So I wake up and suddenly remember: Gawler! Gawler 86 was a disasterous event. I was watching it last night (unknowingly from the middle of the event, since the uploader had titled the segments oddly--in reverse order, in fact). I found the beginning segment just before falling asleep, so I wake up this morning just as they are starting cross country...and first three, four, or something like that, horses FALL at the water! So NOW I remember hearing (no, not at the time, but across time) how devastating that water complex was. And the whole xc course, in fact, because the footing was deep yet light sand AND theyd had a deluge of rain the day before. I swear, the riders who fall and scramble right back on as fast as they can--they are so amazing. Mark Phillips is one of the commentators and he notes how slippery the saddles are, but what he CANT note, because hes in the past not the present, is that, back then, eventing saddles werent custom made for the sport. Most totally lacked the kind of support roles for knees and thighs, etc., that todays saddles have, so those saddles were SUPER slippery compared to today--and that water jump came early in the course. Watching the 1st half, it was amazing to see riders falling at jumps after the water just because they couldnt keep from sliding off. What a disaster, but what amazing efforts, too. Our team included Derek Degrazia (sp?), who left way early at this huge oxer (of a dimension we just dont see any more on courses!). His horse smashed its stifle area, catapulting him off, before limping off course (I wonder how the horse did after--I hope he was OK, I must look it up). Torrence Watkins was in fourth after dressage on Finvarra, Mike Plumb was on Blue Stone...thats as far as Ive gotten on the last (which is actually the first) video. But everyone is falling! Oh, Mark Todd FELL on Charisma, too--and this was right after the 84 Olympics, of course. Wow, just awesome watching this. Not just the thrills and chills, but the amazing efforts the horses (and riders) make. One forgets just how talented those horses were--not that todays arent , but todays are custom made for the job--and these were almost all scrappy little Thoroughbreds. You just have to see that quadruple bank and ditch complex to appreciate what those horses did! 1. youtube/watch?v=v393Gpyno5A 2. youtube/watch?v=G9MKAbAQ3ZY 3. youtube/watch?v=qrJaeErZzSg
Posted on: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 09:23:16 +0000
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