Royal Horsey News
The Times - Queen of the world
The talent that has taken Zara Phillips to the top
A brilliant young rider won gold for Britain in one of the world’s most dangerous sports yesterday. Displaying great nerve, exceptional skill and physical courage that only those who have been dwarfed by proximity to a cross-country fence can begin to appreciate, she beat all comers. She is the three-day eventing world champion, allowing her to claim to be the finest rider on the planet. She is, for non-horsey types trying to place her achievement, the Daley Thompson of equestrianism. She also happens to be the Queen’s grand-daughter.
Oh, hurrah!
Good god look at this. She dedicated her win to “a friend” who died “a week ago today”. I’m thinking, drunk driver? Aids? leukemia? The sorts of ways people known to wealthy trendy young people die.
Belfast Today - Family’s tribute to ’special’ rider
Twenty-eight-year-old Sherelle Duke, from Co Armagh, was killed in a cross-country event in England on Sunday when her horse fell on top of her after stumbling at a fence.
I guess she fell on her head and then her horse fell on her. Dangerous indeed.
August 28th, 2006 at 9:51 am
They lose a few every year, it seems. Dangerous sport, anything to do with horses - it’s such a long way down.
Her boyfriend’s a Yorkshireman called Mike Tindall who is also a world champion, having played centre-threequarter for the England Rugby Union team that beat Australia 20-17 in the World Cup final of 22nd November 2003. I’m sure Brett must remember….
August 28th, 2006 at 10:56 am
Yeah, there was a big article about her (he was mentioned) in the Telegraph about a week ago, right before she left for Germany, I suppose.
I wish they carried coverage of equestrian sports here. Even the Olympics, if they show it, it’s at 2am squished between the women’s racquetball qualifications and the croquet retrospectives. But apparently it’s a silly rich English poncy thing, so why would anyone be interested. Silly ignoramuses. Everywhere I turn I’m seeing more examples of the media here causing all the problems they blame us for and it’s driving me up the freaking wall.
August 28th, 2006 at 11:04 am
Riding dirt-bikes is statistically (per hour accident-rate) much safer than riding horses!
August 28th, 2006 at 1:31 pm
But the bikes don’t nuzzle your hand when you’re done riding them.
August 28th, 2006 at 2:24 pm
Can’t twitch a motorcycle either.
August 28th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
I’ll trust a machine any day over a horse.
August 28th, 2006 at 3:33 pm
And you wonder why they’re always biting you.
August 29th, 2006 at 10:27 am
The horses started it! And it wasn’t biting initially, it was trampling.
August 30th, 2006 at 5:07 am
At least you didn’t fall off, though.
August 30th, 2006 at 9:48 am
Peter wouldn’t have this problem if he’d heard of this thing called respect.
I fell off a horse once. It was actually rather fun.
August 30th, 2006 at 11:46 am
Respect sounds good, but blind fear is better. So frightened they can’t kick, bite, lean, lunge or stomp. This is where the twitch comes in.
August 30th, 2006 at 12:26 pm
Nonsense! You need a good dose of Man From Snowy River, you do!
August 30th, 2006 at 2:37 pm
Naw, just need an olde horse with no ambition.
October 6th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
I think this is ridiculous the way you seem to be making some sort of joke out of the death of a talented eventer and the giving of another talent equestrian in Zara philipps. as a close friend of sherelles you are totally disrespecting her memory and you should wise up, you have no idea the pain sherelles family and friends are going through!
October 6th, 2006 at 2:53 pm
Uh, sorry, but what on earth are you talking about? At what point did I make some sort of joke out of her death?