So I get the thing about sports you don't do and don't understand being less interesting, but I've ridden horses, and this dressage thing is still boring even when it's for a gold medal. I mean how can anybody normal even tell whether they're actually doing well or not? At least the jumping is inherently interesting.
I'd probably struggle to tell how well they're doing some of the gymnastics or diving routines too. I guess sometimes you just have to rely on the tv pundit to tell you.
Turn over and watch the gymnastics,a german guy just did an amazing routine on the bar,not that i know anything about it but it was pretty crazy!!!
Horse dancing has no place in the olympics same goes for anything involving an animal.
****in crap. even worse that the 'live cycling' tab on the red button takes you to a second feed of it!!!
2 feeds of bloody prancing ponies!
tracknicko, You can pick up anything you missed online BBC. they only briefly showed the Brownlee medal ceremony missing JB completely, but there was full coverage to rewatch on the BBC website.
BTW my dressaging sister in Australia will be thrilled with that result.
thanks man. using me laptop for work though so just tv on in background.
I feel it would be greatly enlivened by having the horses being encouraged to dance by whatever means the jockey chooses.....
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A friend of mine was a champion dressage person/rider/jockey/cowboy (not sure of the right terminology).
Not a cool sport i'm afraid.
He also rides bikes so probably is on here...so...er...sorry.
They should do it on ice. spice it up a bit.
Big money needed to buy a top dressage horse - £100k. Another reason it shouldn't be in the Olympics.
Big money needed to buy a top [s]dressage horse[/s] time trial bike - £10k. Another reason it shouldn't be in the Olympics.
After all, it's just riding a bike, isn't it?
McHamish - Member
A friend of mine was a champion dressage person/rider/jockey/cowboy (not sure of the right terminology).
Partner
BBC were quoting £20k for a track bike!
Sandwich - Member
BBC were quoting £20k for a track bike!
Even better example, then!
After all, it's just riding a bike round and round in cirlces, isn't it?
😉
Entry level track bike = £200-300
Entry level [ 
] dressage horse = £60,000.00
Dressage uniform = £3,000.00
So, riding a bike is easier than riding a horse then..?
So, riding a bike is easier than riding a horse then..?
Yep. Your point is?
Figure skating for horses.
One of the reasons I have heard for not letting Downhill into the Olympics is that it relies too much on equipment: Er.... **cough**dressage**cough**show jumping**cough**
Yep. Your point is.
It was a rhetorical question.
I agree that dressage is not a spectator sport for those that do not ride or love horses, but you could argue that it is historically closer to the spirit of the olympics than many of the sports in the current games.
but you could argue that it is historically closer to the spirit of the olympics than many of the sports in the current games.
How so?
dressage is not a spectator sport for those that do not ride or love horses,
Nor, for many, are many other Olympic sports. Take cycling for example. To most, it's [i]just riding bikes[/i]. They don't see the skill, tactics, devotion and passion that goes in to it.
However, one of the joys of these games has been hearing people getting interested in sports they might never have thought about watching before! Almost got bored of explaining track cycling to people in the office over recent days! Almost, but didn't!
I reckon the main reason for downhilling not being in the Olympics is because it's a shitting pile of shite.
same goes for anything involving an animal.
😯 What kind of olympics are you watching?
If the argument about it being about the rider not the horse were true, then surely they should all use the same horse?
Don't sit on the fence, Darcy. Tell us what you [i]really[/i] think!
I'm just thinking aloud on this one and don't feel particularly strongly either way...
As you said above, many sports (like downhill) rely heavily on equipment - whereas I would think that something like dressage is heavily reliant upon the relationship one has with the horse and the subtle control the rider has over it. Guess that the deeper you get into any sport the more it costs, whether it be cycling, rowing, athletics - or horseriding. Albeit that the latter tends to be factor of a few thousand times more so!
Ok O'Flashearty, I will. Do you think I normally don't then? 🙂
Bring back chariot racing with pointy sticks and sharp swords 😀
Dressage is one of the few events in the Olympics where I really can't muster any enthusiasm at all, its a bridge too far.
Entry level [ ] dressage horse = £60,000.00
Dressage uniform = £3,000.00
I don't know where your getting your figures from but they are b*****ks.
my manager has just bought a new horse for her son c4k, this is to compete at regional/national level. Not cheap, but considering what some on here pay for bikes.... and this is someone who can win competitions.
Yes if your competing at the top level, ie worlds, olympics then getting a from good bloodlines then you can spend a large fortune.
And yes the horse does matter, but a crap rider on a good horse is still going to be crap.
I think one of the ideas behind pentathlon was to delink horse and rider by having pool horses.
Not much of a fan of sports that are entirely reliant of judge interpretation. Gymnastics, diving, dressage, even competitive surfing -meh.
😆 @ Y Darc!
DH lost a lot of my respect when they chose to wear teh pyjamas of gnaaaar radnezz and banned skin suits. If the sport is timed, and is about winning, surely those taking part should try and win, not just look good. It would be like Phelps hopping in the pool in a fine pair of boardshorts, or Chris Hoy rocking some Endura Singletracks and an Urge EnduroMatic for the track.
I don't know where your getting your figures from but they are b*****ks.
From a dressage website.
Sports like Dressage often get a lot of criticism when the Olympics are on, because many people see them as bieng 'elitist' and only for the rich. But what I'm enjoying about the Olympics, is that we have people from all walks of life representing our nation, and that, to me, is fantastic. we have gold medallists from wealthy backgrounds, and council estates. United in competing for their country.
Dressage has as much right to be in the olympics as boxing or any other sport. Diversity is good.
Oh crappity crap. Now I agree with mikeconnor.
😉
I don't know where your getting your figures from but they are b*****ks.From a dressage website
Ooops
I agree that dressage is not a spectator sport for those that do not ride or love horses, but you could argue that it is historically closer to the spirit of the olympics than many of the sports in the current games.
Hmm - I pointed out in the OP that I've ridden horses. Something I've enjoyed, and would do more of if I had the time and money - would really like to do some jumping. I wasn't even arguing it shouldn't be in the Olympics, simply that it's boring. Also happy to agree that some of the cycling events are boring to a non cyclist.
Though I'm interested in why it's closer to the original spirit of the Olympics than the cycling.
Not much of a fan of sports that are entirely reliant of judge interpretation. Gymnastics, diving, dressage, even competitive surfing
Ultimately, this is what it boils down to for me.
From a dressage website.
All i can say is that the website is b*****ks then.....
[url= http://www.britishdressage.co.uk/classifieds/category/horses ]British Dressage Classifieds..[/url]
Despite the amount of individual events though, I hear remarkably few complaints about the judging. In each thing I've watched (only a fraction of the total I'm sure), mostly gymnastics and diving, the people who looked like the top three in each event (and according to the expert pundit on tv) won it. The judges seem incorruptible to me. Yes, there will be the odd screw up, but there are appeals processes in place. How else should these sports be scored?
I mean, whaddya want? A limpics without gymnastics? Unthinkable Shirley.
My wife does a lot of riding and I have started to do a bit.
It is incredibly hard to do but to the man in the street it just isn't clear what they are doing. Still most people don't understand why Hoy was following a motor bike round the track this afternoon
It has a place in the eventing but I'm not sure as an individual sport... still Wendy ball got in
Though I'm interested in why it's closer to the original spirit of the Olympics than the cycling.
Perhaps that horses preceded bikes, and that dressage might be a demonstration of really mastering horsemanship. But, as I said, I don't feel too strongly - more a point for discussion.
(And, like you, have also ridden from time to time. My wife competes in dressage to a reasonable standard, and I know that there is far more to it than meets the eye - as any sport.)
I saw a bit of the dressage, I was really rooting for the horse, enjoying it even. Until I realised they weren't actually trying to do the moonwalk. Surely a horse that could do all that prancing stuff and then moonwalk out of the arena would be worth watching?
All i can say is that the website is b*****ks then.....
That may, or may not be the case, but those horses are still pretty damn expensive, not to mention the stable fees, looking after etc. You can get into track (or pretty much any type of) cycling for a few hundred pounds.
Edit: By the way, I love horses (I have even ridden them), but dressage is not a good use of a good horse IMO.
