# Get rid of Mike Tucker



## LJLazonby (9 August 2012)

Will someone please shoot Mike Tucker. I have had to put up with him all through the eventing but now he is really driving me nuts.To say he is talking gibberish is putting it mildly


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## hardtimes (9 August 2012)

Failing that, perhaps he could be gagged, bound and hidden somewhere until it's all over, he ruins it for me.  However, he does seem to be keeping his mouth shut a bit more during the actual tests now.


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## 4x4 (9 August 2012)

He just told us that a German rider is married to...her husband!


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## hardtimes (9 August 2012)

Why on earth do the BBC keep him on?  He really is dreadful talks so much irrelevant carp.


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## Rowreach (9 August 2012)

I have watched all the coverage on eurovisionsports to avoid having to listen to him.  You can sometimes still hear him in the background though 

I thought he sounded a little subdued today.  Perhaps he's been on here and seen what people are saying ...


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## acw295 (9 August 2012)

I love him - he's part of it 

Murray Walker often talked a load of nonsense too - still loved him, and F1 is not the same!


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## JVB (9 August 2012)

Awww really, I like Mike Tucker - he's an institution for me when it comes to horsey commentary - wouldn't be the same without him.

Ducks for cover.


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## merrymeasure (9 August 2012)

JVB said:



			Awww really, I like Mike Tucker - he's an institution for me when it comes to horsey commentary - wouldn't be the same without him.

Ducks for cover.
		
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Agree! I'll duck for cover with you!


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## chestnut cob (9 August 2012)

I love him, it wouldn't be the same without him!

I said this on a thread somewhere else too but it's exactly the same in cycling (which I follow avidly).  Cycling on TV is not the same without Phil Liggett and the other bloke whose name I can't remember.  They talk utter nonsense but it's brilliant!


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## Chestnuttymare (9 August 2012)

He has been driving me nuts. In the freestyle dressage, he gibbered all the way thro so you could hardly hear the music. Really spoiled it for me.


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## Crazydancer (9 August 2012)

I used to love listening to the cricket commentary to hear them ramble on about pidgeons and cake...... 
Yes he has been irritating at times, but honestly I wouldn't have liked to do the job. All you'd hear is me holding my breath.....  followed by a scream!


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## JFTDWS (9 August 2012)

Actually I like Mike too - though he does say some corkers.  I find his comments much less intrusive in the dressage than Judy Harvey's, she talks nonsense, and I find her patronising, irritating and obnoxious.


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## Mistatiger (9 August 2012)

I'm another to support Mike!! He is part of it and funny!


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## skewbaldpony (9 August 2012)

I think he's hilarious. He is in fact, Dudley Diplock from 'Riders' 
I howled when he announced someone was married to her husband, he always gets everyone's name wrong. He can't say Mark Todd or Edward Gal without 'TheGreat' before them, and he leaves his mike on when he's chatting to the back up team.
True English eccentric.


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## BeesKnees (9 August 2012)

Have to say his comment about Charlotte not realising what she had done, over top of pictures of her sobbing after the medal ceremony was a bit of a cracker


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## sleepingdragon10 (9 August 2012)

Well I got sick of hearing him saying 'the great' before the vast majority of riders/horses etc etc. Feck off with that...and please, Mike, get your head from up Yanky von Gruesome's ass please!

Otherwise, aye, it's all good


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## BeesKnees (9 August 2012)

Have to say though his gushing comments about Anky and Arnelinda Cornelissem or whatever her name is, do suggest he doesn't actually know what correct work looks like?


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## Maesfen (9 August 2012)

He's great, will be a sad day if he goes, all the others are such know it alls but he is totally natural and fun.


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## louisewarner (9 August 2012)

No - please dont,his enthusiasm is great, although he could have just piped down at key moments..........Judy Harvey was way more irritating and put a bit of a downer on many of tests - NO sense of humour whatsoever and the one thing Dressage needs is exactly that!

I actually dont see any need to talk over the Kur, it is the music that needs listening to, and any commentator should shut up so we can hear the music and maybe - if they really must- comment at the end for a resume.

With or without them rabbiting, today was utterley dreamlike and so many congrats to all of the GB'ers today -a joy to see.


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## Rowreach (9 August 2012)

BeesKnees said:



			Have to say though his gushing comments about Anky and Arnelinda Cornelissem or whatever her name is, do suggest he doesn't actually know what correct work looks like?
		
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Got it in one!!  Mike's "successes" in the field of equestrianism were largely due to his wife Angela (who he was married to ) and her horses.  I'm fairly sure he didn't really notice what was happening at the time


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## rosied (9 August 2012)

skewbaldpony said:



			I think he's hilarious. He is in fact, Dudley Diplock from 'Riders' 
I howled when he announced someone was married to her husband, he always gets everyone's name wrong. He can't say Mark Todd or Edward Gal without 'TheGreat' before them, and he leaves his mike on when he's chatting to the back up team.
True English eccentric.
		
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I'm with you (and the others) - he's the voice of equestrianism on the BBC.

Sounds like he's the marmite of commentators - you either love him or hate him!


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## charleysummer (9 August 2012)

I like him.. to an extent! he does get annoying, I did notice an interesting comment as a showjumping horse was going round

'this horse can hopefully move on to bigger and better things'

err what? bigger and better than the olympics? the most televised competition with the very best riders from all around the world in ? and people from all over the world travelling to watch?

hmm maybe i misunderstood but that's how I heard it!


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## skewbaldpony (9 August 2012)

charleysummer said:



			I like him.. to an extent! he does get annoying, I did notice an interesting comment as a showjumping horse was going round

'this horse can hopefully move on to bigger and better things'

err what? bigger and better than the olympics? the most televised competition with the very best riders from all around the world in ? and people from all over the world travelling to watch?

hmm maybe i misunderstood but that's how I heard it! 

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Mind you, the woman who interviewed Carl today (sorry can't remember her name) made me laugh, when he said Charlotte was his other half and she went
'Not literally your other half'
Well no dear, neither literally, nor figuratively in the sense you are thinking. Had she been literally his other half, they would have had to ride the same horse. Duh.
But you could just hear her brain going 'please don't let him say anything unfortunate!' it was great.


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## henryhorn (9 August 2012)

The trouble is there are times when you don't need any commentary and he always talks through them. Judy H was good, but I just wanted to have an off switch for him.
There must be dozens of good eventing/dressage people out there who could do a better job. 
His inane waffling actually spoiled a lot of the Olympics for me...


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## TicTac (9 August 2012)

acw295 said:



			I love him - he's part of it 

Murray Walker often talked a load of nonsense too - still loved him, and F1 is not the same!
		
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Totally agree!!


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## Elbie (9 August 2012)

OMG why did Mike and Judy think it would be a good idea to talk through every dressage test today? When it's dressage to music, I don't want to hear people telling me what i'm seeing (i.e. great piaffe, slight mistake there) or listen to Mike tell us for the umpteenth time that Charlotte only started competing in Grand Prixs 18 months ago, or listen to apparently some other commentator in the background! I want to listen to the music they're doing dressage to! 

Please BBC, next time you put dressage to music on the TV, can you make the commentators wait until AFTER the test to make brief comments on what they thought.


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## easy_rider (9 August 2012)

Anyone who thinks Mike Tucker is a bad commentator should try listening to Richard Vaughan doing show jumping on Eurosport - or his predecessor, Peter Churchill.  They are/were both unbelievably bad.

Some people seem to like Nick Brooks-Ward but he always seems rather bland to me.

I actually like Tucker a lot, he's good old-school type of BBC commentator, like Peter Alliss or John Barrett.  Of course there are more knowledgeable horsemen out there, but it's also a case of being able to communicate to a general audience and he does that very well.  He does need to be paired with a good expert though.


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## attheponies (9 August 2012)

I forgave him everything today, he was so rooting for the British team and so obviously over the moon when Charlotte won


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## KingfisherBlue (9 August 2012)

Elbie said:



			OMG why did Mike and Judy think it would be a good idea to talk through every dressage test today? When it's dressage to music, I don't want to hear people telling me what i'm seeing (i.e. great piaffe, slight mistake there) or listen to Mike tell us for the umpteenth time that Charlotte only started competing in Grand Prixs 18 months ago, or listen to apparently some other commentator in the background! I want to listen to the music they're doing dressage to! 

Please BBC, next time you put dressage to music on the TV, can you make the commentators wait until AFTER the test to make brief comments on what they thought.
		
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I couldn't have put it any better myself. Totally agree. Tucker also prattled on during the medal ceremony itself.


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## Ibblebibble (9 August 2012)

love the bloke!! how can you not smile when he comes out with a real corker as only he can
I just googled him as although i know the voice so well i don't actually know him he's got quite a good record, badminton 12 times, coming 2nd in '83 and 2nd at burghley in 69 as well as designing countless xc courses the man is a little bit of a legend that we should be proud of i think!!


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## Chloe..x (9 August 2012)

Oh I love him, he's so enthusiastic and I love his gaffs.


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## LJLazonby (9 August 2012)

Well,I.m so happy you all tghink he's wonderful. The man is a prat and there's no getting round that. I am absolutely sick off him wittering on about things in which I have ely no interest and in which he knows even less.  The man is  a complete bufoon and Iam  absolutely sick of listening to him.
The other thing I am really sick of is a computer propgramme that thinks I know  better than  I  do what I want to say


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## Alec Swan (9 August 2012)

Maesfen said:



			He's great, will be a sad day if he goes, all the others are such know it alls but he is totally natural and fun.
		
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Crikey,  you've calmed down a bit.  A few days ago,  when I wasn't quite as outspoken as some of this lot,  but none the less pointed out that the man's an idiot,  you told me that I'd gone down in your estimation,  and you were really quite cross with me. 

There's a world of difference between a "Know it all" and a buffoon.  I'd prefer to listen to someone who speaks with authority.  He has an excellent presenter's voice,  I'll agree,  if only he'd prepare for his broadcasts,  _before_ he starts!

Alec.


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## Mrs B (9 August 2012)

Alec Swan said:



			'd prefer to listen to someone who speaks with authority.  He has an excellent presenter's voice,  I'll agree,  if only he'd prepare for his broadcasts,  _before_ he starts!

Alec.
		
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I agree with you, but to find such a person is like finding a Blueberry.


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## skewbaldpony (9 August 2012)

LJLazonby said:



			Well,I.m so happy you all tghink he's wonderful. The man is a prat and there's no getting round that. I am absolutely sick off him wittering on about things in which I have ely no interest and in which he knows even less.  The man is  a complete bufoon and Iam  absolutely sick of listening to him.
The other thing I am really sick of is a computer propgramme that thinks I know  better than  I  do what I want to say
		
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sorry, if you're not interested, why ARE you listening to him?


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## brighteyes (9 August 2012)

I could listen to him all day - if he didn't make it up as he went along, pretty much. And he delivers it with such authority!


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## LJLazonby (9 August 2012)

chestnut cob said:



			I love him, it wouldn't be the same without him!

I said this on a thread somewhere else too but it's exactly the same in cycling (which I follow avidly).  Cycling on TV is not the same without Phil Liggett and the other bloke whose name I can't remember.  They talk utter nonsense but it's brilliant!
		
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Oh you like gibberish do you. Well whatever flies your kite


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## Mrs B (9 August 2012)

LJLazonby said:



			Oh you like gibberish do you. Well whatever flies your kite
		
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What a very odd rant to join the forum with! Can I ask if you do something similar in order to criticise so vociferously?


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## gmw (9 August 2012)

He's nervous!!!!!!!!


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## redcascade (9 August 2012)

Poor MT, I really like him, he's funny with his mistakes and always means well! I really don't think he deserves the abuse he gets and it's not as if there's a lot you can talk about without getting repetitive. 
People said about wanting them to talk more about the horses' breeding but they want the sport to be more 'accessible' to the general public and not to appear as 'posh' but I don't see how you can please people. You complain about both things and if they talked about breeding it'd make us all seem even 'snobbier'.
It seems the poor guy just can't win, I think he's done a great job and I bet you all the non-horsey folk who have been watching have enjoyed his commentary, as have I.
Cut the poor guy some slack.


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## Renvers (9 August 2012)

he did piffle a bit didnt he - mind you if I had to commentate you would have heard lots more as i tried to fill the gaps.

I was once subjected to watching a cricket match where the commentators had to fill in time and ended up talking about the bus that goes past the cricket ground!


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## Alec Swan (9 August 2012)

skewbaldpony said:



			sorry, if you're not interested, why ARE you listening to him?
		
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Perhaps because the alternative is to mute,  whilst watching.  It's all about having to listen,  whilst watching.

Alec.


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## Dancing Queen (9 August 2012)

NOOOOOOO......

He is a typical brit - love him, talks a load of crap half the time but you gotta love him


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## Emilieu (9 August 2012)

I heart MT. 
His gaffs make me giggle. It's like watching Fawlty Towers.


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## Raven Dane (9 August 2012)

He drove me crazy!  I could turn down the sound in the earlier competitions but the Kur?  With no music?  The days of having a commentator whose only skill was to talk non-stop are over. New people interested in the sport are being turned off by his droning tones and inane witterings, which makes them sadly dismiss our sport as elitist, for upper class twits. The mistakes are funny to many but a sign of poor commentary to most people. He couldn't even get the colour of the Dutch team and supporters right, tangerine?  Every sentence seems to begin with 'of course'  and  I wish I had a pound for every time he introduced someone as 'the great...'   
When commentating on showjumping, he points out people in the crowd he knows, 'oh look, there's Frank, the , the er, the great.....er....'     Your friends, Mike, are of zero interest to the viewing public.
Our equestrian teams and the viewing public deserve better.


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## Maesfen (9 August 2012)

Alec Swan said:



			Crikey,  you've calmed down a bit.  A few days ago,  when I wasn't quite as outspoken as some of this lot,  but none the less pointed out that the man's an idiot,  you told me that I'd gone down in your estimation,  and you were really quite cross with me. 

There's a world of difference between a "Know it all" and a buffoon.  I'd prefer to listen to someone who speaks with authority.  He has an excellent presenter's voice,  I'll agree,  if only he'd prepare for his broadcasts,  _before_ he starts!

Alec.
		
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Oh Alec, what am I going to do with you but you won't change my mind, sorry?!  
My opinion of Mike hasn't changed and never will, however, I'm old enough to accept that everyone has different views and it's not worth getting worked up about something I can't change however wrong/right I think something is.  Not everyone likes Marmite either; you either do - or don't, no middle ground; it sounds like Mike is the same sort of thing for some people!


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## Doris68 (9 August 2012)

Can just about live with his awful gaffs, but his pronunication is appalling :

*  Performance in Tuckerspeak    =    Preformance
*  Perhaps                "              =    Prehaps
*  Percentage            "              =    Precentage

Drives me MAD, but I guess he ain't gonna change now..!!


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## ReefingsDad (9 August 2012)

You have to remember, of course, that thousands of people saw their first ever dressage test today. Putting yourself in their shoes, it would have been a bit bewildering to see all these movements to music without any clue as to what's going on. It's ok for the enthusiast, but we want to encourage as many people as possible to appreciate our sport, don't we? If that means Mike has to put a friendly voice across the test, then so be it.

I'm a showjumper, btw, so I appreciated a bit of help today myself!


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## muff747 (9 August 2012)

fI don't want to see him go but I did wish he'd have shut up whilst the competitors were on, I wanted to hear the music too.
I think he should stay, like Tel Wogan did on Eurovision song contest.
Best Tuckerism I heard was he said, "there's the tangerine colours of the ....Team and whenever they are being successful, you will see the tangerine colour..". or words to that effect, it was funny ROFL


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## Raven Dane (9 August 2012)

Even he should know the colour of the Dutch team is orange !


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## Rowreach (10 August 2012)

http://thechive.com/2012/08/07/irish-sailing-commentary-turns-boring-into-hilarious-video/


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## Maesfen (10 August 2012)

Lord, RR, that is so funny, I have tears down my cheeks and my stomach hurts!


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## ladyt25 (10 August 2012)

I think MT's fab and I am not sure why people get so wound up about what he says to be honest. I love the banter, much better than the usual durge commentary you get with sports sometimes. A bit of passion and enthusiasm is great as far as I am concerned. Yes so he doesn't know EVERYTHING about everything as far as equestrianism is concerned and I think he definitely has more knowledge and involvement with showjumping than the other disciplines (hence why he probably burbles on a bit more for them). In real life he is great, gets crowds going and has a great rapport with the riders. I much prefer his approach to commentating to be honest.


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## Raven Dane (10 August 2012)

Thanks Rowreach!  That is hilarious!


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## JFTDWS (10 August 2012)

Mike wasn't the only one talking over the tests - JH did not shut up either, she waffled on as though she were instructing some riders, offered vacuous comments over others and overshadowed the music.  Personally I agree that it would be even more inaccessible for non-horsey spectators to have it performed without commentary, but if you're going to slate Mike for talking over tests, let's try and be fair and remember JH talked over them too.


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## Rowreach (10 August 2012)

Maesfen said:



			Lord, RR, that is so funny, I have tears down my cheeks and my stomach hurts!
		
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I know, it was almost a Mrs Brown moment in our house   Thanks go to ColleenMissTom for finding it on fb


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## Polotash (10 August 2012)

chestnuttymare said:



			He has been driving me nuts. In the freestyle dressage, he gibbered all the way thro so you could hardly hear the music. Really spoiled it for me.
		
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Ditto. He's fine for jumping, and I agree he's an institution, but pleeeeeeeease can we find someone better to commentate alongside Judy for the dressage!


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## Jenni_ (10 August 2012)

I'll do it  I'll replace him.

But all you'll get from me is gushing about the GB riders, fact-stating for the rest, and pointing out every time any of the German / Dutch horses open their mouths.


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## foxy1 (10 August 2012)

I love him, makes me laugh.


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## Daffodil (10 August 2012)

Do you lot like anybody?

I do agree with the majority of comments about Mike Tucker, but personally I found Judy Harvey's comments enlightening.   She has, I think, a very easy voice to listen to (unlike MT!); she was silent for a lot of the time (and had the ability to keep MT under control!) and I found her comments during Charlotte's tests in particular fascinating, as they gave an idea of how a coaching session might be conducted.  This aspect seems to have annoyed a lot of you but I found it very interesting and enjoyed listening to her.


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## Raven Dane (10 August 2012)

She was getting so fed up with him!  I could hear it in her voice, especially when he said one of the trainers and the chef de'equip of the Spanish team was the competitors mum and dad. Also when Charlotte hugged a lady after winning her gold medal (yay!)  he said, 'a hug from Mum' and JH had to point out it was the horse's co -owner. At least her comments added to the competition by pointing out things to the TV audience though I could have done without her compounding the old myth that Iberian horses cannot extend
Fuego and the incredible Invasor certainly can.


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## KWHX (19 August 2012)

Sorry, I'm late to join this discussion, but I'd just like to add:

I began to tire of MT's inane drivel about "Anky van Grunsvik" and her "Tangerine" national colours. Yes, it's amusing to us, but doesn't really portray a great image to the non horsey audience. In fact, it must be a little confusing. At home we commented that even JH seemed to be getting a little frustrated with MT in the final hours of the Individual Dressage, with him compromising her by asking for her subjective opinions on the potential outcome - many of which she blatantly ignored, or simply said she wouldn't reply. 

On the subject of commentators - this Olympics my cousin has watched the Dressage for the first time ever, and I'm sure JH's commentary has been invaluable to her, and MT's enthusiasm good fun.


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## Pebble101 (19 August 2012)

Personally I would prefer to see DTM without any commentary at all as they spoil the music for me.


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## KWHX (19 August 2012)

Sorry, I'm late to join this discussion, but I'd just like to add:
This Olympics my cousin has watched the Dressage for the first time ever, and I'm sure JH's commentary has been invaluable to her, and MT's enthusiasm good fun. BUT, someone needs to tell the Equestrian TV commentators that it isn't essential to fill every nano second of silence with voice of some description. Sometimes, particularly watching Dressage, silence is the most appropriate thing, especially during the music tests. I'm not suggesting no commentary, but towards the end of the Olympics I was sick and tired of the sounds of both MT's and JH's voices. It's difficult to enjoy the full effect of the dressage to music when your mind is straining to hear beyond someone drivelling on over the soundtrack.*

I began to tire of MT's inane drivel about "Anky van Grunsvik" and her "Tangerine" national colours, etc etc. Yes, it's amusing to us, but doesn't really portray a great image to the non horsey audience. In fact, it must be a little confusing. At home we commented that even JH seemed to be getting a little frustrated with MT in the final hours of the Individual Dressage, with him compromising her by asking for her subjective opinions on the different riders etc - many of which she blatantly ignored, or simply said she wouldn't reply to that. I don't think it's necessarily about getting rid of him , but he needs to be a little less complacent over his status as the "no. 1 equestrian commentator" and take a look at his work. More and more people seem to be tiring of him.*


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## KWHX (19 August 2012)

*sorry about the double post - that teaches me for trying to do it on a mobile phone!*


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