[QUOTE=Bristol Bay;8520408]
I would be much more accomplished if my husband had a couple of hundred million dollars.[/QUOTE]
Snot comment.
I think it’s really pretty special what she’s accomplished. Money helps sure - it helps prevent the blind alleys, it ensures you have a capable horse, gives you access to good teaching - but you can’t get to the FEI levels without being able to ride and without putting in some effort.
Anyone who started riding after kids and made it to the top as an amateur would be celebrated in our horse world. 
That she has also battled MS is pretty significant too.
I would have more respect if that whole Superhit controversy didn’t happen. They did have the money to do right by the horse, but instead they tried to hide its lameness and pass it on for big bucks to someone else. Those were a lot of drugs found in that horse. Fine if she didn’t know, which is possible, but she stuck with that barn so she still is guilty in my mind of putting greed before welfare of the horse. FWIW…
I had the absolute pleasure of putting my gloved hands in Ann’s horse to do the bit check at CA annual show this year. It was a thrill to watch her ride (along with several other billionaires by the way…) in the searing heat (I don’t know how anyone didn’t just pass out up there- it was a blast furnace, and I was just standing around).
She’s a lovely rider. The judge I was scribing for was very impressed with her tenacity in the face of her incredibly debilitating illness, but she didn’t get any marks she didn’t earn, let me assure you.
I admire her greatly. I don’t give a poo whether she has a bunch of money or trains with Jan Ebling or whatever. It’s no joke to have MS, and it’s no joke to ride in 100+degree temps in the small tour either, and my hats off to ALL the competitors by the way, who were on the whole, absolutely wonderful, cheerful, and polished.
And Candico, with all due respect, who knows what happened with Super Hit? Were you one of the principles? No? Then you don’t really have a clue, do you? Horse trading can be ugly, that’s why we draw blood. Seems as though it was settled, so that’s that.
And, as a matter of fact, I greatly admire Mitt Romney and wish with all of my heart that he had won the election, for the good of this country. I bitterly regret he did not, and that he is no longer in politics. He’s a very good man, something I find very scarce in the public arena. I would have loved a first lady who was an accomplished dressage rider- would have been great for our sport and classed up the office.
What? You think poor people run for national office? Get real.
[QUOTE=candico;8520476]
I would have more respect if that whole Superhit controversy didn’t happen. They did have the money to do right by the horse, but instead they tried to hide its lameness and pass it on for big bucks to someone else. Those were a lot of drugs found in that horse. Fine if she didn’t know, which is possible, but she stuck with that barn so she still is guilty in my mind of putting greed before welfare of the horse. FWIW…[/QUOTE]
what was your role in this? were you actually involved first hand in this? not hearing things second or third hand?
is this all factually supported?
I think slinging this kind of mud is very dangerous, and doesn’t belong here IMHO.
Well done Ann! She is truly a very lovely and skilled rider!
She keeps a horse at the barn I lesson at, and she has always been very kind and generous. My horse stopped an threw a fit cutting her off in a warm up arena and although I was in the wrong she smiled and was very sweet about it. So I am very happy for her, and she really is such a good rider, I hope one day I can ride as well as she does!
I have great respect for any amateur that manages to make it to FEI and do so successfully, regardless of whatever is smoothing their path. It’s not easy.
The fact that she also has a potentially debilitating disease, is well into middle age, and by several accounts is a gracious and classy lady makes me respect her even more.
Would she be getting any press if she wasn’t the wife of a politician? Probably not, but that’s a reflection of the society we live in, and nothing against her.
[QUOTE=Rosie B;8520539]
I have great respect for any amateur that manages to make it to FEI and do so successfully, regardless of whatever is smoothing their path. It’s not easy.
The fact that she also has a potentially debilitating disease, is well into middle age, and by several accounts is a gracious and classy lady makes me respect her even more.
Would she be getting any press if she wasn’t the wife of a politician? Probably not, but that’s a reflection of the society we live in, and nothing against her.[/QUOTE]
Now, this, is a great response.
Recognizing the accomplishments of one person who happens to be more in the public eye than most, for achieving excellent success in the face of a debilitating condition does not take anything away from others who might also be dealing successfully with that illness.
On the contrary, perhaps Mrs. Romney’s success is something of an inspiration to others with that type of diagnosis, encouraging them to move forward with whatever their passion might be, in dressage or otherwise.
Our society follows people in certain roles; that is just the nature of media coverage.
Stop watching the news and reading the rags. Why not just stop and not give them the time or money? Why not make them go away? Why is it okay to support that behavior? Why do we accept it as human nature? I thought we were supposed to be able to rise above such things.
[QUOTE=Velvet;8520575]
Stop watching the news and reading the rags. Why not just stop and not give them the time or money? Why not make them go away? Why is it okay to support that behavior? Why do we accept it as human nature? I thought we were supposed to be able to rise above such things.[/QUOTE]
I am compelled to point out that it was your first response to the original post that stirred the pot. I suspect that had you not done so, this thread would have petered out in relative short order.
[QUOTE=Countrywood;8520390]
give her a break…I admire it, and she has to live with Mr Romeny lol[/QUOTE]
:lol: anyone that can score like that at I-2… good for Ms Romney indeed!
[QUOTE=Lucassb;8520570]Recognizing the accomplishments of one person who happens to be more in the public eye than most, for achieving excellent success in the face of a debilitating condition does not take anything away from others who might also be dealing successfully with that illness.
On the contrary, perhaps Mrs. Romney’s success is something of an inspiration to others with that type of diagnosis, encouraging them to move forward with whatever their passion might be, in dressage or otherwise.
Our society follows people in certain roles; that is just the nature of media coverage.[/QUOTE]
thumbs up!
[QUOTE=DownYonder;8520382]
What a snot. You just pegged yourself as one of the hard-hearted b******. :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]
Pot…kettle. And not for nothing, but the OP walked into that mean-spiritedness first, unprovoked.
Cut. It. Out. There’s no need to be uncivil right out of the gate. I don’t understand the inspiration for that, truly.
[edit]
I think of her as a dressage rider, nothing more than that. I don’t watch the news, though I know who she is, I don’t follow any politics at all besides the very very basics that come on those 30 second news bites on the radio.
Let’s get back to dressage training, shall we? since this is after all NOT the political forum?
does anyone else here ride dressage with a health condition?
I do.
what do you guys do to manage it? I do yoga, meditation, and tai chi. i also do a lot of sports psychology to try to see myself as a rider who can ride very well, not with limitations.
I don’t actually have many real limitations, as far as actually riding, as i THOUGHT I did.
(I don’t have MS, and my issues are chronic but not something that continues to progress)
How am I supporting it? Everyone out here (especially the OP) pointed out the fact that she’s well known. I’m pointing out that it is not something that should make a person someone who should be held out as a poster child for doing a good job. I’m saying that they should fall in with the masses–especially when talking about dressage. That we are all on equal footing when in the ring and before a judge, so why is she suddenly pulled out and held up out here? If the OP had said something only about her riding with MS, THAT would have been fine. But there was no mention of it and only a mention of her political ties and then chiding everyone for even thinking of talking about politics when we know this board is a hot bed for that at the moment. I really only know a lot about her from this board and all the crazy talk people were doing in 2008 about her ties to Mitt. If the people OUT HERE hadn’t talked about it and fed on the media hype, many of us would never have known.
[QUOTE=mvp;8520599]
Pot…kettle. And not for nothing, but the OP walked into that mean-spiritedness first, unprovoked.
Cut. It. Out. There’s no need to be uncivil right out of the gate. I don’t understand the inspiration for that, truly.[/QUOTE]
Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot on this response. :lol:
[QUOTE=MyssMyst;8520347]
Well, gee… Looks like someone pissed in the collective forum cheerios this morning. Can we all just grab a coffee (or three), maybe some chocolate, and just be happy for Ann? As a whole, we have been supportive of other riders who overcome struggles to do well and we do have posts about them, name or not.[/QUOTE]
I come here with body armor on, but this morning am a bit amazed at the board. Did we all get overwrought over the super bowl or disappointment in the commercials?! :lol:
[QUOTE=atlatl;8520402]Here’s the view from one wild-eyed leftist. Good for Ms. Romney and I applaud the OP for recognizing her accomplishments.
Given that every rail bird and their sister love love love to line up to watch Ms. Romney ride at shows, and given how incredibly gracious she is at shows, I say it’s perfectly alright for her to get a little good press. I’m speaking from personal experience on more than one occasion.[/QUOTE]
Absolutely. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about her behavior while being hounded by the press. I know how irritable I am when trying to get ready to compete if people are causing unnecessary distractions and endangerment… I can’t imagine having the fortitude to behave as well publicly as she has.
We have repeatedly applauded riders of varying levels of disability for succeeding despite their challenges. She is one of them, and would be worth of an article/admiration even if she weren’t married to a well known political figure.
I have asthma. As an 8th grader I was choosing between two high schools, one of which would mean I was pointing to a career as a horse pro, one which would mean I was going to have a professional career and do horses as a hobby. I chose the hobby direction despite horses being my major love because of my health. The more I exercise, the worse my asthma. The more I’m around allergens, the worse my asthma. I’m allergic to dust, horses, hay, shavings… Wind is a trigger. I still ride in wind, sometimes with a dust mask.
I’m actually about to start working with a physical fitness trainer to have someone slow me down. Every time I start a new program at a reasonable level of expectation for a normal, healthy individual I end up in the hospital or nearly hospitalized due to lung issues. I need someone to keep me from pushing much, because my lungs can’t handle it. It’s frustrating, and with three horses to ride, a full time job, etc., I can’t afford to spend several months recovering from major health issues.
I think this story is newsworthy regardless of Ann’s public name recognition. Anyone who is dealing with MS AND can compete successfully at I-2 deserves to be in the news and, IMO, is an inspiration. It’s also nice to hear good things about her from people who have actually met her. I’m not a supporter of her husband’s politics, but that’s an entirely separate issue, and I can certainly support her for being an exceptional human being.
[QUOTE=candico;8520476]
I would have more respect if that whole Superhit controversy didn’t happen. They did have the money to do right by the horse, but instead they tried to hide its lameness and pass it on for big bucks to someone else. Those were a lot of drugs found in that horse. Fine if she didn’t know, which is possible, but she stuck with that barn so she still is guilty in my mind of putting greed before welfare of the horse. FWIW…[/QUOTE]
^^This^^^ This^^^ This^^^
Good for Ann, and good job to anyone else out there achieving their goals, whatever their obstacles or advantages.
Instead of the conflict, can we share other examples of riders achieving their dreams? One of the reasons I love this board is reading inspiring stories of success at all levels.
