Olympics 2012

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No pony book history post from me today: I am a tad behind with work, having watched a bit of the Equestrian Olympics. OK, all of it.  I am still staggered by the incredible success of the British Olympic team. Many, many congratulations to them all.

It was Freestyle Dressage Day yesterday, and here is my equine hero Fuego XII, from Spain, ridden by Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz - at the WEG in 2010, but it's, as far as I can see, the same test as the one he rode yesterday in the Olympics. It didn't win, but it was my favourite test of the day. It makes me smile everytime I watch it. I love the way the music has been written to mirror the horse's movements. I get the feeling that whoever wrote it was smiling as he wrote it, enjoying the way that horse moves.


Comments

madwippitt said…
I loved the changes and passage ridden one handed in yesterday's test, and thought the horse looked calmer although perhaps slightly less expressive than in the WEG 2010 one: it was lovely to see the canter being so beautifully maintained in the pirouettes: and I loved the way he gave Fuego a pat part way through both tests. I thought his hands were much better too - less manual lifting going on - great sympatico I thought. Then after rewinding it so I copuld compare both tests,I spotted something that I missed yesterday - just after holding up his hand to start the music, with Fuego standing in halt: he suddenly gave him an almighty boot. With spurs on. Deeply disappointed: seeing that, he just lost my support. Roll on the Paralympics and the amazing Lee Pearson ...
10 August 2012 at 11:51
Jane Badger said…
Oh, I didn't spot that. Bah.
10 August 2012 at 12:01
ElenMumsnetBloggers said…
Fabulous Fuego! We've added your post to our Olympic headlines: www.mumsnet.com/bloggers/specials
10 August 2012 at 12:39
Anonymous said…
Poor horse. So unatural.
16 August 2012 at 20:12
Anonymous said…
Thanks for sharing this, Jane. It is wonderfully choreographed and full of pizzazz. I do worry about the fact that even in the extended trot, the horse is not striding up; in the free walk, he remained deeply bent through the head-neck connection; and so much front-leg flashy movement. Hmmm...a rollkurred horse?
20 August 2012 at 22:21
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