# Good old BBC - nothing like the GB sports folk sticking together for 2 weeks!



## Jazz1 (9 August 2012)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19180865


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## Emilieu (9 August 2012)

Crikey those comments have made me cross!


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## attheponies (9 August 2012)

What an ignorant and unsporting article.


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## Jazz1 (9 August 2012)

theres no hope in this country when our fellow so called sportmen/women say the wrong things about the sport - erm excuse me but its the olympics, we should all stick together - they're happy to count the 3 medals we've won for GB - surely all sportspeople should respect eachothers sport - I mean honestly - takes more than anyone can imagine to get to where our equestrians are now - compare this to our medal winning gun shooters - they win a medal for just standing still, aiming a gun & pulling a trigger - gosh, their 1 finger they use must be knackered!!!!


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## Kat (9 August 2012)

It is also really irritating me that the non-equestrian press keep explaining dressage as "a test of the relationship between horse and rider" as if any kid with a pony they loved enough could do it. No mention of rider skill or the horse's athleticism, makes it sound less like a sport and less of a skill. 

No one has explained that the rider has to guide a horse through a set series of athletic/gymnastic moves that are physically demanding or that it takes a huge amount of physical fitness for both horse and rider. Why isn't it being described as the equestrian equivalent of the Artistic Gymnastics/Figure Skating/Synchronised Swimming. 

And why oh bloody why do the BBC keep having pudits on who know nothing about the sport. If you don't have someone suitable available why not get a spokesperson from the governing body in? It isn't just Steve Cram and Chris Boardman trying to discuss dressage it is a tennis commentator trying to talk to two kids about Tae kwondo on Radio 2 this morning and it being plain the Karate mad kids knew more than him. It is just embarrassing.


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## ClobellsandBaubles (9 August 2012)

The interview on the late Olympics show on the BBC pretty much said that we had a huge advantage being at home and that's pretty much why we won. I mean it's not like top Olympic horses never leave home


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## Jo_x (9 August 2012)

Cloball said:



			The interview on the late Olympics show on the BBC pretty much said that we had a huge advantage being at home and that's pretty much why we won. I mean it's not like top Olympic horses never leave home 

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Yes, I'd have thought that the Germans winning the gold medal for the last 4532846957 years shows that theres little home advantage. In fact, if you discount the 1980 olympics which the germans boycotted, the last time they didnt win team gold was in Munich in 1972!


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## bongo-girl (9 August 2012)

I agree that it isn't necessarily the best informed article, but when it comes to column inches for equestrian sports you have to take the good with the bad.  Main stream sports have plenty written about their negative aspects too.  And if we put a positive spin on the tv commentators lack of knowledge (I don't want to say ignorance) they were in fact probably raising issues and questions that 99% of viewers had.  They will know more than anyone that their knowledge was thin, so just maybe it will lead to them, learning more, or considering bringing more experts on to the box/radio to clarify these issues.  What seems obvious to those of us in the sport isn't to the outside world.  We can't all be knowledgeable on everything - please don't test me on cricket for example!

All in all, what I think I'm trying to say is we aren't going see equestrianism becoming main stream any time soon - much as we might love it to be.  But lets be grateful for interest rather than stand offish at their efforts.  By being appreciative we are more likely to get a psoitive reaction


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## Dubsie (9 August 2012)

I do think, compared to the 70s when Olympia meant it was nearly  Christmas and we were glued to the screen, that equestrian is not counted as 'sport' like football, and as such gets a raw deal on the TV compared to how it was portrayed in the 70s.

Even our local radio station, on listing the medals one afternoon they glossed over the team dressage result by simply saying 'gold for the equestrian dressage team' - and then had an individual interview & results from each of the other gold medals they mentioned, but not a word more about the dressage which I found most annoying, not even mentioning it was the first ever team dressage gold!


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## Honeylight (9 August 2012)

It has all made me so very, very cross. If I read/hear anyone else saying "horse dancing" I will scream! It's the same as those who call foxhounds dogs, but worse.
In the 1970s if our show jumpers had got gold the media would have been over the moon, not now, it's all sneering & silly comments. I don't know how Claire Balding keeps her cool with all those idiots she has to work with.

I see the Olympics as a show case for all those minority sports that people work at behind the media scenes. Lets hope our successes encourage people to take up new sports, what ever they may be, hopefully some equestrian ones.

There are other sports than "footie". It always surprises me that people, 
especially those from working class backgrounds are interested in 22 millionaires kicking a ball around; a ball that has probably been made, like their kit, by slave labour in a third world country.
Rant over!


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## skewbaldpony (9 August 2012)

Oh yes, a proper sport like football, where money doesn't count. Oh and we can't play for cr@p.

SO annoyed by Gary Lineker saying 'Tally Ho', Gaby Logan not knowing what she was talking about, and Chris Boardman, who champions a sport where a bunch of guys in lycra do 5 out of eight laps behind a bloke on an electric bike, saying it was the home advantage. What the HELL does he know about it? 

Yes, the Australians Lucinda and Clayton Fredericks were just knackered after travelling all the way from Wiltshire, that'll be why he fell off. 

Idiots. Rant not over.


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## bongo-girl (9 August 2012)

I think we are being very harsh on the likes of Chris Boardman and Gaby.  As far as I remember the subject of whether we had a home advantage was discussed more as a query and as a personal opinion from presenters who also admitted that they knew very little of the sport.  Instead of berating them, lets see how we can encourage a deeper knowledge.  As far as we know they are creating just as many eye rolling moments when discussing other minority sports as they are ours...we just don't know because we don't know the finer points of these events as we do ours.  Let's help educate instead of biting the hand that has fed our sport more coverage than it has had previously in DECADES.

Also, (and I fear that I might get my head bitten off here) we need to provide camera friendly, personable spokesmen for our sport to these outlets.  Claire Balding has been amazing.  She talks on a level, and is great and breaking the subject down.  Likewise Lizzie Greenwood Hughes.  But Mike Tucker has been taking a kicking on this site - rightly or wrongly - and may project a certain image of stereotype to horse sport.  Nick Skelton - as amazing as I think he is, and however interesting I thought he was personally - didn't engage my non horsey friends with his breakfast tv bits - we need to ask why.

And yes, the media are going to pick up on equestrian sport at this level is elite..BECAUSE IT IS.  Let's not kid ourselves. But lets accept it for what it is instead of denying this fact, cos that only alientates us further....ok..gonna breathe now!!


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## skewbaldpony (9 August 2012)

bongo-girl said:



			And yes, the media are going to pick up on equestrian sport at this level is elite..BECAUSE IT IS.  Let's not kid ourselves. But lets accept it for what it is instead of denying this fact, cos that only alientates us further....ok..gonna breathe now!!
		
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It's no more elite than any other sport. The 'public' have a misty eyed Billy Elliot view of other sports, where you jog round your council estate in your Lidls trainers, live on Pot Noodles and passive smoking and the next thing you know you're Usain Bolt. It's twaddle. 

Parents and families make HUGE sacrifices in all elite sports. Oh, what a brave boy Andy Murray was to move to Spain to train at 15, but no one calls him POSH, do they? Charlotte duJardin is POSH, but Andy Murray? Salt of the earth, Jimmy. How much do we think that COST to go to spain to live and train at 15? 

It's the same deep seated imagined class prejudice that did for hunting, I fear. 'I hate it because of all them toffs in red jackets'. 

Equestrian sports now are just sports. As valid as any other. And the commentators are paid to do a fair, reasonable job of commentating. Not sinking to the lowest common denominator. Otherwise why not just scrap the lot and stick to darts and dog racing. (with apologies to any darts and dogs fans.)


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## BeesKnees (9 August 2012)

I guess they mean it's a home advantage because of the subjective nature of the judging and not having to transport the horses? Which is a fair comment except as others have said, many of the eventers at least are based in the UK! 

The equestrian sports have judges from other countries don't they?


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## ClobellsandBaubles (9 August 2012)

Honeylight said:



			It has all made me so very, very cross. If I read/hear anyone else saying "horse dancing" I will scream! It's the same as those who call foxhounds dogs, but worse.
In the 1970s if our show jumpers had got gold the media would have been over the moon, not now, it's all sneering & silly comments. I don't know how Claire Balding keeps her cool with all those idiots she has to work with.

I see the Olympics as a show case for all those minority sports that people work at behind the media scenes. Lets hope our successes encourage people to take up new sports, what ever they may be, hopefully some equestrian ones.

There are other sports than "footie". It always surprises me that people, 
especially those from working class backgrounds are interested in 22 millionaires kicking a ball around; a ball that has probably been made, like their kit, by slave labour in a third world country.
Rant over!
		
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I agree  
My facebook seems to be full of people bemoaning the horses tap dancing and some people suggested it is the same as crufts (not quite sure where dog breeds come in maybe they are thinking of showing ).

I am not quite sure what has changed since the 70's 
I know horse sports include a lot of money but ALL sports at this level are elite by their very nature but I don't think riding is classist at all.

I think the BBC coverage has been fantastic some people just find dressage boring (even riders) or they don't understand it. We can't force people to want to watch or to like horses I just wish the ones who don't would stop complaining quite so loudly and making ignorant comments... if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all . It would just be nice if riders could be respected for the effort and training that goes on to produce a medal winning performance.


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## bongo-girl (9 August 2012)

I think its about perspective.  Skewbald - you are damn right- all sports at this level are 'elite' in respect of council estates and pot noodles...you made me laugh there.  The horse folk I know probably eat more pot noodles in service stations that any other sportsmen I know.  But what the public don't get, and quite rightly so in my mind is that we try and justify, say Charlotte's story by saying 'ooh, they weren't rich, or posh, she started of showing ponies'.  Quelle horreur!  Showing ponies, how frightfully working class!

Its just not relateable, and to try and down play their backgrounds doesn't put it into context.  How many people EVER get to show ponies?

But having taken it as a one woman mission to educate my co-workers, I've found they are intersted, but bemused...as i tell 'em 'posh people need love too!!'


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## ClobellsandBaubles (9 August 2012)

BeesKnees said:



			I guess they mean it's a home advantage because of the subjective nature of the judging and not having to transport the horses? Which is a fair comment except as others have said, many of the eventers at least are based in the UK! 

The equestrian sports have judges from other countries don't they?
		
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To be fair I can see how people would think travelling horses a long way could be a disadvantages if you didn't know a lot of people are actually based here or that the horses are probably used to it. I think the judges are from all over though


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## BeesKnees (9 August 2012)

I think people can relate to things involving running, jumping, throwing, hitting things with bats etc because most of us do those things at school and in our own time, even if badly and just for fun.

For those who've never ridden or come into contact with horses, it must seem very very alien, especially the dressage. They resort to silly cliches. But I do wish the BBC presenters would show it a bit more respect. I assume Gary Lineker doesn't know anything about elite  level hockey, or swimming, but he doesn't seem to make silly comments about them.

The reality is that Charlotte is from Enfield! Her mum bought her a horse from her inheritance when her own mother died. No silver spoons there.


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## skewbaldpony (9 August 2012)

Cloball said:



			To be fair I can see how people would think travelling horses a long way could be a disadvantages if you didn't know a lot of people are actually based here or that the horses are probably used to it. I think the judges are from all over though
		
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but they shouldn't really be the expert panel on national tv when they don't know that, should they? That's the point.  They're on the BBC, and they say knowledgably, 'oh it's one of the very few sports where there is a home advantage, because of travelling the horses' and the entire general population takes that as read. When it is in fact a pile of tosh.

The white water canoeists had apparently been practising on that course for months!


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## BeesKnees (9 August 2012)

Are people making snarky comments about the fact that the GB hurdler Charles Lawrence Somerset Clarke (!) who got 4th, went to Eton?!


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## ClobellsandBaubles (9 August 2012)

skewbaldpony said:



			but they shouldn't really be the expert panel on national tv when they don't know that, should they? That's the point.  They're on the BBC, and they say knowledgably, 'oh it's one of the very few sports where there is a home advantage, because of travelling the horses' and the entire general population takes that as read. When it is in fact a pile of tosh.

The white water canoeists had apparently been practising on that course for months!
		
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I see your point if you don't know don't make it up 
These are some of the comments about dressage I heard today
 My puppy has learned to sit really quickly, I recon at this rate he'll be all set for the roll over and play dead Gold medal in Rio!
if you can get a gold medal for sitting on an animal whilst it does a trick, i want one for the time my dogs lipstick came out when i fell on it.
Olympic Horse k**b washing in Rio at this rate! Or maybe cancell Crufts in 2016 and hold Olympic Dog Showing!
It was also refered to as equine disco and tap dancing 
I am afraid I could not compete with their wit and knowledge.


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## Renvers (9 August 2012)

I have found the horse dancing thing from innocent on FB quite funny. If it gets people into the sport then the intelligent ones will find out more, the ignorant ones can retreat back to their own sports

I am not concerned about the article as the cricketers come over as if they have a bit of a chip on their shoulder, and probably glad to deflect some of the "its not a sport" attention away from cricket for a change.

The rest is ignorance and Steve Cram is obviously unaware of what was going on at previous olympics when he was competing alongside these sports. I agree with the post earlier !Viva Claire Blading! Some of the other presenters have been quite good to - the Countryfile bloke and two of the others - whose names I don't know have all spoken fo the equestrian with rather more knowledge than I expected of presenters outside the sport.


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## ClobellsandBaubles (9 August 2012)

BeesKnees said:



			Are people making snarky comments about the fact that the GB hurdler Charles Lawrence Somerset Clarke (!) who got 4th, went to Eton?!
		
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Or the Brownlee brothers lol (also fantastic athletes)



Renvers said:



			I have found the horse dancing thing from innocent on FB quite funny. If it gets people into the sport then the intelligent ones will find out more, the ignorant ones can retreat back to their own sports
		
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I find it quite amusing but I don't think it encourages people it makes it a point of ridicule.


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## Kat (10 August 2012)

bongo-girl said:



			I think we are being very harsh on the likes of Chris Boardman and Gaby.  As far as I remember the subject of whether we had a home advantage was discussed more as a query and as a personal opinion from presenters who also admitted that they knew very little of the sport.  Instead of berating them, lets see how we can encourage a deeper knowledge.  As far as we know they are creating just as many eye rolling moments when discussing other minority sports as they are ours...we just don't know because we don't know the finer points of these events as we do ours.  Let's help educate instead of biting the hand that has fed our sport more coverage than it has had previously in DECADES.

Also, (and I fear that I might get my head bitten off here) we need to provide camera friendly, personable spokesmen for our sport to these outlets.  Claire Balding has been amazing.  She talks on a level, and is great and breaking the subject down.  Likewise Lizzie Greenwood Hughes.  But Mike Tucker has been taking a kicking on this site - rightly or wrongly - and may project a certain image of stereotype to horse sport.  Nick Skelton - as amazing as I think he is, and however interesting I thought he was personally - didn't engage my non horsey friends with his breakfast tv bits - we need to ask why.

And yes, the media are going to pick up on equestrian sport at this level is elite..BECAUSE IT IS.  Let's not kid ourselves. But lets accept it for what it is instead of denying this fact, cos that only alientates us further....ok..gonna breathe now!!
		
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The thing is that as a sports presenter it is Gaby Logan's job to know what she is talking about (same for Gary Linneker and the other "anchors"). Claire Balding does a fabulous job of speaking knowledgeably about a variety of sports so it can be done. Further the BBC producers should be ensuring a decent mix of guests to add depth to the knowledge of the anchor. They know on any given day what sports are taking place and whether a medal is likely to be won so why not ensure that their pundits are selected with that in mind and that they have other pundits on stand by should they be needed. I can't understand why it wasn't possible to have had an equestrian pundit on at least one day. Or just cut by phone to an expert for comment. 

They are making similar daft comments about other minority sports, and mocking them. Talk of sitting down sports, talk of shooting being for old men, etc etc etc. 

Gary Linneker is a footballer, we can expect no better, but Gaby Logan as a former gymnast should have a bit more sensitivity. After all, gymnasts just prance around waving ribbons don't they?????


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## Orangehorse (10 August 2012)

Matt Baker used to have a pony, I believe, so he does have some knowledge.  

What has annoyed me about the coverage is that obviously the presenters/announcers don't know much about dressage, how could they, but they just seem to have brushed it off and haven't acknowledged the HUGE achievement this has been.  To go from languishing somewhere around the top 10 (can you remember the excitment when, wow, a British rider got into the ride-off) to actually winning 2 gold medals and being on top of the world.


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## skewbaldpony (10 August 2012)

Kat, exactly - after all Richard Davison wasn't involved yesterday, yet was presumably still on the park, and would have made a very good 'pundit'.  
The eventers were finished, and there are scores of 'em in this country, they could have nabbed TheGreatMarkTodd  Who could at least have explained why his horse wasn't suffering from having been shipped from New Zealand.


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## Bernster (10 August 2012)

Quite agree!  I'm fairly new to the horsey world and this is the first time I've really been aware of the equestrian tv footage.

I understand from people on here it's a damn sight better than it has been, but I've been hugely disappointed at the lack of coverage and then, when it does get a brief mention, at the tone and content.

Got barely a mention last night, is always one of the last to be covered (a second historic gold got mentioned after the kicking in the hockey).  Same again this morning.  I know the two first golds in boxing and taekwondo are big news and they can do the 'working girl done good' story, but please at least cover the flippin story.

No one gets to the Olympics without a huge amount of effort, commitment, talent and support (including funding).  That at least should be recognised for EVERY sport in it. And get some pundits who know a bit about the topic


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