Knighthood for Lee Pearson

[Ellen Durow]

With all the respect to our para dressage riders and their magnificent achievements at London 2012 I felt it was inappropriate for Lee Pearson to complain publically for not being chosen to receive a knighthood this year. After reading an endless list of very negative and often furious comments from horsy and non horsy people about it on Yahoo news page I felt rather embarrassed for Lee Pearson and disappointed.

To be honest, I think that the whole idea of any sports persons getting knighthoods and other honours for doing what they do basically for personal pleasure and personal agrandisment while people who do charitable and other unsung work for decades with no recognition get nothing, is more than a little grotesque.

 

[Ellen Durow]

Your last sentence says it all, the press have hardly covered anything he has done. I had to look up in Wikepedia before I realised all that he had won.

Not so. He's had a lot of media coverage for years starting with the "Oh look. A disabled person can ride a horse" sort of stuff when he first started doing well. I first read about him about 15 years ago.

Arragant little s*d. Of course he wouldn't get a knighthood after virtually asking for on!

 

[fusspot]

I know someone who has just been awarded a medal in the honours list who is retiring from the Army,he has been awarded it for long and exemplary service-he does not even get it given to him at Buckingham Palace or by the Queen!Maybe when people put there life on the line,it will give them a reason to moan for not being recognised!.

 

[Sandstone1]

Those that ask dont get.... It should be a honor not a right. yes hes done well but if he stopped moaning and shut up about it maybe he would get something. Who does he think he is?

 

[eahotson]

To be honest, I think that the whole idea of any sports persons getting knighthoods and other honours for doing what they do basically for personal pleasure and personal agrandisment while people who do charitable and other unsung work for decades with no recognition get nothing, is more than a little grotesque.

That really.A few years ago we were holidaying in France on a camp site.There was an older couple there with their 'girls'. A couple of quite severly handicapped girls that they were careing for and fostering.I will never forget the look of absolute love that passed between the man and the most handicapped of them as he fed her her breakfast.They could have had holiday relief but felt that they would miss their girls too much! THEY deserved knighthoods.

 

[Kat]

@hic in that case I support her award wholeheartedly, anyone who beats Tony Blair should get recognition. Hope she used a big stick.

Re Lee Pearson, I should imagine that the people who decide these things (it isn't the queen) don't like to feel bullied and threatened. Lee had recognition in previous years. Plenty of sports people who won medals haven't been recognised this year because they have received awards previously. Nick Skelton and Sir Chris Hoy for example, you don't just automatically get the next award up.

 

[Kat]

And anyway Lee was saying he was going to make is to 12 golds this year. He didn't so maybe the knighthood is waiting until he does........

 

[mtj]

So I'm a cynic, but I doubt the awards would receive any media coverage if they were only awarded to those who have assisted ohers.

Celebs, whether entertainment or sport, create public awareness and interest for these awards.

Nevertheless, its shame that the non celeb awards receive so little attention. Having said that, no doubt these folks are not fussed about the gongs.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

Lee Pearson is rather good at complaining. He also has a huge opinion of himself. Which is a shame as it overshadows his achievements.

Agree wholeheartedly with this /\

 

[badgerdog]

Not wishing to aim this at any one sportsperson but more as a general statement. But, surely achieving an Olympic gold medal in your chosen sport is the ultimate reward and proof to yourself and others that you are one of the elite athlete in the world. So why would you need anything else to say you are the best?

I agree with this, you shouldn't ask for more recognition and moaning that you don't get a knighthood seems a bit churlish. I don't mind either way whether he gets one or not but other people recommend you get a knighthood, you don't ask for one, and you certainly don't complain about it!

People who deserve awards are those unsung hero's who work for little, or no pay at all for charitable works. Who work for years, uncomplaining and often against the odds to make a better life for other people. The difference when these people receive awards is that they often say they don't deserve it, when in reality they deserve it more than anyone else.

 

[Grinchmass]

Not a fan of Lee Pearson at all, his achievements I'll be the first to admit are amazing.

However his personality and persona, self obsessed, arrogant, self absorbed. I could go on. With an attitude like his he could win 20 Olympic golds and I still don't think that he would deserve a knighthood. To me, to be given this honour you should not only have great achievements but also have the attitude and personality, also to be grateful, not step up to receive your honour, and say to the queen "it's about bloody time don't you think!"

He states that if he was able bodied with such achievements he would have been knighted years back, but with his attitude I beg to differ.

To be fair, I'm guessing you've noticed I find his attitude disgraceful.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Lee does seem to have been demanding a knighthood for a while, I can't see that attitude appealing to the powers that be. He is quite high profile in this area, his picture is on the front of the Phone Book!
With regard to deserving winners, was really pleased to see that Mo Edwards the DC of our local PC was awarded the BEM. She has been involved with the branch for many years, from taking the tinies on picnic rides to training some highly successful tetrathlon teams and is a really nice, down to earth person.

 

[guesstimation]

I find it difficult to comment on as I don't know what many of these people have done to "deserve" the awards. I like to think if a celebrity has been awarded something its not just because they are on the TV but that they have used their position to help others and gone an extra mile or so, many do a lot without making a fuss about it. However many don't and it always appears celebs are getting recognised for things where your average Joe who has done a life times work of giving, helping, supporting others go unrecognised. But then someone has to put them forward and I guess if your a celeb, sports star etc you are seen much more easily.

I do think they are all a bit of a waste of time.

 

[SusannaF]

Well, he's right. There's a discrepancy. A rower who got 4 golds was made a knight, and Lee has 10 and does charity work and... isn't a knight.

If they only gave knighthoods to people who weren't "arrogant" than one hell of a lot of grandees would be stripped of their titles.

 

[SonnysHumanSlave]

What difference does it make anyways, CBE OBE or Knighthood.

 

[ester]

since when was it all about numbers of medals? Especially as some sports inherently enable their competitors to win more medals than others. Surely a medal in itself is recognition knighthoods should be completely different.

 

[weebarney]

Seen him in a documentary once and he came across as a knob then as well. Why want a knighthood anyway? You couldnt pay me to meet the royal family!

 

[stolen_fairydust]

What he has achieved during his career is truly fantastic, however his rude comments during the Olympics made me lose all respect for him. After all to work everyone has done raising the public profile of dressage how dare he speak so crudely in a televised interview. Disgusting. Maybe he ought to take a long hard luck at himself before demanding such rewards.

 

[Shysmum]

He doesn't actually come across too well imho - a very big ego....

 

[Holly Hocks]

As others have said, I don't agree with sportspeople getting knighthoods, I think they should go to the more deserving in society, but to look at it another way, a lot of these sports people will contribute to society by promoting their sport and getting it recognised more, therefore increasing the uptake in these sports. But don't get me started on entertainers and actors......

 

[ribbons]

Yes, a lot of sportsmen/women will promote their sport.
I don't think LP does dressage any favours though, or paralympians of any sport, for that matter. I should think most of them are cringing right now and desperately trying to distance themselves from him.

 

[Herpesas]

however his rude comments during the Olympics made me lose all respect for him. After all to work everyone has done raising the public profile of dressage how dare he speak so crudely in a televised interview. Disgusting.

I missed this!! What did he say??

I must admit, I don't like his attitude. Yes, his achievements are great and many but that doesn't give him the right to be a complete a*se. The documentaries I've seen show him saying how much better he is than able bodied riders and how he's always beating them.

I agree demanding a knighthood is the way to go about NOT getting one.

 

[fizzer]

He has an amazing record and well deserved, he is a great rider, BUT, surely a CBE or OBE is an acknowledgment of this and is an honour.

I think he should be grateful for what he has been given, people that bleep about wanting more awards are not good sportsman. It all sounds pathetic moaning and will not get him any votes from the public.

I personally think soldiers, firefighters, police and other forces who protect us and put their lives at risk are more worthy of these Honors.

 

[acw295]

I've really gone off him, unliked his page on facebook as sick of him always cropping up whinging.

He has achieved some amazing things, for that I think he is fantastic. But I do not like him one bit I'm sad to say.

 

[Cheiro1]

Lee Pearson is rather good at complaining. He also has a huge opinion of himself. Which is a shame as it overshadows his achievements.

^^^^ This!

 

[Patterdale]

SusannaF can't quote but I totally agree.

No wonder he's bitter over it.

 

[bigmfic]

he is an absolute cringing embarrassment to paralympics in general.

irrespective of the technical skills in equestrian events he has conveniently forgotten the fact that its 3 times easier to win a para medal than an olympic one

 

[sywell]

If Health & Safety had anything to do with it he would never be allowed to be within a mile of a horse. Best of luck well done Lee. As he said to the nurse last time he damaged his back in a fall who said you might not be able to walk again his reply " wont make much difference I couldnt before."

 

[jenniaddams]

I found the guy to be a huge disappointment. When I first saw him on tv years ago, I was amazed at what he did, I looked up to him. But the minute he starts to talk, you realise what he's like.
His achievements are impressive, but he is not a good forefigure for the paralympic dressage world. It's cringeworthy to be complaining about not getting something...why, aside from his gold medals, does he deserve it...and who is he to complain when he doesn't! It's ignorance.

 

[misterjinglejay]

There's no doubting his talent at riding and training, but he is an obnoxious twerp IMO; rude and full of self importance. Humility is a wonderful trait that seems to have passed him by!