'John Terry's wife Toni gets England call-up'...

lizziebell said:
yes perhaps its a little bit of the green eyed monster, but no one can ever say they have never ever felt a small pang of jelousy in thier lives.
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I am definitely jealous! I wish I had a grand prix schoolmaster and like to enjoy the thought that if I had the same resources I would be doing similar or better things. Doesn't mean it's true!! I've ridden very well schooled horses (gp, inter I) - with some of them everything's easy and with some of them they're putting in flying changes all over the place every time my lower leg shifts slightly (unfortunately that's often!), so I understand how the higher level horses aren't always easy to ride.

Anyway, as much as I'm jealous of her horses, I'm definitely not jealous of being in the spotlight like she is- must be difficult to do your tests knowing that people like me are going to be looking up your results, and the press maybe picking up on how you are doing. Not to mention everyone being aware and knowing when your partner has cheated on you. So well done her for just getting on with what she enjoys.
 
This comment from below the article was quite interesting:

'Well, isn't it amazing what money will get you! For a start, her horses cost MUCH, MUCH more than 5 figures. Beltoni is being prepared for her by Vicki Thompson, an ex Olympic rider. I think you'd find he cost in the very high 6 figures.....

Ok, she apparently is working hard at this. But lessons with Vicki T are upwards of £100 a time and the livery at Oldencraig is around £300 a week. Diamond Fritz was trained by someone else so Toni Terry just gets on and rides - all the work has been done for her.

There are LOADS of very talented dressage riders in this country. Shame they just don't have the money.'

I agree that it's great she is working at something and that she has a nice nature, but let's not be under the delusion she would be where she is but for her husband and his bank account. But I guess that is a fact of life in this sport. As for the fact she has been riding since childhood - is that careful PR, or true?

I've been thinking about how negative responses are automatically dismissed as b*tchiness and jealousy. I see some of them as speaking up for talented individuals who work very hard all their lives and sacrifice an awful lot, and could do with a share of those funds to help them progress. In which other sport can you make such rapid progress? For example I don't think you'd get to Inter Nations jumping in two years. Perhaps it's just a flaw in the system. I don't participate in dressage so I have no personal 'beef' with her - she's not taking anything away from me - but every time she's placed, it could be argued she is taking something away from someone who has worked harder for that place, and/or is more naturally gifted. She could do a lot for the sport by sharing just a little of those resources.

I don't know enough about dressage, but as another comment from the article said, could (dare I say it) her connections influence her scores? (Perhaps not even consciously by the judges)?
 
brushingboots said:
well thats what there famous for imo, shopping all the time :p
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Oh yes, fair enough ... it's just I think Toni has a £100,000-a-time horse habit instead of a closetful Christian Louboutins on her husband's dime... or maybe both :eek:

Do think, either way, ol' John is footing the bill though..
 
Bab said:
Oh yes, fair enough ... it's just I think Toni has a £100,000-a-time horse habit instead of a closetful Christian Louboutins on her husband's dime... or maybe both :eek:

Do think, either way, ol' John is footing the bill though..
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i could have put it so much better!
At least shes doing something purposeful with the money, developing her own hobby - thats what i meant ;)
 
brushingboots said:
i could have put it so much better!
At least shes doing something purposeful with the money, developing her own hobby - thats what i meant ;)
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Fair point! I suppose my issue is as outlined in post 33. But I do agree with your sentiment - better horses than handbags! :)
 
I have no issue with what she's doing with her horses (good on her for actually getting on and doing it rather than just talking about it!) but I do judge her negatively for how misleading the interview was in OK magazine (which is where the DM have their material), it truly read as though she's been selected as part of a senior international team and it also repeatedly stated that riding was her "career" with the implication that it was her job/business rather than a full time hobby or even "life's work"!

It's true that her result at the Inter-regionals should ensure her place on one of the Southern Region's teams for the Home International in October but surely teams haven't been officially selected yet so it's pretty poor form to be shouting it from the rooftops already...
 
Give the girl a break,

If I had a cheating husband, drug dealing Father in law and thief Mother In law I think I'd want a little distraction aswell :D
 
I used to go for regular schoolmaster lessons at OEC and to be fair to Toni she was always at the yard, always riding different horses, always watching other people's lessons when she wasn't riding and just absorbing herself in dressage. She was a lovely elegant rider to watch and I wish I could ride as well as her. She is indeed very fortunate to be able to afford the amazing horses (god Beltoni is lovely!) and the constant tuition, but she also works damn hard - she doesn't just turn up, ride and go home. I say 'Well done' to her!
 
Bab said:
... and the livery at Oldencraig is around £300 a week.
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Not sure where you heard that...last time I checked (a few months ago) it was much cheaper than that and was in fact even cheaper than some full exercise livery yards in the Midlands which are normally much cheaper than Surrey!

Also, just to add even if her horses are well-schooled by other riders doesn't mean she can just get on and ride it to a high standard. Top-class horses are certainly not easy to ride even for very experienced riders. Having previously ridden some horses which have been trained to Prix St Georges I initially found it difficult just to get them to canter (having ridden for over 15years and used to riding a variety of horses) and like someone else said they often mess around and try and throw in changes or lateral work and you really have to know how to ride them - it's not like she just gets on, looks pretty and does nothing!
 
GRRR its annoyes mee how people like us work are butts off trying to get places like her she buys a 100,000 horse that can do it all for her and just coz shes famous she gets to ride at a top competoin tbh i think its bull!!!
 
BSJAshowjumper123-i invite you to come and ride my GP schoolmaster, but unless you've got a strong core, soft hands and subtle legs and perfect balance you probably wont get anything other than piaffe, and if you arent perfectly straight he'll more than likely piss off out his shoulder in canter until you get knee capped on the fence, and if you think you can just point and shoot, well, you might get a pony trot with his ears in your eyes.

so you bring a hat, ill bring the horse and everyone else-please bring the beer and popcorn.

pull your head out your arse love, a top horse still takes riding, still has to be through and engaged to get good marks, can still spook, can still have an off day etc etc.

if i had her money id do exactly the same and so would all of us. good on her for working hard and having fun, im extremely envious but wont lower myself to slagging the poor girl off just to make myself feel better.
 
BSJAShowjumper123 said:
GRRR its annoyes mee how people like us work are butts off trying to get places like her she buys a 100,000 horse that can do it all for her and just coz shes famous she gets to ride at a top competoin tbh i think its bull!!!
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So what should she do, not ride because you don't like it? Or cap the amount she spends to a level you deem acceptable?

There are many, many women who don't work and are reliant on their husbands to finance their horse habit but they don't get slated on here :rolleyes:
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
BSJAshowjumper123-i invite you to come and ride my GP schoolmaster, but unless you've got a strong core, soft hands and subtle legs and perfect balance you probably wont get anything other than piaffe, and if you arent perfectly straight he'll more than likely piss off out his shoulder in canter until you get knee capped on the fence, and if you think you can just point and shoot, well, you might get a pony trot with his ears in your eyes.

so you bring a hat, ill bring the horse and everyone else-please bring the beer and popcorn.

pull your head out your arse love, a top horse still takes riding, still has to be through and engaged to get good marks, can still spook, can still have an off day etc etc.

if i had her money id do exactly the same and so would all of us. good on her for working hard and having fun, im extremely envious but wont lower myself to slagging the poor girl off just to make myself feel better.
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This.
I go green watching my YM ride but she's been doing it along time and v good. Im very jealous of her riding on the flat (im not a dressage person either) but she works hard at it and with her horses. If she ever asked if i wanted to sit on one i'd laugh and tell her not on your life! :D I couldnt ride one side of them, i know this so why think i could.
If i was offered a grade a to try and jump i might have a go but even i know i wouldnt be able to ride it very well until someone taught me how to.
If i had the money i would prob do the same, dont think there are many people who wouldnt.
I get the impression that she is level headed and understands how much work she needs to do. She doesnt seem to chase fame as much as others ;)
 
LHS don't forget the brother-in -law who had an affair with team mates fiancee recently lower league so not so many headlines, at least horses are honest!, good on her
 
I think if I were a dressage rider, I'd be cheesed off that my sport seemed to be the one chosen by wealthy bored housewives to get success and recognition ASAP. It makes it seem like dressage is the easiest sport to pick up and the one where money counts most towards success. Maybe it is, I don't know.

Thankfully WAGs don't seem keen on riding 160km in a day, so I don't have to concern myself with how their antics may colour perception of the sport I love:D
 
The Olympia thing was pretty dire to be honest. Good on her for giving competitions a go and she can do whatever she wants with her money but what is the point in public displays of really mediocre, amateurish riding in front of a paying crowd?
 
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