Am Gutted - my 2 favourite riders really upset me

[amelia]

As most of you who know me will know, I am a HUGE fan of Ben Maher. I love the way he rides and have watched him for quite a few years now always supporting him and admiring him. I have also recently really started to admire Laura Renwick - she seems really down to earth and is a nice rider. However, both of them really upset me last night with their behaviour when their horses refused. Ben gave his mare a whack with the stick whislt turning her away from the jump after she'd refused and Laura walloped her horse twice (horse is only 7 yr old, complete novice at that level!) for refusing. Ben put his horse in on a wrong stride and should have blamed himself not his horse and Laura should never have done that let alone to a horse that young. I'm so diasappointed in both of them it's the first time I've ever seen Ben even touch his horse with a whip

[babycham]

I too had been a big fan of Ben Maher, however last night, he was out of order, and quickly gone down my books, as a good young and up and coming rider!!

[riz]

Hmm i felt the same way on Saturday night at Olympia.

One of the Whittakers horses refused when they were spun into a fence on a very tight angle during the speed class. It got a whack and I actually said out loud "Oh its Christmas - thats not needed!" Obviously it isn't just wrong at X-Mas, but you know what I mean!

[Gem & Spencer]

Hmmm, another horrible display from Laura Renwick there. Hope she gets a telling off from the ground jury. The fact the commentators mentioned it shows that her actions were a bit OTT.

[babycham]

I cant believe she had the nerve to wallop such a young horse That was def OTT.Hence she even lost her crop

[gixer]

Laura Renwick wasn't just twice was it I counted 4

can they ban riders for x weeks from competition? should do as that was excessive, at that level a crop should not be required!

[loullou]

i just saw Laura Renwick and was horrified...it was 4 real wallops. not on at all....

[babycham]

I for one would have liked to have handed her, her crop back (once she dis mounted) Such a young horse. Make you wonder how they are treated at home, if they can belt them like that in front of the TV cameras??

Just shows- last night wasnt a one off!!!!

[big e]

hmmm she did lose her temper didn't she.

[alisonb]

Makes you wonder what they do with them at home .......................? I was once told by a reliable source that the Edgars "schooled" behind locked doors. (For those of you not old enough to rememer the Edgars started Nick Skelton off on his s/jumping career).

[babycham]

alisonb- I heard the same!

I seen her hit her horse last night, thought it could be a one off, spur of the moment thing. But tonight was more than a tap. Such a young horse,&yr old, what life does he have in front of him

[waverider]

I have it on good authority that its not unheard of to put a kind of acid on jumps when training, put hedghog skins on jumps ( dont know why), lift jumps as horses go over,i have also seen a lower level showjumper pick up a jump pole and hit a horse round the back end with it.
I have a freind who keeps her horse on a showjumping stud yard-so we get all the famous info!!!
All they care about is win win win at all costs.

[tobyh]

I too am actually disgusted at Laura tonight, it was her fault she missed the turn, then blamed the poor horse, and not content with giving a good hiding then abruptly pulled it up very sharply.

I do however take offense at the comment about the Edgar's, I spent several weeks for a few summers(in my younger days) down at theirs having lessons, and can assure you there horses were looked after like golddust, and if anyone had it hard there it was the grooms and riders, the first and last thing Ted ever taught anyone was if things go wrong look at yourself first, horses only do what we ask of them. Liz was a perfectionist and no stone was ever left unturned, I never ever saw a horse abused or from memory one being hit, it was the rider that got the abuse.

[Casper]

Dec 22, 2008 21:24:08 GMT 1 tobyh said:

I too am actually disgusted at Laura tonight, it was her fault she missed the turn, then blamed the poor horse, and not content with giving a good hiding then abruptly pulled it up very sharply.

My thoughts exactly Tobyh. An absolutely disgraceful display of petulance and complete loss of temper at the horse for HER errors.

[Lynsey]

I haven't been on the DG in ages and actually signed in today to post on exactly this subject as I've just finished watching the recording of Olympia from last night! I was also really disappointed as I've recently started following Laura (and have always liked Ben Maher) and they were really out of order. In Ben's case it looked like he brought his horse in slightly wrong and he lost his temper with it for no reason at all.
Laura's response was disgusting and totally unnecessary.