Anyone know why the Silver Medalist in Endurance Riding did NOT show at the awards ceremony to receive his medal?
Just seems somewhat odd – not the kind of occasion one generally skips.
I noticed that too
and it makes him seem churlish as he apparently appeared for his gold team medal:eek:
And just perhaps there was something happening that we didn’t know about, so before having him drawn and quartered etc.
Except he looked really happy for her immediately following the conclusion of the race. The three of them had an almost giddy team-like group hug. Why would he all of a sudden be upset by it.
The silver went to HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum - he probably had a country to run 
He was the UAE’s individual entry and did not count toward the team time.
But the other four Emiratis were there to receive their Team Gold.
Not making any accusations – there is an almost infinite # of reasons why he didn’t show.
Just, very unusual. I don’t remember the last time in any sport at an World Championship/Olympic level that a podium winner didn’t show.
The silver was won by Sheik Mo (7 HH Sh Mohd B. Rashid Al Maktoum/10000375/UAE), as in His Highness, ruler of Dubai. He’s one competitor I can believe really is too busy to stay for the awards ceremony. It also wouldn’t surprise me if security had something to do with him not being on the platform.
I wouldn’t start dissing on this one till we have more facts.
That actually makes a lot of sense.
Way too risky to place a Head of State in a “sitting duck” position.
[QUOTE=Ruby G. Weber;5123323]
Way too risky to place a Head of State in a “sitting duck” position.[/QUOTE]
I expect this is the reality. I posted a cute pic on my FB page of him giving the BIGGEST HUGEST HUG to the gold medal winner right after the vet check, so it’s pretty hard for me to conceive there was any animosity there.
Yep. When they announced it, I just assumed it was for security reasons.
Mrs Gold Medal is his trainer’s wife, so the podium was a true Friends And Family.
There was a TON of security for that ceremony.
The REAL security. Both ours and theirs.
Some of it was entertaining as they tried to look like they ‘fit in.’ 
:lol:
Probably security
I’d bet security as well…but wow. What an impressive finish for him.
To be the head of a country…and yet also fit and competitive in a sport like Endurance. To have those horsemanship skills when he must be somewhat limited in the amount of time he can spend in the saddle.
Yes…sure he has great help and lovely lovely horses…but he must also have a great natural feel for his horse too.
To bad he could not get his medal in public for whatever the reason…but still very impressive finish.
As quoted in this article:
http://www.discoverhorses.com/first-day-dressage-2010-weg.html
The winner, Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton, who you met in my postcard yesterday, rode in on the irrepressible Nobby. He looked great. Also on hand was Sheikh Hamdan Mohd al Maktoum, the bronze medalist and son of the silver medalist, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the emir of Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates. The silver medalist didn’t appear, however, sending the United Arab Emirates’ chef de mission, Saeed Al Tayer to sub for him. The Sheikh sent a statement saying he was away on official state business. Must have been embarrassing for his wife, FEI President Princess Haya, who presented the medals. She kissed her stepson, Sheikh Hamdan, when she put the medal around his neck. She didn’t kiss the chef de mission.
[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;5125062]
I’d bet security as well…but wow. What an impressive finish for him.
To be the head of a country…and yet also fit and competitive in a sport like Endurance. To have those horsemanship skills when he must be somewhat limited in the amount of time he can spend in the saddle.
Yes…sure he has great help and lovely lovely horses…but he must also have a great natural feel for his horse too.
To bad he could not get his medal in public for whatever the reason…but still very impressive finish.[/QUOTE]
He is an excellent and very caring horseman. It truly is in his blood.
It is kind of funny, too, when you see pictures of him hanging around assessing sales yearlings at Keeneland or Tattersalls. I’ve seen photos of him in just a t-shirt and jeans, looking like Joe Everyman.
I found this, too:
And then, the UAE riders, who won the team endurance gold, failed to show up at the endurance press conference. Whoops. Here’s how Saeed (who I don’t think was having a good day) explained it: “Unfortunately, due to a miscommunication, the team members did not attend the post-medal press conference and for that we apologize. We would have been honored to speak to the media, but we were genuinely unaware that this was standard protocol.”
They have a lot going on 
Yes, he would look like Joe everyman in his white T shirt (always) and jeans if you didn’t notice the swarm of security and go-fers trotting behind him.
He and his wife, Princess Haya (who is almost always there with him) look at every horse on the short list and he makes the final decisions on which ones he will bid on.
He has to be in his 50’s now. How many men who run a country (or work in an office, lol) can ride on the international level and win against the best of the world? The horse can only help him out so much.
(I did enjoy seeing that he had an “official dismounter” as part of his team. I would need help getting off the damn horse too if I had been riding for 10+ hours that day. :lol:)
I actually don’t think “Sheikh Mo” has time to ride all that much and is really not as fit as you need to be for your horse’s sake if you want to ride 100 miles at this pace. I even wager that with a fitter and lighter rider this horse would have done better at the final vet check and may have won.
You could see it in the photos from the Finish, Sheikh Mohammed was leaning way to the side and looked “crumpled” in general. I also noticed bad chair seat in earlier photos, but that was unfortunately true for quite a number of riders.
Hey, yoga helps with core strength and dressage is great cross training! Try it some time, fellow endurance riders
