/custom_smilies/uhoh.gif

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" Benjamin Franklin, 1755
Founding member of The Fossils over Fences Clique!

Pol

Apr. 28, 2004, 02:12 PM

I do not know how they are going to make this competition look like a good thing. JCW better be in the editing room this week! I am really quite worried about the "spin" we might see. Like when they have to focus, up close and personal, on the NASCAR crashes....Heaven forbid...

asterix

Apr. 29, 2004, 06:45 AM

Pol, Gretchen Butts' husband Robert told me that there would be a final edit approval from someone on "our side" (I didn't ask whether it was Rolex organizers or USEA) for the piece. I don't know who he had been talking to, but Gretchen trains with Jimmy, so I assume this is only third- or fourth-hand and relatively reliable.
He seemed pretty confident that it would NOT be a crash-fest and would be a good thing for the sport.

subk

Apr. 29, 2004, 12:36 PM

Even if they do a "crashfest" the injuries to humans was amazingly minimal. Some ribs and a collar bone. I haven't heard major issues about any horses. Has anybody? So if it looks bad and you can come back with nobody really hurt that's pretty good.

I'm delighted Melanie's not in the booth. (sorry about her problems) I beleive I've heard her before and she very much can across as one of those jumper riders who don't fundamentally "get" eventing.

I wonder if Brian O'Connor was interveiwed?

horse_poor

Apr. 29, 2004, 12:45 PM

wasnt a horse taken to R and R or am i imagining things?

******************************
molly
**proud member of the calendar- CBW FOR LIFE !!**
http://community.webshots.com/user/mavw1971
www.oasisequestrian.com (http://www.oasisequestrian.com)

tle

Apr. 29, 2004, 12:46 PM

I too am sorry about Melanie's personal problems but THRILLED she isn't going to be doing the coverage. Sorry, but she annoys me to no end!

I believe Chaos Theory had to go somewhere for treatment, but otherwise, I didn't hear anything about horse-related injuries.

I am, of course, still of the opinion that NBC should hire me. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

************
If Dressage is a Symphony... Eventing is Rock & Roll!!!

"All's well that ends with cute E.R. doctors, I always say." -- Buffy

alschwartz

May. 1, 2004, 08:45 AM

I thought that some of you may find this interesting. This came to me via email from someone who attending the USEA/USEF BOG meeting after Rolex.

Just a quick update from the BOG meeting. Mark Phillips was in attendance for a while on Sunday. His news was shocking. The horses in the modified division were totally devastated by the XC. No one was prepared for the short format to take so much out of the horses. The course was 1 1/2 minutes shorter with the same number of jumping efforts, 45. Essentially the horses ended up galloping 690 mpm between the jumps and were cooked at the 7 minute marker. They all had extreme difficulty in the vet box and one almost died (even though it jumped on Sunday). Even on Sunday am they looked bad and were noticeably more stressed than the 4 star division. Jumping was much more difficult for them too with them just looking tired. His take is that while the intended result was to "save" the horses for Athens, it took so much out of them it is questionable they will recover in time, and certainly need more time than the 4 star horses. Most of the horses trained the same as if they were going to the 4 star so that wasn't a factor. Not having the steeplechase was detrimental to having the horse open wind and physically prepare for the grueling endurance test. The idea that by eliminating the steeplechase would make the 4 star a dressage and show jumping test was far from accurate. He has great concerns with now how to prepare and train horses for this new test. We've mastered the interval training for the long format and now this seems completely different for the horses. He is very concerned about Athens where the first 2400 meters of the course is straight up a hill. I have concerns for the Young Riders this summer at the NAYRC, what will they do about this?
So this explains why the horses weren't too impressive on Sunday for show jumping. Now that we know what to look for when watching the NBC broadcast on Sunday.
Also, he said Kim's horse couldn't jump a stick in warm up and knocked everything down. Quite amazing she could go in there and jump clean!

Just wanted to pass this on to all of you.

claire

May. 2, 2004, 02:08 AM

alschwartz, Very interesting...I had posted a question here about what effect the Rolex "test run" of a modified test would have on the selection of a team for the Olympics...

Raised some very serious questions about the type of conditioning needed I guess!?

A question: were there any horses that did well and recovered in good shape? If so, what do they think made the difference?

Did I understand you correctly that some horses will be questionable to participate in the Olympics? Because of recovery time after Rolex?

Devastating indeed!!!

annikak

May. 2, 2004, 06:11 PM

Amazing-

I believe that a a horse named...Rebel Express (I think) was taken across the street to HDM. But not sure- heard it in the patrons tent from one of the owners.
Does anyone know anything else about the Mod 4* horses? I was at the new infield water and spoke to an area steward and there were a lot of comments about horses not being fit enough. Heard it over the radio- and also heard mumblings from others that were "in the know". I also heard that someone was pulled off XC because the horse was too tired...but again, don't know WHO or where they were pulled off.

Should have been more nosy and asked more questions!!! :-)

deltawave

May. 2, 2004, 07:26 PM

But Kim ran in the long format... http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_confused.gif or was that a non-sequitur?

I was stationed at the early part of the course and actually thought the short-format horses looked a little fresher coming through. No doubt the speed took its toll, though. Interesting! I wonder how this "experiment" in an Olympic year will shake out?

---------------------------------------------
"If you think your hairstyle is more important than your brain, you're probably right." Wear a helmet!
Pictures! (http://www.deltawave.homestead.com/photos2.html)
Helmet Nazi, Bah Humbug, Mares Rule, Breed Your Own and Michigan cliques!

molly seay

May. 3, 2004, 02:59 PM

hi everyone;
my name is molly and im trying to figure out how to post on this forum...
im very interested in how jan thompson's horse 'shared dreams' did on the modifided course.
he used to me mine, and now that you all are talking about how exhausted they got im all concerned.
i missed the broadcast on sun (i thought it was on sat duh!)
any pics of him would be fabulous.
i almost made the trip to rolex this year but couldnt - i live in oklahoma.
thanks
molly

Pol

May. 3, 2004, 03:18 PM

Hey gang, who can give me the full scoop on Jacob Two Two? I know I knew, but I have forgotten! Such is life over 50...Thanks.

dizzanddoc

May. 4, 2004, 07:09 AM

Did anyone else witness David O'Connor's demonstration of bad horsemanship by turning his stick over on what was clearly a tired horse in stadium? Right in front of the patron/sponsor's seating? Not the best message to send about our sport. Quite a few people in the stands commented on "why was he beating that poor animal in front of the fence?"

tle

May. 4, 2004, 07:20 AM

I didn't see it in person, but saw it on the NBC coverage. Obviously, David thought the horse needed more encouragement than what he was able to give with his legs. I would HARDLY call it bad horsemanship! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

Pol, the only thing I know is that he used to be owned(?)/ridden by Ab Lufkin until after she "quit" following the Sydney Olympics. He's a great little horse though, isn't he?

************
If Dressage is a Symphony... Eventing is Rock & Roll!!!

"All's well that ends with cute E.R. doctors, I always say." -- Buffy

Pol

May. 4, 2004, 09:06 AM

Dizzndoc, I gotta say, there isn't a whole lot David does that I do like. I also didn't like his pouty face when he stormed out of the SJ arena. By this time, he should be aware of the fact, whether we like it or not, that he is ON CAMERA all the time, and he should make a little effort to at least LOOK like a good sport. (Ya, ya, my flame suit is on...)
tle...I do remember that much, but am wondering when and how Julie got the ride on him, who owns him, etc. He is one of my faves. TX.

wanderlust

May. 4, 2004, 10:22 AM

Pol, I think Julie owns Jacob Two Two. If I recall correctly, she and her husband bought him when Abigail sold him, but Karen O rode him last year while Julie was pregnant.

catjumpexpress

May. 5, 2004, 03:00 PM

To those who wish to know about Rebel Express. He came off xc very exhausted, more then he should have been for his level of fitness. While cooling him out the vet heard an irregularity in his heart. Upon returning to the barn Dr. Allan was called and it was determined that Rebel had developed a heart murmor. A vet was called from the hospital across the street and arrived with an echo machine and the diagnosis was confirmed. A re-check was scheduled Sun. am. The Rolex vets and officials graciously allowed them to do the trot up, which they passed. Upon re-examination the diagnosis was the same and Heather withdrew. He tried his heart out for her...he is now officially retired from eventing.

Kick & Stick & Never Quit!

BarnBrat

May. 5, 2004, 06:47 PM

My friend and I also noticed how much more exhausted the modified horses were. Looks like they have screwed things up big time. What the hell did they expect? Changing the olympics to a format that very little was known about. Well, now we know don't we? To bad its too late. Let's hear a big round of applause for the FEI/IOC or whoever is responsible for this mess. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_mad.gif Sorry, this whole thing just ticks me off.

Anyway, anyone know if there will be an offical statement from those at the top of the sport, and their opinion on the whole thing? I have heard the general argeement amoung riders is that they did not like it at all. But that's just the word going around. Also...where in the heck do we go from here? They really wouldn't run the olympics with the same format knowing what they now know would they? The only other option I see is to make the course even shorter, the speed slower, and have fewer and smaller fences. Any other thoughts on what they might do for Athens?

-Mares Rule!
SaluteTheTruthColt (http://members.aol.com/HtaeD0/ultrasound.jpg)
Miracle&Presto (http://community.webshots.com/user/barnbrat82)
user/barnbrat82