Lucinda Green wants horses to be wild

By Kirsty Whittle

WITH two World Championship titles and an Olympic silver medal to her name, Lucinda Green is better placed than most to pass judgement on the growing number of eventing accidents, tarnishing the sport's reputation.

SILVER STREAK: Lucinda Green in action at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, where she won silver (Getty Images)

The 56-year-old from Hampshire has represented Great Britain at two Olympic Games in 1976 and 1984 and is the only person to win Badminton Horse Trials on six different horses.

The former five-star eventer has also made a career as an equestrian journalist, international trainer and team selector since her retirement in 1987.

The up-surge in accidents in the sport has seen the world governing body FEI attempt to introduce legislation such as the one fall and out rule in June 2008.

It stated if a rider falls during the cross country phase of competition they will be forced to retire from the competition even if they feel fit to continue.

The rule, staunchly opposed by Green, was abandoned they day before its proposed introduction on August 1.

Rather Green believes the problems with the sport are more deeply entrenched and is insistent the issue lies in modern training methods.

"There have been so many accidents in the last ten years because we don't allow our horses to be horses anymore," she said.

"Giving him the chance to develop on his own is his greatest asset to our safety.

"Before we started killing people eventing was a courageous and spirited sport just the same as many others.

"Now people spend so much time worrying about what might happen that they lose sight of the bigger picture and forget what a horse is actually capable off.

"When I began competing it required bravery and spirit, but now you are not even allowed to fall off.

"We are rapidly losing the integrity of our sport."

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Green is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the British Horse Trials Association, as well as a team selector.

Praised for her courage and admired for her many careers, Green is a firm believer that that falling off is a key attribute to successful competing - and she would know.

"It is scary how well horses are being trained nowadays," she added.

"By the time a horse is four years old it is worth £20,000 and is far too valuable to risk an injury.

"Long gone are the days when the horse had to figure things out for itself.

"Ending up in a heap on the floor was an essential lesson for both of you, making mistakes is how you learn after all.

"If you were never allowed to get yourself into trouble then how can you be expected to know how to get yourself out of it."