Olympic claims to fame

FinkleyGladiator

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Me and my mum dressage steward at Burnham Market and Great Witchingham horse trials so we're friends with all of them of course ;) A personal favourite is Ludvig :D
A funny story is when mum had Lucinda Fredericks in her section and without realising who she was started chatting to her and complemented her on her quarter-marks and plaiting (which she said she did herself!). I was just standing there starstruck!
 

Lolo

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Me and my mum dressage steward at Burnham Market and Great Witchingham horse trials so we're friends with all of them of course ;) A personal favourite is Ludvig :D
A funny story is when mum had Lucinda Fredericks in her section and without realising who she was started chatting to her and complemented her on her quarter-marks and plaiting (which she said she did herself!). I was just standing there starstruck!

Love stewarding there too, unless it's the ONu18 sections :eek: Some pros are genuinely lovely and others need a reality check!!
 

BBP

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I worked for Mark Todd.

Oh, and I sold my old van to Jonelle Richards (and Tim Price) from the NZ team and they eventually sold it to Mark Todd. the little scrapheap lived out the rest of its rusty life teaching his daughter to drive around the farm so ive heard!
 

Madam Min

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I don't think I've any horsey claims to fame. My only claim to fame is that about 10 years ago I met and served David and Brooklyn Beckham when they came to the shop were I had a student summer job, but as I'm not into football, I didn't realise who it was until my over excited boss pointed it out to me :eek:
 

CatStew

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Really really really not much of a claim at all, but when I was at college Leslie Law ran several jumping clinics, and I participated in one. Can't remember how long ago this was exactly, but I was at college from 2001 - 2005, so somewhere inbetween there!

Unfortunately thats all I've got!:eek:
 

Kat

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I don't think I've any horsey claims to fame. My only claim to fame is that about 10 years ago I met and served David and Brooklyn Beckham when they came to the shop were I had a student summer job, but as I'm not into football, I didn't realise who it was until my over excited boss pointed it out to me :eek:

Hooray, someone else who failed to recognise David Beckham!

I almost walked into David Beckham at the swimming pool of my gym (so i was wearing a bikini). It was the same day he was in the papers and on the news for the mohiccan hair cut. Not being a football fan and not having a clue that England were playing locally that day in the Euros I didn't recognise Beckham, and went past muttering about people who keep their shoes on poolside. I then declared loudly enough for him to hear "Look at that idiot who has copied David Beckham's haircut".......... it was pointed out to me about an hour later when the same bloke went past again that it was David Beckham. :eek:

Failing to recognise football types is common in my family, I've failed to recognise several footballers (whose names I can't remember but I worked in a hotel/bar/restaurant close to the Football Stadium when I was younger so saw quite a few). My dad failed to recognise Brian Clough, even when Cloughie said "don't you know who I am?".
 

Captain Bridget

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Once at college I'd just finished a lecture and was walking past the big outdoor arena where someone was teaching. One of the girls with me said, 'Oh, Carl is teaching, I must go and say hi!' It was Carl Hester and he quite often taught her.

My best one is at our awards ceremony when I finished at Hartpury the person who congratulated us on stage was Mary King! I was SO excited when I found out it was going to be her. She gave us a little talk on how she got where she is today, with a few clips including one of her falling off, and I got to shake her hand! My non horsey mum and sister did not get this. But the rest of my college friends did thankfully!

My very tenuous link is I saw Cian O'Connors lorry on the road on the way to London last Thursday!
 

Natch

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Loving the answers to this thread!

I've met, shaken hands with and chatted to Richard Davison, and taken the mickey out of his son quite a lot. :eek: Said son and I studied together and he was always late because his father made him ride all his horses every morning before he came into college. Many of the college tutors were so in awe of son being famous that he was dragged out to ride any time there was any sort of event on, and bragged about at every speech. It got really annoying for the rest of us, and really embarrassing for him.
 

Feathered

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Both mine are courtesy of my dad, who's a fanatical cyclist and keeps coming across eventers on his travels!

Leslie law used to live not far from us and one day my dad was out cycling when he comes across these 2 greys out hacking, he says to the girls riding as he passes "those look like 2 very nice horses" girl replies" should do, this is an Olympic gold medallist and his brother" He's now rather proud of the fact he can spot a decent horse when he sees one ;)

He's also come across Mary King, apparently she was having a bit of trouble with her horse spooking and he stopped to wait, he commented to some bloke that this lady was a good rider, and was informed it was Mary King... Of course he had no idea who that was!
 

Nightmare before Christmas

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Ive sat casually chatting with Zara when she was show jumping at weston lawns, didnt even know it was her. Only found out when I noticed toy town and realised! Spoke to her each time I saw her after that and she always said hi. Spoke to Geoff Billington and all that bunch loads too but hes not on the team. Had an argument with Nick Skelton in the warm up.....does that count? I dont get star struck, we are all riders just the same!
 

Archangel

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Back when I worked in a dealer's yard this really quite unassuming 4 year old bay gelding kept getting sold and then returned as difficult. Honestly he never put a hair out of place and I used to hack him out and school him on the green.

He was eventually sold and not returned and I forgot about him until he popped up at the 1988 Olympics in the Briitish dressage team with Tricia Gardiner :D

Perhaps it was my early schooling :cool:... highly unlikely I think :p
 

Karran

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Not horsey but have just been watching the judo while waiting for the dressage and realised that one of the GB squad used to kick my butt when we were 11 and her mother was a workmate of mine.
Sadly her mother died and we lost touch about 10-11 years ago.

Go Gemma Go! (gonna be torn now between her bout and Carl Hester)
 

vicky_sut

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I used to be travel groom for someone who was selected to go to the Athens pre olympic test event and met Andrew and Bettina Hoy there. My old boss was short listed for Athens Olympics, so I have been to some team training and sat having lunch on the same table as William FP and Zara.
 

Sarah_K

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Not a horsey one, but a few years ago I was out hacking and Steve Cram ran round a corner and straight into my horse. Was very apologetic about it- he'd got ear phones on and hadn't heard us.
 

LJN

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Not horsey, but I know a few of the Olympic Sailors quite well. Used to spend far too much time in the pub with them when I was at uni and spent all my time on a boat rather than a horse :)
 

gillianfleming

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Caroline Powells husband has worked with my aunt and uncle for years, so have met Caroline quite a few times. Sometimes when we visit you can spot Ed peaking out of his stable.
We went with friends to escort the torch at a local big house and were impressed when Caroline came across to chat
 

Ibblebibble

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friend at college (on YT course) was at Andrew Nicholsons yard for her work placement, this os over 20 years ago so he was still young and handsome and we were all dead jealous lol:)
 

Double_choc_lab

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Just thought of another one. Just after Jane Bullen (now Holderness Roddam) won her gold in 1968 she came and gave a talk at Pony Club. We were allowed to hold her medal and I had to stand up and thank her. I was only 9.
 

Sparkles

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Used to have lessons with one of them.

WFP came out hunting one day when I was out and we jumped the same fence at the same time and I opened a gate for him...


All I've got! :p
 

JennBags

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Oooh I've got a few :D

My horse is Jakarta's half-brother. Was gutted when he went lame immediately after selection :mad:

One of our neighbours is Tina Cook's head groom.

Tina apparently showed interest in my palomino when he was in a field by the road - she mentioned it to our shared horse physiotherapist :)

A friend used to work for the Fox-Pitts many years ago.
 
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