Georgie Spence Wins unaffiliated combined training !!!!!!!!!

Quote by Georgie Spence from Facebook !!!!!!

"1 was an inexperienced novice,1 a gd jumper bt wobby in the dress arena,1 has been eliminated in all his novices and i'd never ridden him and the other is quite nappy & at least once a round spins and rear's! But clearly that puts me at an advanage over ppl who only have 1 horse to concentrate on! I have several to run and need to win bk prize money to fund my career!£56 is an entry fee i couldnt otherwise pay 4"
 
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Quote by Georgie Spence from Facebook !!!!!!

"1 was an inexperienced novice,1 a gd jumper bt wobby in the dress arena,1 has been eliminated in all his novices and i'd never ridden him and the other is quite nappy & at least once a round spins and rear's! But clearly that puts me at an advanage over ppl who only have 1 horse to concentrate on! I have several to run and need to win bk prize money to fund my career!£56 is an entry fee i couldnt otherwise pay 4"

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I was just about to do that as well ... are people happy now that they have an explaination ?

Will everyone just get over the whole thing now ?
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I *think* having had a brief chat with her this evening on FB that Georgie was more upset with the assumptions without having first or at least attempted to gauge why this was the case.

Whilst I don't disagree with some of the comments made which I think do relate to true pot-hunting I don't think that it is entirely applicable in this case.

I wonder whether this could now be laid to rest in order to avoid any further insult and/or upset.
 
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Going back to racing, they weight successful horses to make it more of an even playing field. Not sure I agree with this but its to make the sport fairer. Dessie bless him, winning the 1989 gold cup in all that mud with tons of weight on his back
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just to give the others a chance.

Sorry to split hairs, but the Gold Cup is not a handicap and is run at level weights.
 
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I wrote the letter, without naming names. I suppose I realised it wouldn't be too hard for someone to work out who I meant, but it was never meant to be a personal attack. I'm sure other riders do the same, and had I come across them I would have sent exactly the same letter. I never for a minute expected all this fuss. So, here are my final thoughts and I will keep my head down now and go and practice my dressage!

While I accept the explanation quoted from Georgie's facebook about 2 of the horses, I stand by my comments about the horses that have been regularly placed at novice level.
I am not as someone so nicely put it a "jealous old bag", nor do I have any ambition to ride at Badminton. I am well aware that I could ride all day every day and not be able to compete at Georgie's level. That really doesn't bother me. I just want to have fun with my horse and compete on a level playing field against my peers. Perhaps Georgie might consider that while I only have one horse to concentrate on, I also have a full time job!

I hope that riders will consider whether what they are doing is in the interests of true sportsmanship, although sadly it seems likely we may disagree on how that is defined.

And they could try being more considerate in the warm up too, by leaving the fences at a height we mere mortals can warm up over
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(and just for the record, the comments about the warm up did not come from me!)
 
whilst i accept GS' statement (and to be fair all along people have been saying she will have a genuine reason for her actions) i still think that she was being unsportsmanlike and inconsiderate to her fellow competitors (height of practice fence and the established horses not being taken HC)...yes she's clear to do what the hell she wants but i think in all of the fuss she's got upset herself but failed to appreciate the feelings of others in all of this. i would love to have 4 horses to take to a competition but i have to compete my horse around a full time job and i wouldn't be impressed if my one outing a week was marred by unsportmanlike actions. hullaballoo i'm with you on this one
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Quote by Georgie Spence from Facebook !!!!!!

"1 was an inexperienced novice,1 a gd jumper bt wobby in the dress arena,1 has been eliminated in all his novices and i'd never ridden him and the other is quite nappy & at least once a round spins and rear's! But clearly that puts me at an advanage over ppl who only have 1 horse to concentrate on! I have several to run and need to win bk prize money to fund my career!£56 is an entry fee i couldnt otherwise pay 4"

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It would seem no lesson has been learned then.

There is no change to the fact that she entered horses that we can all see are competing competently far above that level in order to pick up some easy wins.

Seeing as sportsmanship can't be relied on, hopefully venues will introduce tighter restrictions on their small unaffiliated classes.
 
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i think thats a good point spiral...i for one have a slightly different opinion of her than i had before....
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Totally agree - her comment regarding the £56 is, for me, very disappointing.
 
oh i do accept that some of her horses seemed to justifiably have needed to run at the CT Jules (and this seems like one that shouldn't have been HC) - its more the more experienced/successful horses that we're winging about. and the practice fences.
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I think the comment about needing the prize moneys a bit rich, don't the owners/parents/sponsers fund her competing costs?!
 
I enjoy competing against 'names' and even when they compete HC I still like to compare scores. It wouldn't have occured to me particularly to check out her horses.

However I think her FB entry has made me a bit surprised with the 'poor me having all those horses' attitude more than the entry fee comment.
 
I have to agree with alot of the comments here. Im so glad hullaboo has stood up to unsportsmanship in the horsey world.

I think GS has not helped herself with that FB comment. I find it strange to think that I am at an advantage having only one horse, having to work full time and having far lesser training time and less of a set up...... I will be fair and say yes its a major advantage to have a horse who you and only you have owned - makes me have a cracking relationship with my horse.

Lets not forget GS - sponsors like to see people looking up to you, not thinking less of you.
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It looks to me like she has had 60+ runs at events this season which must be £6000+ in entry fees.
Did £56 really matter?
I started this thread rather tongue in cheek, I did not realise what a reaction it would provoke.
I am encouraged that so many people have a strong sense of fair play and good sportsmanship. They far outnumber the ones who are prepared to hide behind the rules as justification for bad behaviour.
It is perhaps a good reminder that with success and fame, comes responsibility and the need for a thick skin when you get it wrong.
It is also worth remembering that it was not really the letter in H+H which stirred this up, it was more the reply which failed to condem bad sportsmanship. It was certainly the reply which angered me, without it I probably wouldn't have given it much thought at all.
 
The comment about we being lucky to only have one horse does get to me as no she is lucky to have all those horses and all that wonderful training that most of us can't afford. Personally other than the one she has never BE (if link above is correct) that was getting elim at novice constantly I don't see any sportsmanlike justification for those horses to be competing in that level of class. Yes within the rules but come on it was 65cm!! At the very least she could have had all four in the 85cm class (no rule to say she couldn't) or the 75cm which all of these horses could step over so why on earth the 65cm???

I am a bit at a loss, I don't think she realised what she did was so unsportmanlike and she is now not liking the attention she is receiving because of her actions. If the horses were 'that' badly behaved that they needed such a low level run then she couldn't have expected to have been placed so again why not HC?? Yes £56 will help but it is small peanuts (especially as her entries for her two horses would have only been £28 total!).

I am not competing at a local show because I would feel like I would be pothunting. This is me on a horse with (very limited) winnings at BN/Dis who hasn't competed BSJA in 3 years, who is known for her hissy fits but I won't compete in a competitive SJ class below 3ftish as when she behaves she will jump double clear at that height without issue.

I think its an incredibly sad affair and I can see some extra rules being put in place.

What I think is also interesting is that they run combined training show with heights 90cm to 1m05 which would be more appropriate (although granted she would prob be at Bramham on last occasion) and they run every 2 weeks which is blatently aimed at professionals as it runs during the day on a Thursday.

Anyway I feel sorry for her as she has dug herself a hole which which people on here (which is wide ranging in experience and levels) won't forget. It will be a case of a very hard learned life lesson which she prob won't forget any time soon.

Oh and I love competing against pros even more beating them (rare but has happened
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) as gives a real sense of achievement but also have the upmost respect for those that follow sportsman like conduct and appreicate that they as professionals have far better resources both training/facilities/time than us mere mortals who fit horses round a full time job and spend money we also normally don't have on keeping them!

rant over
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Why don't you all get over it and go bully someone elses she's probably a quarter of your age and 10x better rider that's why she has more than one horse perhaps..... And she wasn't doing anything wrong....
 
I HATE to add to this forum topic as I think this particular one has got really out of hand.

I DO know Georgie & have for many years. She IS a professional rider & in my honest opinion, is fast becoming one of the best riders in the country. Yes, she took some horses to West Wilts and competed them in smaller classes than they normally compete. But that's it.

I recently went to 2 unaffiliated Intro/Pn competition at a regular BE eventing venue. My horse has 1 BE point and the first time we entered the PN, I did a double clear and won. I was thrilled - but because of my 1 point, should I not have entered? My horse is genuinely gutless xc and our 1 point came after 6 years of trying.
The second time I entered - also in my class were several senior riders who I know have ridden at 4* level and for their countries. I also know that some of the horses there were 2* horses. I did a rubbish dressage and only came bout 15th. But I'm no way bitter for those better riders and horses that were also in the PN sections with me. They've paid their entries as I have and it CLEARLY states in the rules that all BE points are non valid.

I think in times of 'credit crunch' hell, a huge amount of professional riders all do the same & one girl should not be highlighted for something that so many people do.

Get over it & start beating them!! It's a good feeling!!!
 
i personally enoy it when you get to take on professional riders...whenever you dont win you have been beaten by a better rider/better horse on that day..try again

why should she go HC..she was to pay the diesel like everyone else..well in fact as a professional she needs to be making money from competitions

If you dont like it dont enter open classes try and find a restricted competition. i am certain its not pot hunting do you really thing GS cares about a rosette from a local unaffiliated event?
 
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. i am certain its not pot hunting do you really thing GS cares about a rosette from a local unaffiliated event?

[/ QUOTE ] Even more reason to enter HC then...
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I personally think this thread now needs to be closed you`ve all quite clearly made your thoughts known and the rest is now just getting snipey and unessasary and in my eyes bullying

No doubt you`ll all feel differently when she starts bringing medals home for you in the future and she`ll be your golden girl once again
 
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