I thought this was a very interesting description of endurance, from a non-endurance spectator. Yes, it's international competition, so very different, but interesting never-the-less.
Article here
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I think we have hooves again
5 years ago
As you say, and interesting perspective.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it's true that the Sheikh who finished 2nd generally buys the horse of the person who finished 1st.
I wonder if I would sell a horse to him?
I wonder how much money he pays?
Hmmm.
Maria Alvarez Ponton, the gold medal winner, rides and trains in Dubai six months out of the year on the same grounds as the Emiratis so her horse can be "observed" there all the time. Nobby's international record is very well-known and if "Sheikh Mo" truly had wanted to, he could have bought the horse a long time ago...
ReplyDeleteIn general, good horses of all disciplines change hands all the time to the highest bidder, wherever they are from! For instance, rumors are flying right now that an AMERICAN has just bought Totilas, the Dutch dressage horse who won Gold today. Even if this rumor is not true, you get my point...
As far as the comments made about the Sheikh not attending the medal ceremony (both in this article and on other blogs) the explanation is very simple.
ReplyDeleteSheikh Mohammed is the ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and had to immediately "return to official State business." I don't blame him - he had a country to run!
Plus there were speculations that he would have been too much of a sitting duck on the medal podium and it was a security risk no one wanted to take. I'm sure they were worried enough about him riding out in the open for 100 miles...