I’m kinda shocked and was surprised how rude, condescending and unsportsmanlike I found many of the Europeans. They seemed like they wanted us to fail and I had to remind a few that they have never been able to put on event with all 8 disciplines on the same property over a two week period so of course it’s not going to go as smoothly as lets say the ones where they hold 2 or 3 at the same time. Competitors bitching about the footing well we’ve never had bad footing before so unless something happened I think they are full of crap:) :winkgrin: Stabling well I"ve been to some shows in Europe so please give me a break. Maybe it’s KY and people are so nice here but I’m looking forward to them leaving. Sorry for the sour grapes I just ran into to many rude people at this show.
I’m curious, when you had to tell people how it is, did you knock a few back and grab a microphone during a demo? That would clear up a lot of things.
What? I don’t know about the rest, but the first one, in Sweden, was right smack dab in the middle of downtown Stockholm. Take the subway to the stadium. Everything was right there, including the cross country and driving marathon. OK, the endurance started out of the city, but it finished in the stadium with the horses coming straight through town.
Don’t worry about it.
The stereotype over here is that Americans are all loud-mouthed know it alls. All mouth and no trousers or all flash and trash and no substance or depth.
I however prefer to just remember that you can’t judge whole nations by the bad behaviour and manners of a few.
So don’t worry. You know you’re right. You know it’s all great. You know there’s nothing wrong with the footing and the stabling. You know it’s all better than those who were giving you feedback could provide. You know that where there were difficulties it was just because it was a huge event.
Just tell them to piss off back to Europe.
Oh you just did! :winkgrin:
[QUOTE=RoyalTRider;5142736]
I’m curious, when you had to tell people how it is, did you knock a few back and grab a microphone during a demo? That would clear up a lot of things.[/QUOTE]
MWAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Good one RoyalTRider
Wow, OP, way to continue the Ugly jingoistic American image! On the other hand, we attended the same WEG you did and enjoyed our interactions with folks from every country, including Americans… enjoyed the enthusiasm, team spirit, admired the horses and riders with their support systems. Enjoyed cheering on the successes and empathizing with the less successful of all the riders.
BTW, there actually were lots of things that could have been handled much, much better, in my humble American opinion. Maybe next time you should go to a Tea Party instead…
Oh and nice irony on your login name.
I found the Europeans extremely patriotic to their country - and bad dressers 
I didn’t find them rude at all, just the opposite actually. They seemed like cheerleaders that got the party started!
[QUOTE=Thomas_1;5142845]
Don’t worry about it.
The stereotype over here is that Americans are all loud-mouthed know it alls. All mouth and no trousers or all flash and trash and no substance or depth.
I however prefer to just remember that you can’t judge whole nations by the bad behaviour and manners of a few.
So don’t worry. You know you’re right. You know it’s all great. You know there’s nothing wrong with the footing and the stabling. You know it’s all better than those who were giving you feedback could provide. You know that where there were difficulties it was just because it was a huge event.
Just tell them to piss off back to Europe.
Oh you just did! :winkgrin:[/QUOTE]
The Ugly American again speaks and leaves no doubt, right?
This is what surprised me…It was the ugly Europeans this time. Like I said I was speaking in general terms. Maybe it was all the one’s I ran into over 3 days. Shouldn’t have posted it but was shocked…sorry
Was surprised last night when they would stand up and cheer when another country had rails down and that country was knocked out of the medals…
I talked to a visitor from Brazil…
“How do you like Lexington?” I inquired…he looked at me some time before responding and then said, “Lexington is Paradise!” Why would anyone think
any differently…it is paradise.
As far as national pride…we all feel it, but in the end root for the competitor who shows the best effort.
If we did this multiple times in Lexington, it would get better each time. You learn from the effort.
From having worked
From having worked the cross-country, I’d say some were friendly, some weren’t. Some said thank you, some didn’t. Can’t say it necessarily depended on where anyone was from. I chalked it all up to competition nerves both on the part of competitors and those associated with them. I hope some of them will go home with stereotypes shattered but I suspect folks that come to the table with stereotypes will leave with them and folks that come in open minded will go home with opinions, one way or the other. I just hope I contributed in a small way to a positive opinion. :lol:
There are nice people and rude people of every nationality.
Perhaps you just remember the rude ones more clearly?
I will say, though, that if someone cheered for rails down, that IS unsportsmanlike, whether it be in the WEG or a local show.
I found just the opposite. Sat around a bunch of Aussies and Brits, and they were lovely. :yes:
Caitlin
I think it is all in the perception…
A long time ago, I lived in Heidelberg, Germany as an exchange student for 2 years. I lived with German students, so was totally immersed in the culture.
After a while, the American tourists really started to get on my nerves. They came across to me as loud and obnoxious.
However, when I traveled to Spain and Greece in between semesters, for some reason the German tourists there were the loud and obnoxious ones!
So I concluded that it was just tourists in general that come across as loud and obnoxious, simply because they are just there for a short time and are not in tune with the local culture. I’m not sure it matters where they are from.
I’m thinking in this case, the OP just happened to experience some rude/obnoxious examples, but others did not? Just a matter of chance. Having met a lot of Europeans in those 2 years, I would say that most of them are very nice. Though none of them were horse people, but still.
I’ll have to ask my mom what she thought. She lives in Lex and had tickets to 2 events. I am insanely jealous–thought about ditching work and going, but my daughter had appendicitis 2 weeks ago and had already missed too much school, and I couldn’t have gone without her. 
Just be glad you got to go! 
(I’m American btw, born in Kansas and raised in Kentucky. )
[QUOTE=Peace;5142915]
Was surprised last night when they would stand up and cheer when another country had rails down and that country was knocked out of the medals…[/QUOTE]
Then I am pure evil - I jump up and down ANY time Duke makes a mistake playing against UNC or anyone for that matter. :lol: Of course, they do it too, so I suppose we’re all evil.
Off to get fitted for my new set of evil horns. I would not want you to have to wonder if I am “good or evil”. I’m American, with a Finnish heritage, so it can be a bit confusing. The horns will help. 
I may ask for a tail as well - just for fun. But not in puke blue - that’s just gross.
I whoop and holler at the TV if Auburn drops a football or the QB gets sacked. I must be a very, very, bad person.
Seriously, “Peace”…may I suggest a peace pipe? Or a Fleet enema? You’re in dire need of …something!
You sound very disappointed that the Americans got knocked out of medal contention in the Nation’s Cup last night, as was I. If there were people cheering when that happened, more power to them, they wanted their country to win! It doesn’t mean they are nasty and rude. It just means they are patriotic!
I am here right now and find everyone super nice. I am part of the press and have met people from all over the world and have interviewed and talked to riders, trainers, chefs d’equipes, grooms, etc, and everyone has been very happy with the footing, in fact most think it is some of the best anywhere. So I’m not sure where you are getting your ideas.
Don’t let your disappointment with our performance taint the way you experience others. If you open your mind and release your expectations, you could meet a lot of wonderful, new, interesting people.
I think you see what you want to see. You want to be negative, so you found negative.
Carry on.
Wow, Peace, that seems so ethnocentric and I’m so uncomfortable with the euro bashing just because you had a bad experience… Stereotyping is so not ok based on one or two bad interactions.
My experience while in Europe is that most were extremely polite, pleasant, and patient with me because I did not have the language. (Still don’t) I thought they had better manners than I did! [(Acted like my mom taught me I should act ;-)]
I was not at the WEG … but holy gosh, I would like to think that Americans could be welcoming and approachable regarding complaints about the event itself. What’s up with being defensive? Did you help put on the WEG?
[QUOTE=Horseymama;5143195]
You sound very disappointed that the Americans got knocked out of medal contention in the Nation’s Cup last night, as was I. If there were people cheering when that happened, more power to them, they wanted their country to win! It doesn’t mean they are nasty and rude. It just means they are patriotic!
I am here right now and find everyone super nice. I am part of the press and have met people from all over the world and have interviewed and talked to riders, trainers, chefs d’equipes, grooms, etc, and everyone has been very happy with the footing, in fact most think it is some of the best anywhere. So I’m not sure where you are getting your ideas.
Don’t let your disappointment with our performance taint the way you experience others. If you open your mind and release your expectations, you could meet a lot of wonderful, new, interesting people.[/QUOTE]
No I really wasn’t that disappointed…this wasn’t just about last night. When someone is on course and they have a rale knocking them out of contention for a medal which moves your team up I just think it is rude to stand up and yell and clap…the rider was still on course and it was quiet in the stadium. I should just chalk it up to our cultures are different. I would have been disappointed if anyone did this.
