Zara Philips - good for the sport?

Wanted to post and ask opinions as I overheard a group of aspiring competitors at the school I attend for lessons last night bitching about the way in which she has had everything handed to her on a silver platter. WTF?? I am surprised that anyone who knows horses thinks it is that easy - she has worked hard for her successes and uses her high profile to raise the profile of the sport in the British consciousness. I think she is an attribute to the sport - what do you guys think?
 
It is ignorance that brings that attitude across re. "silver platter" but unfortunatley alot of people have that attitude anyway. I am a huge fan of Zara, and it makes me angry when people say she is only where she is cos of who she is. It is good for the sport to be so high profile IMO
 
Shows how much they know if they think anyone can do what shes achieved by given money or the best horses.

I dont believe she is given the best horses, i believe she has difficult horses which she works very hard with along with the support of her team and family.
 
Any sports person who conducts themselves in a professional manner is an asset to the sport. And whether they've had something handed to them on a silver platter is irrelevant. As long as they're good ambassadors, any argument to the contrary is just jelousy.......
 
That her detractors have been made bitter and twisted through sheer jealousy. Zara just got two young horses around Badminton when other far more experienced partnerships were falling by the wayside. You can't do that just cos Daddy (or Granny!) bought you a smart pony or two.
 
I agree with you. Yes, it's an easier journey with money & connections, but it takes natural talent, hardwork and dedication to get to the top and neither money nor connections provide that.

F x
 
I think she's brilliant for the sport and raising its profile and she does work very hard. I wouldn't go so far as to say that she has had things handed to her on a silver platter but it is an inescapable fact that she does enjoy certain privileges which come with being who she is.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I think she is an attribute to the sport - what do you guys think?

[/ QUOTE ]

Totally agree!! If anything it's harder for her, yeah she doesn't have the money issues allot of us do but she has press watching her constantly, she has the same kind of problem as Katie Price, if she does one thing wrong it'll be all over the papers, if she wins they say she's been handed it on a plate! I'd like to see anyone who say that get on a mega fit eventer and go round a 4*!!!
 
I love her as well, and think shes good for the sport as well.

A friend of mine agreed to come to Chatsworth Horse Trials with me, just so he could see Zara
grin.gif
sad child
tongue.gif
 
I think she's definitely an asset to the sport
smile.gif


She works damn hard with her horses, not just riding them but mucking out, training etc. Yeah I should think being born into THAT family made things easy for her but also hard for her. Can't be easy living in a fishbowl
tongue.gif
 
I think the fact that she has been made to prove herself and work for what she has is admirable considering her back ground.

However, if I wasn't aware of that fact then I would think that she has had everything handed to her on a silver platter.

In someways I do think the the fact she is working Royalty has helped her get sponsors and owners, however, like everyone in this sport she has had to work hard to achieve success and that is all her own work regardless of what family she was born into and no one will ever be able to take that away from her
 
I think she is a real attribute to the sport and creates a lot of much needed publicity, she interviews well photographs well and most importantly rides well. However i always feel for her as everything she does is over analysed and sweeping statements splashed across papers, as someone else mentioned it is the same for jordan she has bought a lovely school master started doing a few dressage tests and made the front page of every tabloid paper in doing so.
In my opinion we need more Zaras and jordans to promote the sport and increase tv coverage!
 
I really like her! Yes being who she is may have made it easier to get sponsors, etc, but at the end of the day she has to have the natural talent or she wouldn't have got anywhere. I admire anyone who can ride at that level it takes guts.
I obviously don't know her but my impression is that she is very down to earth- my dad has also met her mum and said how completely normal she was, I think that a lot of people think that about her which is why she is liked so much!
 
QR

It makes me laugh when people say she is given easy horses, look at Ardfield Magic Star! I certainly wouldnt be at the front of the queue to ride him!
tongue.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I agree with you. Yes, it's an easier journey with money & connections, but it takes natural talent, hardwork and dedication to get to the top and neither money nor connections provide that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes!!! I agree!!!!
Success of talented people, produces envy and insane jealousy on the incompetent ones!!!
It happens in horses' sports, and all around the world. I have to live with it. Believe me.
I wish Zara is successful, she absolutely deserves it
 
Watched her go round the xc at Burghley last year on Ardfield Magic Star and boy that girl can ride! Certainly coming from her background it is a leg up (but she also has the disadvantage of the press watching everythingshe does) The horses don't know her connections and horses can make fools of us all -
 
I think she is great to promote the sport but I don't think she is very articulate ( especially as a royal) I saw her again on the news last night and Imo she struggled with the interview, she was not very fluent in her speech and she didn't have an awful lot to say. Shame really as there is no doubt the interest in her from the media is there.
 
She most definitely is an asset to the sport. She rides a wide variety of horses, has their total trust (Toytown is a chunky boy and not everyone could cope with him) and is thoroughly down-to-earth, photogenic and very amusing.
She might have the edge in getting decent horses but she still has to build up relationships with them, and ride them in competition in front of the critical public. She's taken a few hefty tumbles recently and gets straight back on with the job. OK I wish she was a little bit more confident when being interviewed, but that's become part of her charm. We need more like her.
 
If Zara Phillips couldn't ride she would not have won the major competitions that she has won.

She does however have a massive advantage over many aspiring horse riders. She has never and will never have to work for a living and she has access to the best facilities (Gatcombe Park) and trainers in the UK, her father, mother, stepmother.

There will always be people that hate wealthy people and say unpleasant things about them. Its part of human nature.
 
You're kidding. She doesnt come across that way at all!! there is alot of jealousy me thinks!!

she is probably more hands on than alot of other eventers!!!
 
As someone who does not live in the UK, I can honestly say that Zara does wonders for the sport of Eventing Worldwide. Hats off to her as Glenbuck and Ardfield Magic Star do not look easy and she got both of them round Badminton when, as previously stated, some well known names fell by the wayside.
 
Mostly good things to say - She attracts attention positive to the sport. She works damned hard to achieve things. Agree that she is not always the best communicator - In the video done with her and Claire Balding going to Badminton I think she looked positively bored.

I also have to say that I wonder about the way she pushed one of her horses around the Badminton course even though it looked dead on it's feet?? As a viewer I don't think it was her greatest moment.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I think she is great to promote the sport but I don't think she is very articulate ( especially as a royal) I saw her again on the news last night and Imo she struggled with the interview, she was not very fluent in her speech and she didn't have an awful lot to say. Shame really as there is no doubt the interest in her from the media is there.

[/ QUOTE ]

I saw the same interview and to be honest I think that she was put on the spot. She was asked directly how Toytown was and she stuttered and looked around for someone to help er answer. I personally think that she knew then that TT wasn't going to make it to Beijing and paniced, not knowing what to say. Just my opion. I have always thought that she is lovely, I've met her briefly in real life and she is so nice, and very normal
grin.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top