(no subject)

[erastes]

Well I watched the opening ceremony of the Olympics yesterday live and loved it.  Just wow. Certainly the best one I've ever seen. However, it was all with a sinking heart as... well, we've got to match it... And by the looks of the websites, we haven't really even started on the stadia.

I'm only watching the equestrian events (and OK MAYBE the men's gymnastics....) and the quality has been great -the Chinese guy was tremendous and only 18!  I have to say that Freeview and online viewing has really come into its own with the Olympics, I can watch just about any sport - live - either on the TV or on the PC.  Just amazing really. Oops.  The Brazilian horse is rearing. Dressage - you is doing it wrong.

Comments

[angrboda]

Do you have commentators? Did yours know why that french one didn't show up?

[erastes.livejournal.com]

No - no details as yet - just was warming up, and then disappeared!

[angrboda]

OMG ALIENS!!!! o.O

Hm. *is curious* I became rather fond of the grey one, though, with the japanese rider. Just because its name was Gorgeous George. :p

[ermyne.livejournal.com]

Der Dagmar is not impressed with the dressage ;) I only caught the tail end of it so I didn't see the Chinese guy, but the Austrian was quite good. At least he could oh, trot straight down the centre line @@. And he had his hocks under him instead of trailing out behind. When you can't tell what movement they're trying to do it gets a bit tedious. The Belgian mare was nice too though I find these daddy-longleg horses look rather awkward in the dressage. Very well balanced though and nice to see her worked in a snaffle - anyone who needs a double-bridle to ride a basic test like that is not fit to be let out. And the commentary gets on my wick. Why do certain Brits act like eventing is merely steeplechasing, and dressage horses are fit only for tittuping around an arena? An event horse or show jumper OUGHT to be able to do dressage - they need to be balanced, obedient, and able to make basic changes of leg, or they'll fall flat on their faces!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I agree, double bridles are simply not required at this basic level. There was an awful lot of overbending here and there, though too.

Some of the commentary annoyed me too, one of them just kept waffling about rubbish, when there was a rider that he wasn't particularly interested in and it was only Ian Stark who kept it on track.

[aigooism.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the opening ceremony was brilliant. It would have been awesome if we were there IRL.