OLYMPIC GAMES

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 319, 29 December 1936, Page 3

OLYMPIC GAMES

HORSE EVENTS CRITICISED “LUDICROUS JUMPS’

Strong criticism of the “ludicrous obstacles-'? outlie course and ut the British: team’s- uhprepareuness were made to-day by Lt.-Col. P. E. BowdenSmith, captain,of the British Uijmpio Equestrian Team which went to the Olympic Games in August. He was speaking at the Army School of Equitation here, after inspecting the Army, team which is to compete at horse shows at Toronto and -New York next month. Describing the Olympic Gfimes, he said: > • “On the cross-country course many of the jumps were ludicrous. The obstacles were by no means natural. Most of them were like solid show jumps. We never had a chance to try our horses over the complete course, which Was 22 to 25 miles long and contained about tin jumps. At one obstacle we had to jump straight into a pond, covered with green weeds, at least three feet deep and with a muddy* bottom. “Our man’s, horse had turned a complete somersault in the pond. Wet through, he ran across country for 2| miles before he caught it. He decided to go back and complete the course. uThis he did, losing, something like points for being behind time. “Eventually the crowd at this jump

took the law into their own hands, sur•rounded the pbhd and held the horses while the. riders crawled out of the water. We protested that this was against the regulations, but our objection was overruled. We had decided to withdraw if. this were done, but the ruling was announced too late.” liti-Col. Bowden-Smith explained that, the decision that a British team should take part was made in February leaving only five months for selecting horses and men and training. Nearly every other nation, particularly the Germans, started training in 1933. The Germans had - been over > the crosscountry. course again and again. The British team did not complete it once before the event. , < . The' team going to America consists of Lt. J. A. Talbot-Ponsonby, Capt. Sir P. Grant-Lawson, Major A. L. Cameron, and Capt. B'. G. Fanshawe, who was in the Olympic team.