Olympia
I had a great time yesterday. I was at Olympia supporting a Press Conference that was organised for Spinal Research, which is a charity I do some marketing for as a volunteer. The Press Conference went really well and should be shown on Eurosport tonight and Sky I don't know when. Also if you saw the course walk for last night's big competition I was the tall one of the two people in violent pink t-shirts! We did a course-walk with Derek Ricketts, who broke his neck several years ago, with a competition winner who had flown in from Scotland. I got an "access all areas" press pass as part of being there. I can tell you that the warm-up area is INCREDIBLY cramped, I could hardly believe it. And the SIZE of those fences on the course, in the tiny space that they have to turn in that arena. I don't know how they do it.
For anyone who's not seen any of it do try and get to see the French trick rider. He comes into the arena with eight Lusitanos. Three in front, three in the middle, and him standing with one foot on each of the back two. Then he jumps two fences. Then he moves the horses so they are six in front and two behind and jumps again. Then he drops two of the horses and weaves three sets of two between some poles. When he's finished that, he jumps them over three fences in a row, side by side. And as if that wasn't enough, he weaves them over the three fences, so he jumps the middle and the other two sets of two criss cross in front of him all the way down the row. It is quite INCREDIBLE to watch his skill.
Then I burnt a hole in my credit card. I made a beeline for a stand selling a body protector which is a spin-off from motorcycling (unfortunate choice of phrase, as you'll see!) You attach it to the saddle, and if you fall off it releases a cannister of CO2 which inflates before you have hit the floor, protecting your neck, back and front. I wanted to try one on because I thought it would be heavy and uncomfortable. Far from it, it just felt like a gilet, and looked like a gilet, very stylish. I watched a video of a guy being thrown off a wildly bucking horse - not a stunt rider - really being chucked onto the floor. In slow-mo, the vest was inflated long before he hit the deck. So I bit the bullet and bought one. It was terribly expensive, but heck, the reason I support Spinal Research in the first place is because so many riders get hurt.
So if Zippy throws any more wild tantrums, we may be finding out how easy it is to change a CO2 cannister!
C.
posted by cptrayes @ 4:11 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Oh, I saw that vest advertised a few months ago. It looked like a fabulous invention. From all the video I saw of how it worked, I'd give it good marks. As I recall the release cord fastens to the saddle???
I am always awestruck by the size of some of the fences the top jumpers jump. I can't even imagine making an approach to one.
Once, years ago, when I was riding Russell R. I got into a jump off with the fences being raised. (He was a novice level jumper jumping off against an open horse..but they kept raising the fences to the same height for both of us.) At last they were down to using just two jumps. A big spread and a high vertical wall. Lucky me...I came in with my heart in my throat and headed for the spread. Bless his little (big) heart, Russell clipped the rail and down it went. I never had to head for the wall which had been raised over the heads of the guys who were setting the blocks. My friends insisted I'd knocked down the spread on purpose so I didn't have to try the wall. EEEK!!
The open horse cleared the spread but I think knocked down the wall and one the class by one rail over me. I was happy to have gone so far...and not farther. *G*
Yes, you tie yourself to the saddle. I'm just working out how to do that safely because I know that WOW D-rings are only stapled on.
Blimey, I've never been near a fence that size on a horse Jean!
C
those who saw olympia on eurosport say that they interviewed katie price whilst lorenzo was on...phooey.(jean, katie price is a model, otherwise known as jordan... to be fair to her, she has ridden since she was a child, but is currently being held up as an exemplar of how to ride dressage....so i guess a lot of us are conflicted about her...and would rather have watched lorenzo!)
Lorenzo, (thanks for reminding me of his name) was absolutely awesome. Katie Price is a great self publicist!
C
Don't for heaven's sake forget that you are tied on. I can imagine someone dismounting hurriedly and becoming michelin man!
Does it go off with a bang or just a loud woosh?
Trick rider? Oh I am taking offense!!!
It is high acrobatie. But you know what is that he has a VERY strong relationship with his horses ... I know sounds really soappy. But at one, one of his horses lost it, and was nearly trampling his groom, Lorenzo came to him, and just by having him there, the horse calmed down.
That IS what I call horsemanship or leadership.
But he is pretty impressive rider.
Good idea for the vest.
My horses would calm down like that too Muriel, and I suspect Jean's would too. It's keeping them at home and being in constant contact with them that makes them so bonded to you.
There are drawbacks. If I'm at a show and I go out of sight and leave them tied to the lorry with SH watching them, they start to fret!
I call him a trick rider because there is no practical purpose to his multi-horse work. But then I call dressage movements tricks too. No slur intended!
Pandover the reason it costs so much is because it's so highly tuned. The release mechanism is precision engineering and does not go off if you dismount under control having forgotten to unhitch yourself.
C.
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