Mary King retiring
- Thread starter Surbie
- Start date
Parrotperson
Well-Known Member
I hope they do a little ceremony for her at badminton. Only fitting.
New Forests Rock
Well-Known Member
Oh Mary, how much fun you have given me down the years. It is hard when your heroes and heroines realise that age has caught up with them........
meleeka
Well-Known Member
What an incredible career she's had. I don't think she's actually retiring, just retiring from competing. She must be made of incredibly strong stuff to still be able to do what she does.
Alibear
Well-Known Member
I know its 100% the right thing for her, but it made me sad, end of an era and all that. Wishing her all the best and she says she'll still be breeding, youngstock etc so not really going away.
Kadastorm
Well-Known Member
An absolute legend. Really sad she won’t be seen out on the XC course again but glad she will still be on the circuit with Emily. She certainly deserves a relaxing retirement.
IKW
Active Member
I utterly adore Mary. Always have and always will. She was always fascinating to watch and got the job done always. She's been competing longer than I have been alive!
KikiDee
Well-Known Member
What an eventing legend and the end of an era, she was one of my idols growing up!
TheMule
Well-Known Member
The highlight of my childhood was being invited onto the lorry to meet King William at Tregembo horse trials.
I watched her pilot 2 very green young horses around an event last year, riding as skillfully as ever. What a legend!
I watched her pilot 2 very green young horses around an event last year, riding as skillfully as ever. What a legend!
Honey08
Waffled a lot!
She was one of the greats. Someone who I looked forward to watching. Always smiling and humble. I hope she enjoys her retirement.
teapot
Well-Known Member
I have a hand written postcard from the legend - I wrote to her during F&M I think it was as a pony mad young teen maybe?, and it remains one of my favourite things.
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite
Well-Known Member
I was in a rival Pony Club to Mary (Thompson) as she was then, when I was a teenager. Us lot had to compete against her! Not even dreaming that we were competing against a future Olympian!! All the little shows and inter-PC events, back in the 1970's, we've all got some very special memories of her. She was always "one of us", always ordinary, she never thought she had outgrown her humble origins and I know she had given-back to the local pony clubs in recent years too.
I remember when she won her Olympic medal; she rode her horse down the street in Sidmouth, Devon, because she wanted to share her success with everyone of her home town, and to thank them for their support.
I actually have a friend who lives in the area near where her yard is: there's been a few times times we've been out hacking in the gorgeous Devonshire countryside together, chattering away, and this individual riding-out on a lovely horse has shouted from behind and caught up with us, and ridden alongside........ that's the way Mary has always been.
She will be missed on the competition circuit; bless her, she has been such an inspiration to all of us "lady riders of a certain age" in recent years. I reckon she and I are the same age.....
I remember when she won her Olympic medal; she rode her horse down the street in Sidmouth, Devon, because she wanted to share her success with everyone of her home town, and to thank them for their support.
I actually have a friend who lives in the area near where her yard is: there's been a few times times we've been out hacking in the gorgeous Devonshire countryside together, chattering away, and this individual riding-out on a lovely horse has shouted from behind and caught up with us, and ridden alongside........ that's the way Mary has always been.
She will be missed on the competition circuit; bless her, she has been such an inspiration to all of us "lady riders of a certain age" in recent years. I reckon she and I are the same age.....