I doubt AN would have taken it to Olympics but there would always have been Burghley or Pau. By going to Beijing Parkmore Ed will not be out till next year so no ranking points can be gained!
But, Tam would have blown at the atmosphere and the owners of WFP other ride I believe were not keen for it to go to Hong Kong, just as PA wanted his horse to go.
Goah, how childish of the owner of P.Ed, sounds like WFP might be much better off without him, and maybe after the display at HK, this guy and AN deserve each other?!? As someone else said, P.Ed is no spring chicken, and WFP has plenty more coming through and still got Tam and Ballincoola at top flight already. I love Tamarillo so wish he had taken him, even if he had blown a bit in the dressage - well, P Ed didn't exactly shine in that phase did he?!? But understand that there are a lot of factors in the decision!
i do wish people would give tam a bit more credit. he isnt usually a nutter in the dressage. even if he had his test would probably still have been better than Ed's! people seem to forget all the times he has been good! sorry slightly off the point.
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anyway, after how disgustingly AN rode at the Olympics, and how he never even checked that great horse of his after doing his best to wrestle it to the floor (god knows how it got its front legs out in time and didn't have a rotational at the 2nd Pagoda fence), he didn't even glance at the horse as he led it back, let alone fuss it, i can't believe anyone would send a horse to him.
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Totally agree. And I saw him be similarly reckless at Burghley last year
Yes, at times he can ride great, but I am v v definitely not an AN fan!!
I feel very sorry for the horse
As others have said, he's 14, won Burghley and Olympic team bronze, is out till next season now by which time he will be 15, and someone mentioned hard to keep sound. What a shame such *rseholes get to own such great horses. I feel gutted for William who is such an ambassador for the sport that he has been put through this stupid childish game.
Poor Ed, after the way AN broke L K, he should not be given the horse. Wouldn't be suprised if AN took ed and L K to Pau...why else would it be at his yard!??
Well I obviously missed out on this as I was away but I think it is a real shame for WFP to have had to go through this whilst trying to maintain the highest level of sportmanship and professionalism. How disgusting for Ed's owners to think about themself above and beyond his horse, the rider, the supporters and everyone else who is invloved in the process of the olympic selection.
Good for William to have dropped the ride, Andrew and i'm sorry to all his supporters (I am NOT one) will only push him over the edge anyway. His own riding at the Olympics was, in my opinion a disgrace, and he deserved his tumble.
I do think Tam would have done much better than Ed, he may have had a few blips but I don't think he would have been as bad as Ed.
But hey ho. I only hope now, that William will get to go to the 2012 games and will have the horse that HE truly wants to ride and not have his arm bent behind his bacl, all for the sake of one upmanship.
There are 2 sides to this story, calling Ed's owner pathetic etc. is a bit unfair, if Lucretia really knows what went on she will agree that this thread is a little onesided