Laura Bechtolsheimer & Mistral WEG 2010 Kentucky

[MissingYouLoveMe]

Um... wow!! She's my favourite dressage rider by far <3 I know for a fact that if I tried to ride my fave horse around a dressage course, he would jump those tiny walls :L but that may be due to the fact that he is schooled mainly in showjumping xD



[oompaloompa123ISH]

love the music - so british!!!

[SuperOldtrout]

Are you suggesting there is a video somewhere of you doing something of 'quality'?

[wejump2]

@SuperOldtrout Well we a certian there is not a video of you doing anything of quality. You refuse to post a video because there are none. You are such a bitter dried up wannabe. You never rode any of the movement but you have an answer for evrything. Dressage makes you humble. It is so difficult to do well. You having never done it are glib and rude because you really don't know how much you don't know.

[BizStamm]

Alf's outline is proof of his correct training. He is one the few top grand prix horses out there that is correctly round through his entire back. He collects nicely by shifting his weight backward and has noticeably lowered haunches. Sure he comes a touch behind the vertical from time to time, but I'm guessing he was probably a bit excited by the atmosphere. It was the WEGs after all. Laura is a lovely rider and I can only hope to train and ride as well her one day.

[BigDreamsandMe]

it would be so nice if the anouncer would just shut up once and ahile so you could hear the music

[horseuni]

can some one tell me the title of the music plsss ...

[cazzmalcolm]

Stefan Peters and Ravel + Brett Parbery and Victory Salute (Australia) were lovely relaxed combinations. I also liked Marcela Krinke Susmelj and Corinth from Switzerland.

[cazzmalcolm]

Unfortunately it's STRESSAGE ! Great rider and horse, great music and choreography. Pity such a lovely horse and rider combination has such jerking hands and forced seat. In Laura's support, he is a very big moving lump of a horse and would be difficult to sit to and keep steady hands.

[gallop4god]

i love how happy she looked afterward!! i could see a little tugging on the reins, perhaps that is one reason why the judges didn't choose her for first place. but other than that, this ride was PERFECT! what a great team :)

[AiAnaconda]

Way better than the rider of ravel. I saw very nice things there, a horse who is relaxed with natural movements and neck variation.

[SuperOldtrout]

I think she comes across as a nice person. It's the judges who bear responsibility for the miserable spectacle which is presented to us in competition dressage.  But then again, if one presents oneself as being something special, one should not take it to heart if some beg to differ as to the quality of the perofrmance.

[insideleg]

SuperOldtrout, you must really dislike Laura B. The number of negative posts directed at her suggest so.

[SuperOldtrout]

Have a look at Patrick Le Rolland, Cadre Noir, riding Debarras. Compare the quietness of his seat and hands, note the poll position, the fluidity of the paces and the changes especially. There is no hauling, yanking on the reins or tanking going on.

[SuperOldtrout]

She may be a nice kid who trains with Klaus B. But the horse is overbent throughout most of the test. Fact. Freeze frame proves it every time. The toes flick in extended trot. The horse is unable to reach/push its nose infront of the vertical in the free walk. Her hands are very unsteady, lots of yanking 'half' jerks/halts, she leans back. But hey, it just goes to show how dreadful the standard is that she looks relatively good. Harmony it is not. Whatever happened to the FEI rules?

[tonicginn]

Its rather silly that so many people on here think they can ride and judge better then the world's top professionals, I know I sure can't. But if you think you can, by all means, post a video and prove it!

[SuperOldtrout]

@tonicginn No, not at all silly. It only takes a little study to see Competition 'Stressage' for what it is. There is a growing movement of people calling out for a more harmonious way of riding. A good place to start is by reading the FEI rules.

[tonicginn]

@SuperOldtrout A little study? It takes years of very hard work and determination to get where these riders are today. Reading the FEI rules and doing a few minutes of research on the net does in no way qualify a person an 'expert.' I don't doubt that you are strong in your beliefs that this horse is ridden wrong, but you have never ridden this horse, nor have you provided any evidence that you COULD ride a horse like this. Again, if you have negative comments, post a video and prove it.

[wejump2]

@tonicginn Thanks for your comments. I find myself often defending these top riders from unfounded attacks. This eviloldtrout person is like an attack dog on crack. It really bugs me that people that have never done an FEI test feel qualified to attack top riders and judges. In addition they fall back to some "classical" theory that does not account for the large movements of the modern horse. I am sure that they can sit pretty on their plow horse pretending that's is top dressage but it's not.

[pinkluwink]

@tonicginn You might want to do some research yourself before you scorn SuperOldtrout the way you are.

[insideleg]

@SuperOldtrout -- I saw much worse at WEG -- why all the negativity aimed at this rider on more than one video featuring this rider?

[AshleighM82]

@SuperOldtrout I think you should stop talking because you're making a fool of yourself. You can't go around acting like an expert after doing a bit of research. I'm pretty sure international EXPERT judges pick up on when a horse is stressed, as the horses relaxation contributes to the marks. If you think you're so clever, how come you're not riding at this level? I suggest you stop critisizing the proffessionals, especially ones as successful as Laura.

[SuperOldtrout]

@AshleighM82 Ah, but you're the person who thinks there's no right or wrong way to train a horse and that it's all just opinion, aren't you. Enough said.

[AshleighM82]

@SuperOldtrout Yeah that's me, and you're saying that Laura trains/rides wrong. You're acting like an expert when you have never competed this level, people like you who always critisize the best in the world come across as jealous. It seems like no matter how good or successful they are, some highly opinionated person who is nowhere near as good has to come along and say something bad about it.

[wejump2]

@AshleighM82 Thanks for your comments. I find myself often defending these top riders from unfounded attacks. This eviloldtrout person is like an attack dog on crack. It really bugs me that people that have never done an FEI test feel qualified to attack top riders and judges. In addition they fall back to some "classical" theory that does not account for the large movements of the modern horse. I am sure that they can sit pretty on their plow horse pretending that's top dressage but it's not.

[AshleighM82]

@wejump2 I know what you mean, it really bugs me as well... Kinda makes me shake my head and laugh as well, some of the accusations are ridiculous!!

[pinkluwink]

@AshleighM82 "Expert judges" are blinded by the pile of crap that is "modern dressage". They are all so starstruck by the flashy over exaggerated movements that dominate the upper levels of todays dressage. In reality most of these horses have no true collection, they are totally disconnected in the front and hind end and most of them are pulled behind the vertical. That is not true dressage if you ask me.

[wejump2]

@SuperOldtrout I looked at your videos. You clearly don't ride at this level. Compitition riders must attempt to get the horse to give it's utmost with out loosing it's relaxation.

So you plop around on your plow horse pretending to know better. Please post a video of you doing anything better.

I'm sure you won't. Why? Because you are a critic more then a rider. Get it the other way around and I will respect your opinion.

[SuperOldtrout]

@wejump2 If you care to freeze frame your own video of medium trot at regular intervals you will observe yourself round shouldered, leaning back and skiing behind the movement with your horse's nose pulled in by your clunking hands and your legs stuck orward like an old fashioned farmer. Several collective words to describe the picture come to mind but classical, elegant or artistic wouldn't rank among them. Perhaps you ought to learn to ride in rather than on a horse first before posting?

[wejump2]

@SuperOldtrout Yes freeze frame away. I do have eqitation issues that I work on all the time. The fact still remains that you would fall off that horse at the walk. You have no videos of you doing anything of any quality.

You are the arch typical evil critic that cant ride but loves to attack people out there working on riding. Get your plow horse to do anything collected and then we can talk.

Please prove me wrong post a video of your medium trot. I bet you won't because you CAN'T!

[wejump2]

@SuperOldtrout Just a quick reminder that there is no free walk in GP just a collected and extended. I was there at weg and she is a bit strong with her hands but I can't do better and neither can you.

[pinkluwink]

@SuperOldtrout Thank you thank you thank you thank you. It is such a relief to see that not everyone is blinded by todays modern "dressage" standards. I freeze frame my way through practically every dressage video and this one is no exception. I saw the same things you did. Another really good read is Gerd Heuschmann's "Tug of War: Classical versus "Modern" Dressage". He is a German vet with so much insight on what this kind of riding does to horses. Maybe someday classical training will return.

[horsemadhorsegal]

Wow wow and wow again, I love this whole test!! A real spine tingler as she came down the centre line to Land of Hope and Glory!! Does anyone have this without the commentary over the music?? Its lovely to just hear the music and focus on the test and I find the commentators quite distracting :S

Fingers crossed for 2012, wether she rides Alf or Andretti we have a good shot!! :D

[xRachaelBee]

@horsemadhorsegal There is a video on the BBC website, the commentators still talk over it but not as much.

[oOPoisonIvyOo]

Dejlige Mistral Højris

[vixitrixalina]

you know what, nothing, NOTHING, feels as good as watching Mistral Hojris do his final extension as the English National Anthem begins to play. except, perhaps, watching him piaffe and passage down the centre line to its beat. well done Laura and Alf - with Totilas and Edward no longer together, there is no reason that we cannot get Gold at the Olympics!

[dressur1812]

Ich habe es in der live übertragung gesehen,und fand das echt toll was ich gesehen habe^^

[baytb1996]

Nice passage!

[octotonicflow]

zij is zooooo goed! :D

[kazstewart]

I have to say this was my winner it was fabulous!!! now evryone is going to slaughter me !!!

[xjuly91x]

Wow! You go girl! And if she rides her freestyle like she rode Andretti at the nationals...fingers crossed and here's hoping! =)

[Nbocxe]

can someone tell me what's the name of the song from 4:07??

[LuvMyTB]

Wow, what a spectacular ride and a wonderful pair!

[101missaine]

GO LAURA!! thanks for posting :D