Corner By Judy Wardrope Sam: A Superior Athelete
W
hat is it that makes Sam (La Biosthetique Sam FBW) such a superior eventer? Some may say it is his attitude and others may
say it is his heart, but I say that it is easier to have a willing attitude when you are built to do the job. A horse cannot exceed its physical limits without physical ramifications, no matter how much ‘heart’ we think it has. Although the photo is taken at a slight angle, we
can still see that Sam is good at his job because he is built to do it with relative ease. LS – The lumbosacral gap (located just in front of the high point of croup) appears to be exactly where one would expect it to be for superior athleticism. If one were to draw a line from the top of one hip to the top of the other hip, it would bisect the LS gap. Rear Triangle and Stifle Protrusion – Sam’s ilium side (point of hip to point of buttock) is shorter than his femur side (point of buttock to stifle protrusion), which is a dressage trait. This trait contributed to him placing 11th in the dressage phase with a score of 40.60. (He won the gold on this score after cross country and show jumping.)
But, unlike dressage horses, his stifle is well
below sheath level. The low stifle placement not only adds to stride length, it equates with scope over fences due to the increased range of motion. The longest side of his rear triangle is from point
of hip to stifle protrusion, which imparts the ability to jump from a gallop stride, and combined with his low stifle makes for a long stride due to increased range of motion. To have a ground-covering stride, to have
considerable scope over fences and to have the elements to jump from a gallop stride all contribute to the ability to go clear within the time in cross country and stadium, which is exactly what Sam did at the Olympics. Pillar of Support – The line extended through
the naturally occurring groove in the forearm emerges well in front of the withers for lightness of the forehand and into the rear quarter of the hoof for soundness. Humerus – He shows good rise from elbow to
point of shoulder, which aids in lightness of the forehand as well as quickness when lifting the forelegs over a fence – both qualities one should seek in an eventer.
Elbow – There are no signs
of Sam’s elbow being tight to the ribcage, and therefore neither the range of motion of the foreleg nor his ability to move laterally is affected. Base of Neck – His base of neck appears to be at least a hand above his high point of shoulder, making him even lighter on the forehand, which equates with being easier on himself and easier on his rider. Overall Sam has all one
could ask for in an eventer, which certainly contributed to him winning the individual gold medal at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, the European championship in 2011 and at the 2012 Olympic Games.
66 November/December 2012
Conformation Original Photo: Kim MacMillan / MacMillan Photography
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