I think that Express Eventing is not a very good idea. I think that the cross country should be left outdoors where the horses are able to run in an open space. The already have to jump these great big bold fences and to put them in a enclosed arena with other distractions is just not fair. Horses should be able to run and stretch out when attempting this big fences.
Three day eventing is very demanding on a horse. Now we are expecting to fit it all into one day, with just tack changes for breaks in between these demanding phases? All for publicity? When is enough enough! I would rather have few people who truly care about thier horses than many who see this bad horsemanship and get into it for the "thrill" and not these great creatures.
I think this format is way too demanding of a horse. There is a lot of stress put on a horse in three days and to try and shorten it to one day is insane and I believe unfair. I think this prooves true when only 6 out of 19 horses finished in Cardiff.
Most horse-related events are for the benefit of people and the huge amount of money they spend doing it. Eventing is bad enough, but to do it in one day is deplorable. Unfortunately it seems the horses are the ones who are injured and suffer the most, rather than the riders--it should be the other way around.