Former racehorses in the Olympics at SHA TIN!!!

[Antitrust32]

I think Eventing is terrible... well not the jumping and dressage part but the cross country. On E-360 Last night (ESPN's show) they had a segment on eventing, 14 people have died during eventing (all in cross country and all by the horse pretty much flipping over the jump and landing right on the person) since 2006. I have no idea how that is allowed to happen without some major changes being made.

Supposedly, the Olympic Committee is the one who originally changed the cross country rules, making the courses much shorter but much more dangerous. The death toll is from since the rules were changed. I think its disgusting. But then again, whenever I watch a mother on tv having to talk about the death of her young daughter, I get outraged.

If I ever have a daughter and she wants to get involved in horse sports, I will say NO way Jose to everything except trail rides and dressage (eventhough I know accidents can happen then also). I have a friend who was a top Show Jumper and she was paralyzed from her waste down.. so I will not allow my future children to do that also!

[Sightseek]

I rode cross country so the eventing is my favorite....

Uncly Trust, I understand your objection to this event, but if you can't watch eventing how can you watch racing?

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

I rode cross country so the eventing is my favorite....

Uncly Trust, I understand your objection to this event, but if you can't watch eventing how can you watch racing?

What I dont understand, is if they know the shorter more challenging courses are providing his huge dangers to the horse and riders, why dont they change back to the old way of doing things??

I didnt really have a problem with eventing (granted I didnt know too much about it) til I watched that show last night. I had heard a couple eventers died here in Ocala a little while back, but I didnt realize how many people were dying.

The thing that bothered me was that some parents said their child's trainers would recommend moving up to these top levels and buying these big $$ horses, when the kid probably wasnt really ready for it. Then something happens and the kid is gone.

Also, some good suggestions were made, like changing the jumps on the the Xcountry course so they explode if a horse hits it (like made out of paper mache (SP?) ) so that horses cant flip over the jumps and kill the riders. At least made the jumps have those pins on it so the rails fall off like Show Jumping. If those ideas will save peoples lives I have no idea why they are not implemented. From the report last night.. it seems like the "top" guys in Eventing would be totally against these changes. That makes no sense to me.

I guess for horse racing, for my personal opinion, its grown men who know the risks (I mean its obvious that if you become a jockey to expect to break every bone at least once and have the risk of fatal injuries). These guys are doing this for $$ and they understand the sports risks.

I really dont know enough about eventing, but when young kids are dying that just makes me really upset. When you started Eventing, did you and your parents realize that you could die any weekend doing the sport? How much safer was it when the courses were longer and the jumps were more spaced out?

Now that they realize the risks these short, difficult courses are putting on the horses and riders, its time for them to make a safety change, whether it is making the courses long again and/ or changing the jumps so they give with the horse.