[Mike Matson]

Always a pleasure to watch Fuego!

http://youtu.be/1AOunbxHfZo

[equiscape]

Thank you, Mike. I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching this team perform.

[Lost_at_C]

Very nice, and a bit less tense than their Olympic performance I thought. I'm looking forward to seeing more from this pair in 2013!

[BEARCAT]

Love 'em!

[Mardi]

(sigh) Never get tired of those two. Fuego looks super - bright, fresh and happy.

[lovey1121]

(sigh) Never get tired of those two. Fuego looks super - bright, fresh and happy.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1427...77087/?fref=ts

^^Not according to our Dragonhart/Spirithorse-

[Kadenz]

Eh. I've never been a big fan of their product in the ring: don't get me wrong, the horse seems sweet, the rider seems nice, there's nothing - I just don't get the hype.

Fuego performs many of the exact same faults as more-maligned pairs, and yet they seem to be ignored by the fans (not the judges, though). Pretty significant DAP, tight short neck, closed throatlatch, lots of tension, almost no overtrack at any gait, a 4-beat piaffe....

But he's so pretty?

[mbm]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1427...77087/?fref=ts

^^Not according to our Dragonhart/Spirithorse-

can we please not bring him into every conversation?

[alicen]

"All right folks here is Fuego. Watch carefully and tell me if you can see the physical imparements in his animation. Not to say anything bad about the horse or rider....tis just my observation that the majority of trainers and riders do not see." From the Buck's facebook.

Well, yeah, that's because the majority of trainers and riders are actually on the horse and don't have the advantage of your observation position on the
ground.

[lovey1121]

Sorry, I tried to stop but I couldn't help myself. I think its out of my system now

[LarkspurCO]

Fuego performs many of the exact same faults as more-maligned pairs, and yet they seem to be ignored by the fans (not the judges, though). Pretty significant DAP, tight short neck, closed throatlatch, lots of tension, almost no overtrack at any gait, a 4-beat piaffe....

Sounds like you've been reading too much "classical dressage" naysayer hooey.

With all due respect, of course.

[Kadenz]

Sounds like you've been reading too much "classical dressage" naysayer hooey.

With all due respect, of course.

Them's fightin' words!

Actually, I'm a big fan of several top-level combinations. However, I'm capable of seeing the small faults even they commit.

What I don't get is how people who will decry Totilas for these exact same faults will wax poetic over Fuego. Apparently, because he's Not A Wamblood and he's purty. I just don't get the hype.

I am biased towards a real, classically-performed piaffe though. Ya know, one with 2 beats.

PS - I would argue that the "classical naysayers" are the ones committing this fraud! They hate the exaggerated leg movement, neck position, etc. of the likes of Totilas (or anything under a Dutch rider, let's be honest) yet they practically coo over Fuego. Go look at TOB and see what I mean.

[LarkspurCO]

Ha! No, I'm not really looking to fight. And I don't look at TOB. I did it once and ran screaming for the exit...

I haven't watched Fuego before (not that I can recall anyway, which doesn't mean much these days). I really don't see those faults (don't agree at all with DAP being a fault, unless it is negative, which it was not). I will grant you one thing, that the horse lost rhythm here and there. So what? There was so much there to admire and enjoy about the ride. It must be like riding a giant powder keg -- all of that power and energy and the beautiful partnership. I love that, and I loved it with Gal and Totilas.

Naysayers be gone...I will not be discouraged!

Happy New Year, one and all!

P.S. You shouldn't expect to see overtrack except in the extended walk and trot. I could not see the walk well enough, but I could see overtrack in the trot. So there. Thpblpblblblblblblblblblbltthhhpt!

[Velvet]

can we please not bring him into every conversation?

Seriously. Why not just draw a pentagram on the floor to summon him instead of posting and mentioning his name? Same effect.

[alicen]

I haven't watched Fuego before (not that I can recall anyway, which doesn't mean much these days). Happy New Year, one and all!

Happy New Year to you, too, Larkspur.

If you haven't seen it before, I still think Fuego's best performance was at the 2010 WEG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjZGov3i70A 81.45% 5th place.

[Lora]

Always a pleasure to watch Fuego!

http://youtu.be/1AOunbxHfZo

Is anyone else seeing at least two hard yanks on the reins? I am not liking these hard yanks at all, especially at this level of riding and using a double bridle.

[LarkspurCO]

Oh, yeah! I like the one-handed tempis. What a fun horse.

I do remember seeing him before... sometime before I lost a billion brain cells. Or maybe it has something to do with being chained to a desk day after day, then taking care of five horses and riding and training the rest of the time. Next time I am laid up I will watch all of the dressage videos ever made.

[dbolte]

He was so much fun to watch there! What a cool horse

[ThreeFigs]

Pentagram!

[Lost_at_C]

Is anyone else seeing at least two hard yanks on the reins? I am not liking these hard yanks at all, especially at this level of riding and using a double bridle.

Nope, I watched again and I'm afraid I can't see that at all. I did notice the horse snatching at the bit a few times but that definitely comes from Fuego himself and not the rider. The only other thing I can see is the slightly exaggerated opening rein in the tempi changes - that's an outward motion rather than back. Can you be more specific about which parts of the video you're referring to?

For what it's worth I too am not the biggest fan of this pair, though their WEG performance was really lovely. What I've seen from them since then is often marred by too much tension, which results in a sometimes-unsteady contact and lack of a fully swinging back. Still, Fuego deserves credit for being one of the first Iberian horses to be truly competitive at the highest level.