stimpy
Well-Known Member
Earlier this week I have the privilege of attending both days of the wonderful freestyle para-dressage where I was filled with an enormous sense of national pride as well as enormous respect and admiration for all the riders and their horses.
I find the patriotism issue interesting though. In normal events, I support the rider or horse that I like/admire the most, regardless of their nationality. I find the idea that I should be rooting for an individual competitor purely because of their nationality to be plain daft. When it's a team event, ie nations competing against nations, then I do understand it, but not when it's individuals competing against each other as *individuals*.
So, I love to watch William Fox-Pitt ride because he is an awesome rider, not because he is British. I also love to watch Andrew Nicholson ride, again because he is an awesome rider. Does it matter that he is a Kiwi? Not to me. I can't even watch Mary King go cross country, I think her cross country style is ghastly even if it is effective (I realise that this is tantamount to criticising the Queen, I am just being honest). Yet commentators and spectators alike expect me to be rooting for her.
The backlash over the Horse and Hound cover is a good example, I am sure there would be less outrage if, as so many people have said, our brilliant para team hadn't been bumped by A FOREIGNER.
I find it all very strange, maybe someone can enlighten me.
I find the patriotism issue interesting though. In normal events, I support the rider or horse that I like/admire the most, regardless of their nationality. I find the idea that I should be rooting for an individual competitor purely because of their nationality to be plain daft. When it's a team event, ie nations competing against nations, then I do understand it, but not when it's individuals competing against each other as *individuals*.
So, I love to watch William Fox-Pitt ride because he is an awesome rider, not because he is British. I also love to watch Andrew Nicholson ride, again because he is an awesome rider. Does it matter that he is a Kiwi? Not to me. I can't even watch Mary King go cross country, I think her cross country style is ghastly even if it is effective (I realise that this is tantamount to criticising the Queen, I am just being honest). Yet commentators and spectators alike expect me to be rooting for her.
The backlash over the Horse and Hound cover is a good example, I am sure there would be less outrage if, as so many people have said, our brilliant para team hadn't been bumped by A FOREIGNER.
I find it all very strange, maybe someone can enlighten me.