Matt Ryan changes Nationality

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TableDancer

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Well, it's official: Matt is going to change nationality to British. He has lived here for 20 years now after all... Good luck to him I say
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TBF nobody's forced him, I guess there were elements of "push" and "pull". The full text of the Press release is as follows...


Matt Ryan today announced that he is changing his nationality from Australian to British. Matt has won three Olympic Gold medals for Australia, two in Barcelona in 1992 and most recently at Sydney in 2000. However, he has been based in the UK for many years and is married to British rider Marie. They have a 2 year old daughter, Millie. Matt says: “I have been considering making the switch for a number of years, and it was a very difficult decision to make. However, this is my 20th year living in the UK, I have a British family and this feels like home – we have no plans to return to Australia to live. The British eventing set-up is second to none and is the envy of the world, and the superb training and back-up system which is available to the elite British riders is hugely appealing. In 2009 there is the European Championships and I will certainly be gunning for selection with Bonza Puzzle (8th at Badminton in 2008 and winner of Kreuth CCI*** 2008). Looking beyond that there are the 2010 World Games and of course the Olympics: just like all the other riders, I’ll be setting my sights on London 2012!”

On hearing the news, Yogi Breisner, British Event Team Performance Manager, said “We are delighted to have a rider of Matt’s experience and calibre now available for the British team.”

It has been Matt’s view for some time now that with around a third of the top Australian riders based in Europe, yet no European-based selector(s), it is impossible for the Australians to make informed and objective selection decisions. Interestingly, two North-American based top Australian event riders, Philip Dutton and Boyd Martin, have changed their nationality to the USA in recent years.

Still, Matt might find it hard to pass the “Norman Tebbit Test” for a while yet: “I still love Australia and I have to admit I’ll be cheering for the Aussies in the Ashes Cricket series this summer” he admitted, sheepishly. “But I’m happy to support my adopted country of Wales in the Six Nations Rugby matches coming up!”
 
He puts more into the sport than a lot of pros so good on him. Hope he gets the support from Team GB. I guess a good Badminton run will really set the cat among the pigeons.
 
well its been coming for a while and i for one will be happy to see him ride with the british flag on his saddle cloth. teamm australia should be gutted though this is a really high profile switch for them to put up with.
 
Do you think he will make the british team? When are the next champs? Did Australia have an equivalent of the Europeans?

The immigration laws are changing as well. Indefinite Leave to Remain is being scraped - which is the standard visa after the 2 year spousal visa, and they are going to make it harder for non nationals to stay in the UK. They are saying that if you want to stay in the UK you have to take British Nationality. Not sure when they are implementing it.
 
As an Aussie, it is gutting that a top level sportsman has decided to throw his toys out of the pram for what on the face of it looks like it's because he didn't get onto the team for the games. HOWEVER, I'm sure there is much much more to it than meets the eye, MR is as switched on and as wily (?) as they come.
Personally, I think that the strength in Team GB (god that's hard to say!!) is such that he still won't make any teams.........for a good while yet.

I wonder what his brother has to say about it all...........
 
The Europeans are at Fointainebleu this year... if he goes brilliantly at Badders, and can get a really good test out of Puzzle, i think he'll be in with a good shot of a place.
I didn't know that about non-nationals, will have to have a check and see how i stand!
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Thanks for the euro info
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They are making it a lot more difficult to get British Nationality, you have to do a years work of volunteering etc. It has been thru consulation and when I read the original report I was not sure if they could cancel already issued ILTR visa, I wouldn't have thought so, but if you are thinking of becoming british I would do it now as they are also putting the prices up significantly - probably from April.
 
i shall be extremely interested to see if there are any unexpected horse movements in the south west. i can think of one or two owners that might have waited to move horses if the had known a rider of this calibre was switching to british.
 
Exactly. Having lived in the UK for the past 20 years has to be the vital reason, yeah, sure, after all for how many years is Mrs. Fredericks now living in Australia.
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If within two years, one manages to get two multiple Olympic Gold medallists (Dutton, Ryan) alienated enough to change nationality and Federation and a third one considering it, something has to be very wrong somewhere. It was the right move for sure.
 
Also means that any owners who want to have their horse with a Brit now have him as a possible rider - so may get him more top class rides as well.
 
Interesting - I didn't realise he had been here for so long! Good luck to him.

Incidentally, does anyone have any idea how AUS manages to produce so many top event riders??
 
yes sj mummy. some people are commenting without reading the thread and repeating what has already been said (whhich i know we all do at times) but he says that in his statement above.
 
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