Yeah yeah, I know showjumping is probably not a big priority for most OTF-ers, and isn't for me either.

However, I heard a news item last night that is still baffling me now. "Zara Phillips has withdrawn from the Olympics because of an injury to her horse."

WTF is this? Is she going to be tending it night and day, tenderly feeding it sugar lumps and liquidised carrots, mopping its fevered brow as it whinnies in pain? Why can't she use another one?

Do you mind? Some of us are devastated enough by this news already without your adding flippancy to injury.

She doesn't have another one. They're very expensive to stable, you know.

Sir Danzig.

It's a long tradition, wearing out horses, in that family, going right back to Catherine the Great.

It's pretty normal, the rider builds up a relationship with a specific horse in dressage/show jumping, so if the horse gets injured they just wouldn't be as good on another one. It's not like a new bike or car. They'll have a reserve rider with their own horse I imagine.

Can't she just continue to ride Mike Tindall?

I think carthorses are frowned on at Olympic-level events.

This thread has a very high "Boom-tish" quota doesn't it?

colinwasp wrote:

QUOTE:
Can't she just continue to ride Mike Tindall?

I wish she'd do it a bit harder and break him completely so he never plays for England again, the stonehands bastard.