# BBC Sports Personality Awards



## smilincow21 (22 December 2011)

I am actually disgusted that there has been no mention at all about any of our Eventing or Dressage teams, even though they are doing far better than any football or rugby team internationally. 

And they failed to put one lady in the top 10.....what about Mary King!!!!!!!

I am off to write a lovely long winded letter to the bbc now....and hope more of you that feel the same will follow my lead. How can the sport become widely available to the general public if they don't even give us a few minutes of air time!

Rant over............ and breathe.....


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## WandaMare (22 December 2011)

I feel exactly the same, I'm so disappointed they didn't even mention any of our equestrian highlights from this year. In previous years there has at least been some brief acknowledgement of horse sports but this year absolutely zilch.......how rubbish! I'm going to write a complaint letter too...


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## humblepie (22 December 2011)

Didn't watch it but really pleased Mark Cavendish won.


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## kirstyl (22 December 2011)

smilincow21 said:



			I am actually disgusted that there has been no mention at all about any of our Eventing or Dressage teams, even though they are doing far better than any football or rugby team internationally. 

And they failed to put one lady in the top 10.....what about Mary King!!!!!!!

I am off to write a lovely long winded letter to the bbc now....and hope more of you that feel the same will follow my lead. How can the sport become widely available to the general public if they don't even give us a few minutes of air time!

Rant over............ and breathe.....
		
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Just what I said to my husband! Afraid too ill and shattered to write, make yours a doubly good one x


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## lhotse (22 December 2011)

Didn't watch it as was working, but the best man most definitely won, get in there Cav!!!


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## Mithras (22 December 2011)

smilincow21 said:



			I am actually disgusted that there has been no mention at all about any of our Eventing or Dressage teams, even though they are doing far better than any football or rugby team internationally. 

And they failed to put one lady in the top 10.....what about Mary King!!!!!!!
		
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Well, since one of the "reasons" proferred by the quite frankly bizarre all male list was that men and women don't compete on the same terms.  Err, they do in equestrian sports!  

I do think in years to come, people will look back on SPOTY and how sexist it is and laugh about unenlightened days gone by.  Maybe a bit like people think about Benny Hill or something now!

The sports media in the UK (as with much of the UK media) is dire.  I've lost count of the number of times I've looked in the papers to see reports or even just results listed for UK Championship events in perfectly mainstream sports, such as triathlon, only to find nothing.  Nada.  Not a mention.

That said, Mark Cavendish was a worthy, and brilliant winner.  What an achievement to win the Green Jersey and all those TDF stages!  A concerted effort by cycling fans unwilling to accept yet another middle aged unathletic winner I think!  (also not sexist as they got behind Nicole Cook too in the year she won the Olympic (Cycling) Road Race).


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## perfect11s (23 December 2011)

WandaMare said:



			I feel exactly the same, I'm so disappointed they didn't even mention any of our equestrian highlights from this year. In previous years there has at least been some brief acknowledgement of horse sports but this year absolutely zilch.......how rubbish! I'm going to write a complaint letter too...
		
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 It needs a 3rd rate royal to do ok then you will get some coverage otherwise its just a minorty elitist sport init


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## amyneave (23 December 2011)

WandaMare said:



			In previous years there has at least been some brief acknowledgement of horse sports but this year absolutely zilch
		
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I thought exactly the same. Our dressage riders got a team gold, plus some individual medals. If any equestrian sport should of been mentioned it should have been dressage. However bronze from the eventers and showjumpers is still a great achievement. 

Very disappointed


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## chestnut cob (23 December 2011)

It is a shame no equestrians were nominated but I was more annoyed there were no female athletes on the list.  Seriously... they nominated a middle aged golfer who has only ever (AFAIK) won one thing in his career yet they ignored our fantastic female athletes?!  Crazy.

Cav was a well deserved winner though.  He's had a fantastic year and seems such a nice bloke too.  Go Cav!


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## lar (23 December 2011)

I was out so didn't see it but seriously?  there was no mention of equestrianism at ALL?   How absolutely rubbish is that - surely they could have found room to at least MENTION our first EVER European gold?


(Well done to Cav though - out of a particularly mediocre short list he was definitely a worthy winner)


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## smilincow21 (23 December 2011)

Not a single bit of footage at all, even in the clips of highlights of the year nothing. Plenty of footage of Golf, Rugby, Cricket and Football and how their year was.
Don't get me wrong, Cav definitely dserved his win but it would have been nice to see even a small bit of recognition for our teams proudly flying the flag for Britain. 

Surely it is all about celebrating the Success of our nation!


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## ladyt25 (23 December 2011)

I didn't watch it (frankly can't be bothered!) but I was quite appalled that the list didn't include ANY women at all. That's disgraceful and is extremely sexist. Plus, if that comment above about the golfer is correct the WTF??!!! It's a ridiculous awards programme - it's men patting each other on the back essentially isn't it.


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## Holly Hocks (23 December 2011)

I think equestrianism doesn't feature because unless you're a rider or have ever been a rider, then you wouldn't be interested in horses.  However there are a multitude of people who don't play football/tennis/cycle, but will watch it on TV because they have an interest in it.  I wasn't bothered about no equestrian sports being featured - let's face it, they're not going to win are they?  I just didn't like the fact that there were no women nominated.  However after the Olympics next year that could all change....


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## VoR (23 December 2011)

As I like to promote healthy discussion and debate, and I'm not saying it was right that no female sports-people were in the top ten when some on the list was errm surprising to say the least (Andy Murray.....really, has he won anything of note??? Amir Khan??? Given recent events is he a good sporting example, boo hoo I lost so the judges must be bent!!?? I think we could all come up with more worthy female competitors) but are we saying there should be positive descrimination and at least one female athlete should be named?
If there is a feeling that men and women don't compete on a level footing, should there be TWO SP'sOTY, one male, one female? What about disabled athletes who put in remarkable performances, should they have a category? What about an award for 'marginal' sports, say those that get under x hours of TV coverage (I speak as someone who studied Karate at a time when GB won countless European and World Championships without a mention)?
There are lots and lots of other potential categories...............


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## ester (23 December 2011)

the lack of equestrianism doesn't really bother me, I haven't paid much attention to it but I am sure that there were many less mainstream sports that didn't get a mention let alone a nomination. More bothered by the lack of girls, our swimmers in particular.

VoR I think there are flaws on the nomination process, I think it is 27 sports editors, which doesn't seem like many people to ask to me, so that personal preferences are going to come into it

equestrianism did get a mention though! http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/sports_personality/16310977.stm


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## zero (23 December 2011)

What i think is sad is IMO the most obvious woman that should have made the final ten only got a 5 second mention. OK more than the dressage or eventers but given what Hayley Turner has achieved its really not enough and she does compete on a level playing field against the men.


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## ester (23 December 2011)

the nominations from the various publications are here if anyone interested. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/sports_personality/15895642.stm


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## Miss L Toe (23 December 2011)

perfect11s said:



			It needs a 3rd rate royal to do ok then you will get some coverage otherwise its just a minorty elitist sport init 

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The riding Royals are  certainly not third rate, but obviously they gather a wider following than the Whittakers for example. Equestrianism is not a minority sport, yet it is treated as such.
It kills me when there are "sports" programs on TV, and all they talk about is football, that should be put on a dedicated channel imho.


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## Miss L Toe (23 December 2011)

ester said:



			the nominations from the various publications are here if anyone interested. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/sports_personality/15895642.stm

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Bizarre choice of  media, Nuts to the selection committee, do they actually read these rags?


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## VoR (23 December 2011)

Miss L Toe said:



			Bizarre choice of  media, Nuts to the selection committee, do they actually read these rags?
		
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More interesting, 27 titles but how many media groups???? The flaw is in allowing journalists to get involved at all, why not an open vote by the general public, the top ten then becoming the shortlist with a new vote for that list, % of costs going to charity? Ah, then we are trusting the public.....


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## Freddie19 (23 December 2011)

Did not watch, when usually I never miss it,.....so could someone confirm for me if the English Ladies Rugby team got a mention....They should have done, as in complete opposite to our moaning bunch of  male losers, (its everyones else fault you know) they completely wiped out the rest of the rugby world just a few weeks ago.  And yes agree with everyone else Mary King is the greatest, just unfortunately neither a man, or a stupid dolly girl.


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## BeesKnees (23 December 2011)

Nuts and Zoo? Seriously??? 

Well we all know what they think women are good for. Maybe if there were some topless women's sports they'd have been more interested 

Let's face it, women's sport is considered second rate by most men, and probably by a lot of women too. It doesn't seem to matter how much better our women's teams do than their male counterparts, they get a fraction of the media coverage from the largely male sports writers / presenters.

Oh and horsey sports is just for girls


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## VoR (23 December 2011)

BeesKnees said:



			Oh and horsey sports is just for girls 

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Soooo, true, that Mrs Todd did well winning Badminton this year though.........

Nuts and Zoo are missing out jodphurs, long boots and whips....grrrrr...sorry, bit carried away there for a minute!!!


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## welsh horse rider (23 December 2011)

wasn't Bob Champion given a award? he won the grand national with aldanti


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## perfect11s (23 December 2011)

I dont realy give a stuff who won!!!! so it was a lycra clad  pedal  pusher from the IOM and not a girl  this year, it never seems to even try to be fair  we have great achivement in all sorts of sports by both male and femail but it seems  to have a very narrow field of vision  so I would never  take it seriously, and they arnt called  the Biased broadcasting Company  for nothing  all these awards,gameshows  and competions are crap  its just entertanment for the proles or programs to  push a agenda like  man made global warming or a political  thing like promotion of the labour party ... its shite and I resent having to pay a licence fee  for it


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## galloping glory (23 December 2011)

Maybe they don't think that horse riding is as important. They hardly ever metion anything equestrian anymore


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## Alec Swan (23 December 2011)

I didn't watch the last efforts,  but going by those previously,  the word _"Personality"_,  seems to be misused.

Alec.


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## perfect11s (23 December 2011)

galloping glory said:



			Maybe they don't think that horse riding is as important. They hardly ever metion anything equestrian anymore
		
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 You can bet if say that odious little  slimey ed balls or another labourite rode then it would be in every program !!!! for instance  
thats why they like farming and nature programs... it gives them outlet for their man made
global warming agenda,  bas stuards


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## ClassicG&T (23 December 2011)

I turned it off as not only were there no women ( all men! grrr) but there was not one mention of any of the equestrian teams. Dressage GOLD at europeans- did they forget?

and Mary King is a legend and has had the best year of her life for the sport, not one mention of her


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## cronkmooar (23 December 2011)

Totally agree that its a disgrace no women were nominated - there needs to be a change in the process.



chestnut cob said:



			Cav was a well deserved winner though.  He's had a fantastic year and seems such a nice bloke too.  Go Cav!
		
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Obviously as this was a televised event it was one award that he was willing to turn up for !!!!


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## proudwilliam (23 December 2011)

It is past it sell by date the awards, a bit like Miss World.


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## smilincow21 (23 December 2011)

If you read my first post I did state that racing was mentioned...just. But not a single clip on Eventing or Dressage which disgusted me. The Para athletes got a mention (or else there would have been a public outcry). I suppose they are going with the whole sterio type that equine sports are a first class sport so they can't be seen to follow it... even though Zara won a few years back.
Completely agree with a previous post that the public should decide...only problem is all ten finalists would probably be footballers who have scored one goal all season. Another idea is what about specialist sports journalists deciding, so one from Horse and Hound, tetrathlon mag etc? Not Daily newspapers who don't really follow all sports and it would give everyone a fairer chance.
Another idea is to put Mary King (or another equine star) in strictly come dancing, dancing on ice, x factor.... then we might get more of a chance of publicity which is much needed!


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## Orangehorse (26 December 2011)

The annoying things is that lots of sports get a mention, yet they haven't won anything!
Tracey Moseley was World Champion Downhill Ladies Cyclist in 2010 and World Series Champion 2011 - so she was TOP, yet not nominated and it is hardly a minority sport with so many people cycling and she competes all over the world (obviously).  I didn't watch the programme, so I don't know if she got a mention or not.

Andy Murray, Amir Khan are famous but they didn't WIN.


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## Miss L Toe (29 December 2011)

welsh horse rider said:



			wasn't Bob Champion given a award? he won the grand national with aldanti
		
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Yes. Bob Champoin did it like 25 years ago, and a lot to do with the 
"dream ticket factor" [both horse and rider near death at one stage].
It took 14 years consecutive championships plus a concerted campaign to get AP McCoy in to contention, in a sport which does not use drugs to enhance performance, and relies on the concerted efforts of the man and his connections for success.


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## murphy123 (29 December 2011)

Good topic - couldn't agree more


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