Idiotic comment by Peter Charles!

Luci07

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Just watched part 2 of Jennifer Saunders " back in the saddle". What a stupid remark from Peter Charles when he said dressage and eventers were a load of tosh and how he came from a workings class background. Take your fat chip off your shoulder and show your fellow competitors some respect. Or just bother to do some research.

Shame as I think a lot of the likes of Tim Stockdale and Nick Skelton and they didn't seem to feel it was necessary to really look down on the other disciplines. Just as well this programme came out AFTER the Olympics. Would have been a.nice conversation with the other riders..

and while I appreciate horses are expensive and there is a lot of money in it. There are equally a huge number of people who work their proverbial backsides off ....anyone know any wealthy eventers btw?
 
I hope it was tongue in cheek as I thought it was really disrespectful to riders of other disciplines too. I had a good old rant about it whilst the program was on. What a stupid comment to make on Tv.
 
If that is his opinon fine, he has had to climb the ladder to success as have others like Carl Hester, but now they are reaping the rewards.
People like Laura come from a priveleged background, but that does not mean I am belittling talent and hard work.
There are swings and roundabouts risks and reward in all career, not all the cream rises to the top.
This is TV, it is entertainment, not a philosophical discussion by experienced broadcasters.
I kinda think most eventers need a large bank account to get in to it, and to stay in. I don't think they work at the checkout in Tesco to pay for it.
 
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Very strange comment, I hope tounge in cheek but to me it didnt come accross that way. Whatever background IMO everyone who is top of their game has to work hard, with that said I won't let it taint for me a brilliant programme
 
A stupid thing to say, but you only have to go eventing and showjumping to see and hear that generally eventers are from more priveleged backgrounds. (I said genereally!)
 
Agreed he came across as very prejudiced and carring a huge chip on his shoulder. TS did however say that most eventers do it as a 'hobby' rather than earning a living, even at very top level, due to the lack of prize money in eventing.
 
I think PC and TS are both out of order! yes there are a lot of ameteurs that event and do it for fun but nearly all of them spend all there money on lessons for dressage, jumping and xc. While a lot of show jumpers just jump a few poles at home and then have a go! I have just bought a horse from a young girl that showjumps and the poor thing only knows how to go in draw reins. Not all eventers are rich as not all show jumpers are poor!
 
I don't think any of the sj'ers came across that well to be honest. They all seemed bloody miserable! Very shocked by the comments by peter charles though - totally uncalled for :(
 
Well I haven't watched it yet as I have recorded it, gonna watch it later, so who TF is Peter Charles, another celebrity in their own lunchtime ?
 
I have been having a mammoth time trying to convince the BF, colleagues and friends that not all horse riders are rich and a lot of them had to work hard to get to where they were - a la Mary King

Thanks Peter for just undoing all my work!
 
Lol, I didn't see this bit but I love the fact that show jumping is dominated by miserable old men, makes a change from all the happy smiley ness going on in other disciplines, naming no names Mary King lol :D

A showjumper I worked for had owners that made their money in the porn industry, I reckon there's no one that funds eventing or dressage with money from porn :D
 
LOL guys, I think he was taking the p*** :)

Have a look through Competition Riders, I'm sure you'd find similar comments in there from eventers who think all sj'ers are blinged up chavs and dressage riders are all poncy and scared to jump!

Calm down
 
LOL guys, I think he was taking the p*** :)

Have a look through Competition Riders, I'm sure you'd find similar comments in there from eventers who think all sj'ers are blinged up chavs and dressage riders are all poncy and scared to jump!

Calm down

What I wanted to say, but better, thanks! :)
 
LOL

When I was proper eventing (20 odd years ago) that was certainly the way it was. I had 3 jobs to keep ponio so certainly not priviledged but tbh those showjumpers....and their dreadful white woof boots (we were all wearing clarendon blues), white numnahs and even worse white jodphurs (ours obviously beige or canary) and white ties not stocks! Accents were pretty different too.

Perhaps he's just a dinosaur - very un PC and probably out of date.

Not too serious though surely.......
 
Agreed he came across as very prejudiced and carring a huge chip on his shoulder. TS did however say that most eventers do it as a 'hobby' rather than earning a living, even at very top level, due to the lack of prize money in eventing.

I got the impression it was very much said in jest. TS's comment on the other hand about eventing being more of a hobby did IMO seem a bit more patronising and potentially offensive.
 
Haha! I do think he meant what he said, he looked fairly serious about it!

I think TS comments were much fairer, there is much less money in eventing, and it is not quite so business like, and it isnt quite so 'commercial' as show jumping, I would liken SJ more to horse racing than eventing.
 
I'm not sure it was said in jest, I watched an interview he did before the Olympics and he came across as a complete idiot. He didn't come across very well in a documentary on him either - perhaps it was one of the Greenwich programmes on Horse & Country, I can't remember, but he seemed very cocky and arrogant on that.

It's a real shame because a lot of the top SJers come across well and despite their quirks seem quite likeable but I can't find much to like about PC at all.
 
Well he didn't sem to be joking much to me. I enjoy the banter with people in different disciplines and thought Tim made a good point about the different industries BUT neither discipline is a hobby to riders at the top of their game. Actually you could argue it's a lot harder. Horses need to be much fitter for eventing, money is less and nearly all the eventers have to produce on horses to sell or train to make ends meet.
 
LOL guys, I think he was taking the p*** :)

Have a look through Competition Riders, I'm sure you'd find similar comments in there from eventers who think all sj'ers are blinged up chavs and dressage riders are all poncy and scared to jump!

Calm down

pmsl you should have heard what he used to say about me and my hunters (and my clients :o) :D:D
 
Actually you could argue it's a lot harder. Horses need to be much fitter for eventing, money is less and nearly all the eventers have to produce on horses to sell or train to make ends meet.

Trouble is, these things always come down to comments like this. The 'isnt eventing harder, woe is me, the ground is too hard/wet/deep/slippy. Dressage riders are poncy and showjumpers are common chavs' etc etc etc.

I think most eventers seem to come across as having a sense of humour failure and unable to poke fun at themselves fwiw ;)

ETA - you all know you're jealous really of the bling, warm cafes and indoor events ;) :D
 
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Waaaaaah! I can't believe people have got angry at his comments. The banterous rivalry between SJers & eventers has been around for years. The thing is they have a point. There is no way you can make a living purely from eventing, even at the highest levels the prize money is just not enough....but showjumping there is that potential there (that's if the prize money isn't all wasted on blingy tack & jackets with their names on ;) )
Also SJ does pull in wealthy owners & sponsers easier, it's much easier to smooze people with money stood by a bar in a warm, dry indoor show instead of the pouring rain in a field somewhere in Gloucestershire :D
 
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