Zara - gold medal winner

[trashpony]

and me

Perhaps we should have a pony party

 

[stavros]

A lot's been said in recent weeks about the fact that there's no contenders for BBC sports personality and the royalist press have been saying it should go to Phillips. Personally I think the horse did more and is more worthy, and I've heard people who know about these things say loads of people could've won on that horse.

It also got me thinking that Rachel Cooke is a world champion cyclist, but no-one's mentioned her at all, quite possibly because her ancestors aren't unelected head of states, or dictators in any sane country.

 

[mattie]

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=158585

She's already been voted it last year, I see.

But you still don't recognise her achievements due to her heritage.

Nothing to do with her heritage, I couldn't care less. It's just that she competes in a sport I have no interest in, and whilst successful she is nowhere near as commanding as MacArthur.

 

[Errol's son]

A lot's been said in recent weeks about the fact that there's no contenders for BBC sports personality and the royalist press have been saying it should go to Phillips. Personally I think the horse did more and is more worthy, and I've heard people who know about these things say loads of people could've won on that horse.

It also got me thinking that Rachel Cooke is a world champion cyclist, but no-one's mentioned her at all, quite possibly because her ancestors aren't unelected head of states, or dictators in any sane country.

Apparently the horse only cost £400 - cheaper than my dog.

 

[Tank Girl]

Perhaps we should have a pony party

oooh yes!

you can look at all my pony books if you like

 

[geminisnake]

out of a natural and entirely justified contempt for the monarchy?

You can't blame the lassie for the family she is born into. Well done Zara

 

[geminisnake]

Apparently the horse only cost £400 - cheaper than my dog.

But could your dog have completed the course?

 

[Wilf]

Any sport based on a form of transport is shite.

 

[trashpony]

oooh yes!

you can look at all my pony books if you like

 

[onemonkey]

Well done Zara.. Pretty fucking impressive whatever the slight advantage of the access to the best horses in the world gives you*.

and she's hot too




*does the horse get a medal? I doubt it!

 

[Errol's son]

Did you read my earlier post? You're arguing that Zara's achievement is being unfairly ignored because Zara is a member of the royal family. I'm saying that Law and Funnell, who are much more accomplished riders than Phillips and have won handfuls of medals - including Olympic silver and gold - over the years, are equally overlooked. Not because they're part of the royal family but because no one gives a toss about 3 day eventing (apart from me, tanky and pieface )

They are both older, I believe, and have never won at the world equestrian games. OK, they did well in the Olympics but Zara might have done well too if her horse hadn't hurt its foot. Apparently Zara only has one horse which seems strange to me considering she can't be short of a bob or two.

William and Harry must have several each if they play polo andf they don't ride them every day, I assume.

 

[trashpony]

They are both older, I believe, and have never won at the world equestrian games. OK, they did well in the Olympics but Zara might have done well too if her horse hadn't hurt its foot. Apparently Zara only has one horse which seems strange to me considering she can't be short of a bob or two.

William and Harry must have several each if they play polo andf they don't ride them every day, I assume.

There's a huge difference between 3 day eventing and polo. 3 day eventing is very much about the horse and rider knowing each other extremely well. It would be pointless having back up horses - you'd never be able to ride them enough to build up the relationship that is crucial at an international level. That isn't so important in polo - which is fast and short.

Anyway - my point still stands - my people don't give a shit about equestrian sports. At least people know that Zara rides

 

[newharper]

This article in the guardian deals with the rider horse question and also the finances of the sport.

Toytown, a 12-year-old, is at his peak now and should still be firing in Beijing in 2008, but Phillips has other horses just below his level being prepared to take over when he retires. Add two full-time grooms, the cost of transport, and money to buy new horses (a single purchase might run into six figures), and the annual budget will be spiralling towards £500,000. Phillips gets an allowance from her mother, but it would not run to that.

In 2003, with the help of close friend Jimmy Blackshaw, she secured a sponsorship deal with the spread-betting firm Cantor Index, now part of financial brokers BGC Partners.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1860092,00.html


my vote would still be for Rachel Cooke though, a truly phenomenal athlete.

After the lung-searing climb up Ventoux it was the descent the other side that gave Cooke particular pleasure. Hurtling through the turns with the screeching tyres of her support vehicle in her ears, she took a further two minutes out of the field by the time they reached the finish line. "It was what makes days like this worthwhile," she said.

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/cycling/comment/0,,1842912,00.html

That takes real, err, guts.

Mainly drug free as a sport too, no comparison to 3 day eventing implied.

 

[stavros]

Apparently the horse only cost £400 - cheaper than my dog

Maybe, but I've read an article by someone in the business who estimated it cost about £500k a year to maintain a horse in world-beating shape.

 

[Errol's son]

Maybe, but I've read an article by someone in the business who estimated it cost about £500k a year to maintain a horse in world-beating shape.

I read that too. Apparently Zara's Ma gives Zara an allowance but not that much. She is sponsored by Cantor Fitzgerald I understand.

 

[stavros]

Further to my point above, Rachel Cooke retained her World Cup title today. Congrats to her.

 

[Brockway]

Further to my point above, Rachel Cooke retained her World Cup title today. Congrats to her.

It's Nicole Cooke and you're right she's brilliant in a far bigger sport. Nicole or Calzaghe should win it (ie the er, British Sports Personality of the Year Award) but neither will because they're Welsh. Imagine the media coverage those two would get if they were from your side of the border.

 

[stavros]

She also won the women's TdF. She'll definitely be my vote for Sports Personality if nothing seismic happens for the rest of the year, although I was thinking of doing a joke vote for Theo Walcott.