Telegraph Today....

[Young Rider]

Anyone seen the bit in the sport section today? Check out Nick Skelton's attitude towards competing at the Olympics! Unbelievable, he doesn't deserve to be there I don't think.

It's the OLYMPICS for God's sake not a Gymkana! Grrrr.

Does this make anyone else really angry??!

 

[kerilli]

i haven't seen it, and it doesn't seem to be online, but i wouldn't be surprised if he was misquoted. Journalists do tend to take a few liberties at times...
what exactly does it say, out of interest. i will take it with a big pinch of salt though.

 

[Young Rider]

It's not actually a quote from him it's a quote from the team manager saying that he was angry with him because instead of tending to Russell he was out having a suit made!!

 

[lucretia]

derek ricketts that would be? well to be fair its hardly taking nick all day to ride one horse is it and i feel in my bones he wasnt tht interested in watching the dresssage..... or the eventers jumping a huge 1.25 course.....

 

[kerilli]

well, it's the groom's job to tend to the horse, not the rider's, and i very much doubt that the horse has been neglected for a second!
i've been reading the event riders' blogs and they've had time to do lots of nice things. if that's how he keeps himself relaxed, good for him. what a totally pointless comment for Ricketts to have made, if indeed he did make it at all. Or he may have been joking, and taken out of context.

 

[Young Rider]

Don't think the comment was pointless at all. It shows obviously there's a bit of ill feeling in thee camp. They just don't seem to have any 'team spirit'......

 

[kerilli]

it depends how it was said, could have been taken out of context perhaps?
the fact that they took a horse that was a seriously doubtful contender about 3 weeks ago, and left Peter Charles' horse at home, means they've got problems already, and they haven't jumped a fence yet...!

 

[Young Rider]

I know, worrying. I just would have thought that if Nick is indeed behving badly, it is bad form, expecially from someone who broke their neck and has now been given a second chance. Most people aren't that lucky!

 

[Dovorian]

Blimey! Getting a suit made in HK has always been one of the 'tourist' activities. Wouldn't have taken long as they only measure you, not necessary to watch the whole process, unless Nick is a closet tailor????

Not sure if you have ever wandered around HK, but in some streets you can barely make progress without a chap leaping in front of you to offer you a Rolex or a designer suit made to measure. I just think of it as part of the experience so why not let Nick have a bit of fun?

 

[lucretia]

and from the amount of facebooking certain team members have been doing they have hardly been at the stables day and night

 

[kerilli]

i agree with catherineskinner, i hardly think it is "behaving badly" to pop out for an hour and get a suit made. it's not exactly going clubbing till noon, is it? and what the hell does his broken neck have to do with it? he's been "given a second chance" because he's an amazing competitor with good horses at the moment. (and much as i adore my jumping, if i broke my neck i think i'd take up knitting instead, so all credit to him for his courage.) why do you have it in for him anyway?
btw, i'm no fan, i asked him for an autograph when i was a kid and he told me to "f*** off", but fair's fair, he's an adult and is allowed to go out for an hour or two ffs!

 

[Tanta]

Well its not as if it is his first olympics and needs constant support, he knows how to get a horse fit and keep it in good form, he should be able to spend his time how he wants. The team all know each other, not as if they need to spend all their spare time together, I'm sure they all relax in their own ways.

 

[skewbaldpony]

It was probably the groom who told him to b*gger of and buy a suit. Who needs riders under your feet when you've got a job to do!

 

[lucretia]

[ QUOTE ]

btw, i'm no fan, i asked him for an autograph when i was a kid and he told me to "f*** off", but fair's fair, he's an adult and is allowed to go out for an hour or two ffs!

[/ QUOTE ]
LOL kerilli cos so did i and got the same response when they had a one off show in wandworth (would you believe) and loads of famous names came. but sadly for him, he wasnt dealing with your average pony club children but battle hardened south london slum kids..... i am afriad admin will not let me print th response he got, to his amazement, and his immediate capulation to original request when 20 stone pikey mother of one of the said kids asked what was going on...

thanks for reminding me of that moment from my childhood!

 

[FigJam]

I think the controversy is that it was a pre-arranged press conference- the team manager and other riders all turned up to do their PR bit for Team GBR and Nick decided to go shopping.

Derek Ricketts apparently was quick to announce this fact to the press, so it seems he's not a happy chappy about it!

I agree that the riders are entitled to time out and relaxing etc, but surely part of their job out there is to help show the sport in a good light and an hour of his time with the rest of the team wouldn't have been too much to ask for. Plenty other time to go shopping really.

Best of luck to the team for today though!

 

[kerilli]

hahaha lucretia, that's brilliant. unfortunately i was polite and very cowed! please pm me the response he got, i might want to treasure it!

(when he turned me down he didn't even have the excuse that he was busy riding, he was only there with Ted Edgar and that mechanical bucking bull they used to take places!)

 

[kerilli]

ah, okay, didn't know that FigJam, thanks for that info. makes more sense now.

 

[librauk]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

btw, i'm no fan, i asked him for an autograph when i was a kid and he told me to "f*** off", but fair's fair, he's an adult and is allowed to go out for an hour or two ffs!

[/ QUOTE ]
LOL kerilli cos so did i and got the same response when they had a one off show in wandworth (would you believe) and loads of famous names came. but sadly for him, he wasnt dealing with your average pony club children but battle hardened south london slum kids..... i am afriad admin will not let me print th response he got, to his amazement, and his immediate capulation to original request when 20 stone pikey mother of one of the said kids asked what was going on...

thanks for reminding me of that moment from my childhood!

[/ QUOTE ]

I must have been one of the lucky ones !!
I had just bought his book, and low n behold i saw him next to a food van at a show, and yes I had heard about his attitude to fans, so i was a bit nervous about going over.but i walked up to him, and asked if he would sign my book, he was actually very nice, signed my book and we had a very nice chat

 

[toffeesmarty]

The attitude of some of our top jumpers has always been questionable with the exception of Tim who I've always found to be great. I think they've become the footballers of the equestrian world (without the WAGS or money?
Shoot me down if you want to

its just my personal thought. Why weren't they supporting the rest of the equestrian team?

 

[lucretia]

i think you are quite right in many ways and certainly the showjumping team have had more than their share of public disagreements over the last twenty years. but we will never know the full story and maybe as he didnt know he was going to be called up, nick had made an apointment (not nessessarily with taylor) that he couldnt break. personally if i had been derek ricketts i wouldnt have mentioned it oublically its just not good PR.

 

[billy2]

Isn't Nick Skelton the guy who last year said showjumpers were the only things people went to watch at HOYS, Olympia etc? Ithought then he had an ego problem!

 

[jaffs]

Nick has never been comfortable with journos.
He does his talking in the Ring.
Nick is Nick no one will ever make him change or do anything he doesn't want to do.
His accident was horrific and his outlook grim.
The Guy has amazing guts to even get back on a horse, let alone Jump again at this level.
John, Nick, Mick and Tim have all spent years and years travelling and competing together on the continent, they know each other inside out.
They might not be Bossum buddies but they have a healthy respect for one another.
If you ask Nick to do any Charity work he is there in a shot, that kind of information about him doesn't make news tho'.
Poor Alan Smith he is getting desperate for Spicey Stories

.

 

[skewbaldpony]

I agree, but they don't do themselves any favours. If I was a multi millionaire looking to pour sponsorship into something equestrian, and I didn't want a Polo team (!!!) I'd choose Eventing, wouldn't you? What fab PR, what lovely people.
Hmmmm ... Images of Lucindan and Clayton, Tina Cook, Lovely Mary King .... even WFP ... or the Four Blinking Yorkshiremen (no, I know they're not but you see what I mean!)
Now, would I like my company to be associated with dashing glamour and courage in the face of adversity .... or ... Victor Meldrew..... tough call .....

 

[skewbaldpony]

[ QUOTE ]
John, Nick, Mick and Tim have all spent years and years travelling and competing together on the continent, they know each other inside out.
They might not be Bossum buddies but they have a healthy respect for one another.

[/ QUOTE ]

Cue theme from 'Last of the Summer Wine' ROFLOL honestly, I know they are very very good, but I do feel they may have an image problem!
Ben Maher seems to be pulling it back from the brink, as far as my daughters are concerned, at least!
And before anyone gets excited, I know it isn't image that counts. But it helps LOL

 

[lucretia]

and i think that is a fair comment as well. you have to ask yourself who they have advising them on PR really because showjumping is just not doing itself any favours lately.
however a shiny gold medal would help!