Thoughts on Dressage Freestyle
I just finished watching Steffen Peters and Ravel...wow. I've never really watched them go before. And of course, Ravel is reaching the end of his career, so he's not as incredible as he once was, I'm sure. But I was so impressed--so touched--by the sympathetic ride Peters gave the old boy. Especially in the canter pirouettes, you could really see what a struggle those were for Ravel and Peters just very lightly balanced and helped him through those movements with the greatest amount of grace you could expect. Just beautiful. Peters rode so lightly and just really lended his balance and rhythm to the horse. I got a little misty eyed in the end!
Anky was the first one I watched today. I remember watching her 94? ride on Olympic Bonfire at the Pan Am? games and just being mesmerized. I loved her back then. It was an inspiring ride to me as a young teenager. But now in my 30s, I just don't care for her very much. And it's not just all the LDR crap either. I watch her ride and she looks so *heavy* and *rigid* on Salinero's back. I just want to tell her to breath. Especially in the passage and piaffe. I don't know crap about riding those movements, but I can't help but think that Salinero would lift his back more and have more lift in his legs if she would give him room to lift instead of being so *glued* to his back. I thought the same thing of the German girl, Sprehe on Desperados, too.
Laura Bechtolsheimer on Mistral Hojris were amazing! And they earned a score to go with it! How cool would it be if GB took all three individual medals? I am rooting for them and a new era in dressage!
Ok, wow! Go Charlotte! What a beautiful test and a score to go with it! Can you imagine it without the bobble at the end? Probably would have been a 92% or 93%! I think Adelinde Cornelissen scored better than she deserved. It's too bad, because I think she's a much more fluid rider than Anky and could be quite something if she weren't jamming her horse up all over the place. At one point I thought to myself, "her shoulders are as tight and jammed as his!" Let the horse out a little and imagine the possibilities!
But anyway, what a thing for GB and dressage. LOVED Charlotte's test, loved her riding. Glad I got to watch it!
Anky was the first one I watched today. I remember watching her 94? ride on Olympic Bonfire at the Pan Am? games and just being mesmerized. I loved her back then. It was an inspiring ride to me as a young teenager. But now in my 30s, I just don't care for her very much. And it's not just all the LDR crap either. I watch her ride and she looks so *heavy* and *rigid* on Salinero's back. I just want to tell her to breath. Especially in the passage and piaffe. I don't know crap about riding those movements, but I can't help but think that Salinero would lift his back more and have more lift in his legs if she would give him room to lift instead of being so *glued* to his back. I thought the same thing of the German girl, Sprehe on Desperados, too.
Laura Bechtolsheimer on Mistral Hojris were amazing! And they earned a score to go with it! How cool would it be if GB took all three individual medals? I am rooting for them and a new era in dressage!
Ok, wow! Go Charlotte! What a beautiful test and a score to go with it! Can you imagine it without the bobble at the end? Probably would have been a 92% or 93%! I think Adelinde Cornelissen scored better than she deserved. It's too bad, because I think she's a much more fluid rider than Anky and could be quite something if she weren't jamming her horse up all over the place. At one point I thought to myself, "her shoulders are as tight and jammed as his!" Let the horse out a little and imagine the possibilities!
But anyway, what a thing for GB and dressage. LOVED Charlotte's test, loved her riding. Glad I got to watch it!