http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ0O4hSsRZ4

Video of the CCI* Radnor water..friggin terrifying. I don't know if its just set badly, or what, but there are some spills, and some very very hairy rides in there. Granted, theres a few that ride it beautifully[maybe not by EQ standards].

Just a cool view of a very difficult combination..see if you can recognize some of the big names[they goof up too!]

Yikes, most of them crawled over that first jump.

Isn't the CCI* at Radnor no longer happening though?

Thats what i thought, but I was too lazy to look it up last night..

Are you sure that was the CCI* and not Intermediate? The flags were red and it looked like they were bouncing that drop into the water...not something you really do at Prelim (at least I hope not, because then there is no way in hell I am ever even dreaming of going Prelim).

Anyway, I think it looks tough, but not badly set or unfair. I think what was happening to a few people at the first log is that their horses were a lot more backed off then they thought they would be (maybe the light changes? It looked pretty funky in there). They were already packaging and looking for the short one, and the horses got looky and there just wasn't enough impulsion. There were definitely some less than ideal rides (and a couple scary ones) but honestly it didn't look any less terrifying than watching people do the Prelim trakehner at King Oak (some people just suck at that).

And Blossom, you want them jumping close to the first fence, who on earth launches over a log that's directly downhill into water? Like I said, it looked like people were really looking for the quiet jump over fence one, and a lot of them just got too quiet.

The long route looked like something I wouldn't piss myself doing with a packer, but the short route, sweet jesus that second log to drop. But yeah, I'm a pussy, and in my completely inexpereinced opinion, it didn't look unsafe/unfair.

Yeah it looked way too hard for a CCI*, which is why I was terrorfied. I still don't like how it's set, even if you ride it perfect, its messy as hell, and almost every horse was knocking at least one fence. Watch Kim Severson's[i think it was her] ride..they get lost after the combination

I think the second half (log to drop) looked tough/might be wrong, but seriously, how could the first fence really be set all that wrong? There's a huge approach for people to set up, and then it's just downhill to water, the second elements, both the long and the short way were distant enough that you could alter you distances pretty readily. It just doesn't look like the course was made wrong to me, it looks like it wasn't riding/being ridden well by some. I'm probably wrong though, seeing as yeah, the majority of riders didn't have a good go of it.

Was that who got lost? I laughed a little.

And I take it the scary rider in red was Buck? He was the only one that legit had me concerned.

Duh, you don't want to be galloping into it, but I cringed at a lot of them because it looked like there was no way in hell they were going to get over...

Well, I guess I'm the crazy one because I saw that and thought "oh my god that would be fun!!!".
Having said that, I'd probably chicken out if I was actually asked to do it.... especially after listening to those horses repeatedly smack their legs.
The announcer mentioned at one point that it was the second water and near the end of the course? I got the impression that some of the riders were trying to collect their horses for the first fence and were getting slow and strung out instead because they were tired at that point. It also seemed to be a factor in what was making them hit the second jump so often (on the short route), in combination with a lot of horses who didn't notice the bounce drop until quite late. But that was just what I saw.

what does the whistle mean? is that for penalties?

The ones that got sticky lacked impulsion coming in

Nope, its to clear people and let them know a horse is coming. Though fences judges can use it to flag down a rider..

Even the ones WITH impulsion still had a messy ride. Your horse really has to be completely under himself for the entire ride. If you get strung out at all, then you're riding on a prayer for the next part of teh combination.

Buck was a little floppy, but it's kinda his style The scariest riders were the oens who didn't ride at all up to the fences-the horses looked completely lost.

Ha, it would be fun to do, if you can pull it off right. Also the fact that it was the end of the course is pretty scary. You've already done Phase A, B, and C, and then you have a very difficult ride right at the end of the day.

Nahh, I'm crazy too. I would love to do something like that!

o ok. that makes more sense. lol

yea i did notice the horses that were more balanced got through t a little easier rather than the ones crawling over them. lol Buck is great to watch. their is always something you question with him, but then yu look at his results and your like, well, if he can pull it off i guess it's okay. it's not a beauty contest, thats for sure.

So why were there two different ways to do the water jump? Is it an option? *Has no idea about eventing*

Sometimes in cross country there will be 2 options. One option will be shorter [aka faster, and you want to save time whenever possible] but it will be a lot harder and more technical. The other option will take longer, but will be much easier. So the rider has to decide to take the slow and steady route or take a gamble and do the hard and fast option.

He's pickup up a habit of eating it lately..but look at Phillip Dutton or Denny Emerson..not pretty, but damn, they're amazing to watch. Phillips leg doesn't move an inch over a 5 foot drop..

RE: Buck - I guess there's this video about Bruce and his career/training or something, it's super super old school and all that, anyway, they're interviewing Bruce and then it cuts away and there's little 8 year-old Buck who comes running out in crazy chaps or something and a helmet with a Team USA cover on it, hops on this crazy paint pony and goes galloping after his dad, trying to keep up. I'm sad, that was like the only class I missed, and I missed that damn video.

Yea i have noticed that when i watched them on tv from the olympics. damn they are tight!

My mom's horse bowed his tendon in the water at Radnor. But it was a two star back in the 90's, lol so not the same water... I about peed my pants when I had to do the intermediate water complex at Galway when we schooled though
I've never been to Radnor, I had to stay home with my dad
I hate water! Maybe because I've almost been dumped too many times... I get all the young horses... always, never fails. My horse now, yep, a young one.

yikees. i feel bad for the one horse in the beginning that almost flipped over that jump. it looks like the strides are set up really awkward, everyone seemed to have a hard time.

i still would love to get into eventing, although cross country looks damn hard.

watching that video, it seems to be that most people aren't preparing there horses for this combination and they are all coming into it WAY to fast.

Has anyone ever had a big problem with getting a horse to jump a drop with a log at the top? I know a horse who will jump any size drop but will NOT jump a drop with a log in front. doesnt quite make sence