Cad

I'd be worried if I was him, a young vibrant female showjumper is gonna have plenty of opportunty and temptation so I doubt she's gonna stay with an old wrinky for long. It'll be a career move on her part, he may be able to open doors and provide contacts for her.

He'll end up a lonely old man with no- one to care for him in his dotage years. Alienating his children could be the worst he can do as they may be the only ones around later on.

Stupid old man IMO.
 
Is Jilly Cooper scripting his life? :D:D:D

But blimey, let's get a new Carry On team together, it's "Carry On Eventing" - I see Russell Brand playing Mark Philips and laying on some innuendo and exagerated winking to camera............phnaaaar!

(hope his kids are taking it well :o)
 
Alec Swan said:
What a horrible lot you are, and how wonderful it must be to live such perfect lives. Lives which allow you to judge others.

Alec.
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You must be even older and wiser than I :)

Hope they all find happiness, and perhaps indeed people should hold their tongues and show some respect.

Just because they are in the public eye doesn't mean they are not human, like the rest of us.

Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged!
 
Alec Swan said:
What a horrible lot you are, and how wonderful it must be to live such perfect lives. Lives which allow you to judge others.

Alec.
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I wonder if the daughter in New Zealand he has never acknowledged would agree with you?

I would be charitable and say perhaps marriage is not for him. However it does seem to have provided the means to his main career path...its impressive how long a royal connection can be dragged out to smooth the way of the talentless.

As for her, she must be scraping the bottom of the barrel. His present wife, although many years older, is much prettier, so perhaps thats why.
 
Mithras said:
I would be charitable and say perhaps marriage is not for him. However it does seem to have provided the means to his main career path...its impressive how long a royal connection can be dragged out to smooth the way of the talentless.
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Talentless? He was a good rider, and is an extremely good trainer. I've seen him in action, training British team riders, and he really is excellent.
 
Would people even be interested if he wasn't Zara Philips father? And Lauren Hough is regarded highly enough on her own merits, so I don't know what doors he will be opening for her.....
 
Mithras said:
I wonder if the daughter in New Zealand he has never acknowledged would agree with you?

I would be charitable and say perhaps marriage is not for him. However it does seem to have provided the means to his main career path...its impressive how long a royal connection can be dragged out to smooth the way of the talentless.

As for her, she must be scraping the bottom of the barrel. His present wife, although many years older, is much prettier, so perhaps thats why.
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Sorry mithras, have to agree with Alec, and by the way according to todays papers he has acknowledged his other daughter. Also, although he is not by a long chalk my favourite eventer, he was good, and also he is not a bad course designer either!
 
Mithras said:
.......

...its impressive how long a royal connection can be dragged out to smooth the way of the talentless.

.......
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Phillips won Badminton in '71 '72 '74 and '81. Talentless? Are you sure about that?

Thank God I don't have to live up to your exacting standards. You'd find me something of a disappointment! :o:D

Alec.
 
What does it matter about his age, her age or what the hell they're up to? If they were/are happy, good luck to them, life is far far too short to have regrets.

So what if she was with him for money or status? I doubt Phillips is a stupid man, he may well know he was chancing it with a younger woman, but so what? They are both consenting adults.
 
What's happened to the sense of humour?

I couldn't care less what he gets up to but it has amused me thinking about dodgy American tv shows and how they can re-enact it all...........

Here's the script.........

HRH MP "take the contact, take the contact...."

Non-descript USA showjumper "but HRH Mark I can feel some tension ...?"

HRH MP "...........not a problem m'dear, take up the contact and then................let it go, feel the muscle relax........."

Non-descript USA showjumper "well HRH Mark he has certainly relaxed but he feels tired and I think I need to work him gently for 5 mins for him to dry off"

HRH MP "very sporting of you m'dear.........."

Sorry, but this story has cracked me up :D He's in the public eye and so is she..........they aren't kids (by a long way) so they've gotta defend their actions in public and people will judge. Of course, they know that!.
 
Actually it was the comments below the article that cracked me up. Apparently this is common behaviour in the horsey set! Hmmm common behaviour in my " set" is normally complaining about the lack of men.... Let alone swapping partners!

Still I agree with Alec. Judge not lest ye shall be judged...
 
CantertonManor said:
Would people even be interested if he wasn't Zara Philips father? And Lauren Hough is regarded highly enough on her own merits, so I don't know what doors he will be opening for her.....
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The objection in the U.S. is that CMP has been having Ms. Hough (his mistress) assist probable U.S. eventing team members in show jumping and this started after his personal relationship with her began.

Choosing your girlfriend to assist you when you are Chef of the U.S. eventing team is considered questionable at best .. nepotism and unethical
at worst..
 
skydy said:
.......

Choosing your girlfriend to assist you when you are Chef of the U.S. eventing team is considered questionable at best .. nepotism and unethical
at worst..
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Now that's interesting. Rightly or not, I suspect that here, we'd take the view that if she was an asset to the team, then we'd shrug our shoulders, and if she wasn't, and she had landed herself a sinecure post, then she'd be gone, one way or another! ;) I'm not too sure whether the moral aspect would have any bearing. Honestly, I don't know.

Alec.
 
The problem is that CMP has great sway in choosing the team and now his girlfriend is the showjumping coach, the listed riders have to use her and she is paid by USEF, so it is silly to believe that any of the riders aspiring to make the team would complain or ask for a change if the sj coaching wasn't the best fit for them.

It just looks bad, don't you think?

ETA Ms Hough has fine credentials as a showjumper, Olympics and all... however, teaching is a separate matter and the whole business raises at least the appearance of impropriety.
 
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I bet they won`t complain if the "talentless" (bloody cheek!) CMP trained team take gold in the Olympics though.Live and let live, everyone deserves happiness and good luck to them both:)
 
I disagree with whomever labeled CMP "talentless".

I think the U.S. eventers are more concerned with the fairness of the selection process.

I am not at all affected by this situation, only thought I would relay the concerns I hear being voiced by those in the U.S. who may be affected.

The "moral" aspect doesn't seem to be the primary concern(though people are certainly not restraining their opinions about that). The ethical aspect seems to be the most troublesome.
 
skydy said:
.......
Choosing your girlfriend to assist you when you are Chef of the U.S. eventing team.......
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skydy said:
The problem is that CMP has great sway in choosing the team and now his girlfriend is the showjumping coach,
..........
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Your second quote has promoted her from assisting Phillips, to being the show jumping coach, and if you're right, then yes that would put a different slant on things, perhaps.

As long as we win though, it wont really matter that much!! ;):D

Alec.
 
Thank you Alec for your response. I am in interested in your thoughts on the matter and the opinions on the subject from your fellow horsemen/horsewomen.

The situation does have a lot of tabloid salaciousness about it, but I think that the people who may be affected by the situation have legitimate concerns.

In an Olympic year, this drama is unfortunate, unpleasant, and I wish that the happy couple could have held off until after the games when CMP will retire from his position as Chef.

The publicity will detract from the event and put the riders that have worked and trained for such a long time, in the background. It will be interesting to see if our press or yours makes a bigger stink about it.

I think the media wouldn't give hoot about this matter if CMP hadn't a royal x-wife, however the concerns of the U.S. eventing riders would be the same no matter what the chef's background.
 
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skydy said:
The objection in the U.S. is that CMP has been having Ms. Hough (his mistress) assist probable U.S. eventing team members in show jumping and this started after his personal relationship with her began.

Choosing your girlfriend to assist you when you are Chef of the U.S. eventing team is considered questionable at best .. nepotism and unethical
at worst..
Click to expand...

Thanks for that Skydy. It appeared from the initial post that CMP was being labelled a cad and a bounder for having an affair.

I agree that the chef d'equipe and the team showjumping trainer sleeping together stinks of nepotism, it isn't professional.
 
EAST KENT said:
I bet they won`t complain if the "talentless" (bloody cheek!) CMP trained team take gold in the Olympics though.Live and let live, everyone deserves happiness and good luck to them both:)
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Well, I suppose he has made a small amount of "talent" stretch a long way...I am sure there are plenty with just as much, if not more talent, who have not had the doors opened that he has.

As for the new girlfriend being the showjumping coach for the US team, and his involvment in that, its quite clearly a conflict of interest and improper.

He's a golddigger. Its no coincidence that all the women in his life have been wealthy, well connected and able to boost his profile in his chosen "career". It does seem to be the way in the equestrian world that nepotism is almost something to boast about, but please don't expect me to believe that the man got to where he is on sheer talent alone!

I can't say I find him a very impressive individual.
 
I can see where the concerns of the US team come from, and I don't blame them one bit for that, and agree really.

But to be rude about CMP as a rider/trainer/course builder is a bit much!

When he rode Maid Marion round Burghley to win it was the best cross country riding I have ever seen (on TV). The horse was sticky to start with and just gained confidence and willingness the further it went. I don't think you win Badminton and get on the team numerous times just for being in the right place. Although I did wish that someone would buy him some decent horses to compete on because he had some wretched bad luck with horses and if not, his record would have been even better.
 
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