# William drops ride on Parkmore ED



## Hels_Bels (21 August 2008)

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/265923.html

Appears there was tension between william and owners, it was only a matter of time until he dropped the ride

what's your opinions?


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## Faithkat (21 August 2008)

I have to say that I was most surprised that he chose to take Parkmore Ed to the Olympics over his other horses (but that's only my opinion)


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## TiaPony (21 August 2008)

Oh that is a shame - Will always looked very at home on Ed's back and it will be a shame not to see them out together again. Not such a blow for him though, he has so many promising horses coming up the ranks, he's not short on talent!


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## TarrSteps (21 August 2008)

Interesting but not surprising.  Too bad for him to loose the ride but he's got others, likely ones that bring a little less baggage.  I hope he didn't spend the whole Olympics looking forward to getting off the horse - that would certainly wreck the experience.

I wonder if the ride will pass to someone else or he'll just be PA's horse again?


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## lucretia (21 August 2008)

*yawns* the horse is already at andrew nicholsons i believe.....


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## Amymay (21 August 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
*yawns* the horse is already at andrew nicholsons i believe..... 

[/ QUOTE ]
Ah, nothing like softening the blow....... 
	
	
		
		
	


	





Another bridesmaid then.


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## xspiralx (21 August 2008)

Don't have much of an opinion. Ed has been a very good horse for William, but he has many other superb horses coming up the ranks - I doubt it will be a huge loss to him.


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## jules89 (21 August 2008)

not a fan of the owner of Ed, sorryyyy and interesting to see how AN copes with Ed..


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## jesterfaerie (21 August 2008)

It is a shame he is gone as Will rides him so well but he has so many other promising horses to bring on and compete.


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## lucretia (21 August 2008)

lets face it the horse is 14? extremely hard to keep sound and WFP has plenty others.


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## henryhorn (21 August 2008)

I think he has enough horsepower not to worry, but I was surprised he chose that horse over the others for the Olympics..  
Tension between rider and owner is something that can't happen, I think owners have to be good at remembering why they chose that rider and try their best to allow them to get on with the job...


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## lachlanandmarcus (21 August 2008)

I thought it was the selectors who picked Ed out of Williams qualified horses?


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## Daffodil (21 August 2008)

Such a shame Tam didn't go as I think he'd have suited that course, but I was surprised he took Ed and thought Balincoola would have got the vote.  Bit unfortunate to send the horse to the alleged arch-enemy though!!


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## CaleruxShearer (21 August 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
*yawns* the horse is already at andrew nicholsons i believe..... 

[/ QUOTE ]

theres a surprise...


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## TarrSteps (21 August 2008)

Interesting that he didn't give him to an American.  Even if he wanted the horse to stay here I'm sure someone would relocate given the opportunity.


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## lucretia (21 August 2008)

PMSL  Tarr, as a horsey journalist you are being naive..... think about it, william had horse, has fight with owner, who is williams least best friend.....got it now!!


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## Amymay (21 August 2008)

Put like that it's all a little pathetic really.....


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## TarrSteps (21 August 2008)

Oh no, I get it. 
	
	
		
		
	


	





Just surprised he didn't do a "I'm taking my bat and ball and going home!" strop.  Although maybe the Americans don't want him . . .


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## lucretia (21 August 2008)

ask yourselves why that horse went instead of Tam..... a horse who had previously tied up in hot weather, ask yourself why william has been so certain all along he would take ed, even though tam hasnt really put a foot wrong this season(badminton was wiliams fault as much as his). could it be that this move was threatened WAY before the Games? could it be Ed went so AN wouldnt get a horse like that to ride IN HONG KONG? *music of the twighlight zone plays as lucretia goes off to check showjumping thread*


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## KenRehill (21 August 2008)

Well, the truth is that William was told prior to the selections, that if he didn't take Ed to the Games, he'd lose the ride to Nicholson.  I then found what happened at Barbary Castle not at all surprising.

It's therefore not a surprise that WFP dropped the horse, the relationship between rider and owner was more than fractured already based on that threat.  You're hardly going to want an owner like that around, especially when WFP isn't exactly scratching around for horses to ride.

Personally I'd have dumped the horse in the guys front garden and taken one of WFP's true world class horses, and probably won a medal or got a team silver.


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## xspiralx (21 August 2008)

Gosh, how pathetic of the owners!

Still, their loss IMO, not William's.


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## lucretia (21 August 2008)

you and i definately talk to the same people! x


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## Bossanova (21 August 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
I have to say that I was most surprised that he chose to take Parkmore Ed to the Olympics over his other horses (but that's only my opinion) 

[/ QUOTE ]

HE didnt choosed to take that horse.

There was tension throughout the entire event and owner was causing many problems. Will was not enjoying himself, thats for sure


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## jules89 (21 August 2008)

shame isnt it, that an owner can cause many problems. ive met him when i was working at bill levetts...hmmm


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## Rachel_M (21 August 2008)

What was the original argument between the two?


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## lucretia (21 August 2008)

i dont think it was an arguement as such but Phillip was always pretty adamant that Williiam was going to ride his horse at the olympics and then as implied above he allegedly tthreatened to send the horse to nicholson if it didnt go. though people will keep saying william didnt choose which horse he rode obviously his wishes are taken into account, so i understand similar threats were made to some of the powers that be who were quite sure they didnt want Andrew Nicholson being gifted a horse of that calibre in time for him to qualify it for the games. consequently it was in everyones intersts for ed to go.


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## Rachel_M (21 August 2008)

Thanks L. What a shame it has descended into this.


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## gloster_image (21 August 2008)

I can't say a lot on this matter due to discretion but all I can say is Will was put in an incredibly difficult position and was not at all happy about the goings on.  He has a yard of very very promising horses so it's not wills loss.


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## kerilli (21 August 2008)

umm, the horse was registered in PA and WFP's ownership, so surely even if W had said he wouldn't take the horse, AN still couldn't have (as horse obv isn't reg'd in NZ ownership.) i thought such reg's had to be done by Jan of the year of champs, has the rule changed?
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. 
	
	
		
		
	


	








WFP has lots of other talented horses, as said above. I bet he's rueing not taking Ballincoola. I think Tam would have flipped in that atmosphere, fwiw.


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## Daffodil (21 August 2008)

Agree about the shocking riding by AN with Lord K who deserved a much more compassionate finale to a great career.  But then I've never been a fan anyway.


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## jules89 (21 August 2008)

agreeing with everything on here


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## LEC (22 August 2008)

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!


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## Thistle (22 August 2008)

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.


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## ecrozier (22 August 2008)

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!


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## lucretia (22 August 2008)

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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## Puppy (22 August 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
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. 
	
	
		
		
	


	









[/ QUOTE ]

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.


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## jules89 (22 August 2008)

i just read some of my eventing magazine and AN had 2 out of 3 unhappy rounds at gatcombe before going...mmm


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## teapot (22 August 2008)

Did anyone else see AN's comment in Eventing about his xc fall in Hong Kong? He said the following: "I'd gone very fast and I nearly pulled it off". 

Hmmmmmm at the expense of a super horse


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## Gonetofrance (22 August 2008)

What a disgusting attitude to a brave horse........


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## Puppy (22 August 2008)

I hadn't seen that, and it disgusts, but does not surprised me... Poor LK, &amp; poor PE


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## kerilli (22 August 2008)

i didn't see that in Eventing. he rode that fence very badly imho. that's been such a good horse for him too.


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## Eventerlad15 (22 August 2008)

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!??


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## Puppy (22 August 2008)

That horse deserved SO much more


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## teapot (22 August 2008)

Has Pau been and gone, or does anyone have an online link?

Never mind, just found the website


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## Puppy (22 August 2008)

I hope William kicks his *rse at Burghley!


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## kerilli (22 August 2008)

Me too.
It will be interesting to see which Olympic horses do get taken to Pau. it's in October, isn't it?


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## teapot (22 August 2008)

Indeed H - just seen the Burghley entries with a certain HHO amongst them


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## teapot (22 August 2008)

According to the Pau website, it's the 22nd to the 26th of October  
	
	
		
		
	


	





How cool is this: on the sunday, there's shetland eventing!


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## Equus Leather (22 August 2008)

Who?!


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## Puppy (22 August 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
Indeed H - just seen the Burghley entries with a certain HHO amongst them 
	
	
		
		
	


	









[/ QUOTE ]

I know!! 
	
	
		
		
	


	












  More to the point  
	
	
		
		
	


	








  One of Star's siblings, whom we saw at Blenheim last year!!


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## jules89 (23 August 2008)

I cant believe that comment said by A N in eventing. Im gonna go and read that report to find it! grr


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## clipclop (23 August 2008)

Reading all these replies really makes me think that they should all just take a deep breath and move on. All this hatred and back biting. Who wins? 

Only us lot it seems as we get to read the gossip!!


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## sunflower (23 August 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Indeed H - just seen the Burghley entries with a certain HHO amongst them 
	
	
		
		
	


	









[/ QUOTE ]

I know!! 
	
	
		
		
	


	












  More to the point  
	
	
		
		
	


	








  One of Star's siblings, whom we saw at Blenheim last year!!  
	
	
		
		
	


	













[/ QUOTE ]

Both of Star's siblings (that we saw at Blenheim last year) are competing at Burghley this year


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## teapot (23 August 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
I cant believe that comment said by A N in eventing. Im gonna go and read that report to find it! grr 

[/ QUOTE ]

Page 13 in the September edition


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## wizoz (25 August 2008)

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.


Rant over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## archoak (25 August 2008)

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


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## scotsmare (25 August 2008)

Difficult position for WFP I suppose, though I don't think it's the first horse he's lost to AN??  

It's been well documented that theres no love lost between them.

Unfortunately without knowing the exact facts from all parties most of this is just conjecture and gossip 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 which is, of course, why most of us like it


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