Former worldwide showjumper Graham Fletcher, now a highly-respected coach, in addition to a breeder and producer of younger horses, on the coveted Olympic spots and county present entries
We’ve got a robust British crew heading to the Paris Olympics – and we’re now within the countdown interval when the whole lot is on a knife-edge.
All was going nicely in Aachen, with third place within the Nations’ Cup, till later within the week Harry Charles had a crashing fall leading to a hairline fracture to his arm. Thankfully, Harry shall be again using once more in beneath a fortnight and is certainly on the Olympic showjumping crew with Scott Brash, Ben Maher and alternate Joe Stockdale.
The selectors had a very robust process this time. Tim Gredley and Rob Whitaker, who each narrowly missed out, are simply ok to have made the crew had so many good candidates not been ahead. They’ve hardly put a foot incorrect this 12 months; and Rob, who’s using with nice maturity as of late, has an amazing partnership with Vermento.
Having been concerned in a number of Olympics as a rider, coach and selector, I can’t over-emphasise how a lot starvation there’s to be on a crew. However in relation to sheer stress to get there, the stress was on one other degree for London 2012.
As a result of it was a house Video games, house owners and riders put their all into getting there, many planning years prematurely. With eight mixtures going into the ultimate choice, I assumed my spouse Tina and Whats up Sailor had finished sufficient. Nevertheless it wasn’t to be. Though Tina went to London, the place the Brits gained a well-deserved crew gold, it was in that heartbreaking position of first reserve.
Dublin adopted straight after London with Tina and Sailor leaping one of many few double clears within the Nations Cup. Satirically, one other got here from France’s Olympic reserve rider Roger-Yves Bost. Double clear in Dublin is a superb achievement. However, hand on coronary heart, it solely made us consider what might need been… that’s how a lot the Olympics imply to any rider.
Good luck to the crew in Paris. We’ve had some great kind on the previous three Olympics – lengthy could the gold rush proceed.
On the wane
County reveals have been as soon as the mainstay of our sport. Not solely did they provide the perfect prize cash, should you had any British crew ambitions, your county present kind was paramount. With the arrival of all-weather surfaces and centres placing on worldwide reveals, their recognition with riders has waned. Total, entries are down.
However, when there’s an excellent commonplace of well-presented competitors, showjumping nonetheless retains the general public’s curiosity and attracts good crowds. It’s disappointing, due to this fact, to see what number of county reveals have given up staging our sport. Possibly they only want some encouragement or recommendation as a result of, absolutely, an excellent leaping class isn’t as pricey to run as a number of the costly shows?
At Nice Yorkshire, the present’s enormous stadium-like grandstand was completely packed for the Cock O’ the North with each vantage level taken across the ring.
A lot credit score for showcasing showjumping right here goes to Charles Mills, whose nine-year tenure as present director is about to finish. As a committee member, I’ve discovered him an incredible man to work with and extremely receptive to concepts for good leaping courses.
In Charles’s period, the prize cash has gone up, we’ve constructed an all-weather accumulating ring and lately the primary ring floor has been vastly improved. Drafting in Adrian Kay, head groundsman at York racecourse, has been transformative for the present.
Even after a deluge on Monday night time that might have left the outdated floor unjumpable, Tuesday’s rivals agreed how nicely the going held up. Prolific winner Mark Edwards’ father Martyn was so impressed, he mentioned he wished to thank the organisers.
Good floor is so essential when youthful riders and horses are introduced up on all-weather surfaces, to the purpose that they’re virtually deserting the county grass arenas. So it was good to see a number of youthful rivals taking over the problem of the Yorkshire’s spectacular fundamental ring. Rachel Proudley rode notably nicely. Now beneath the steerage of Richard Howley, she’s undoubtedly one to look at.
● What would persuade riders to leap at county reveals extra? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, together with your identify, nearest city and nation, for the prospect on your letter to look in a forthcoming challenge of the journal
This unique column will even be obtainable to learn in Horse & Hound journal, on sale Thursday 18 July
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