I think one of the things that bothered me the most about Sharbatly’s trip at WEG in 2010 was how he seemed to be hauling on Hickstead’s mouth. Not yanking, but leaning back and really pulling. That horse wasn’t an easy ride, but I would expect a bit better equitation and respect for the horse from a rider with a lot of big GP experience.
When he was jet-skiing around the ring hanging on to Hickstead’s mouth after that WEG round, it immediately reminded me of deploying a pulley rein on a nasty bolter of a pony at age 12. Not what we want a supposedly international-level rider on an iconic horse to remind us of, I suspect.
I’ve always respected the way Khaled Al Eid rides. Him and Presley Boy were a force to be reckoned with. It’s a shame we lost that horse so young
Eta- yes he praises Allah after his round but he also praises his wonderful horse as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H0UCZ0_DfY
[QUOTE=dani0303;7744025]
I’ve always respected the way Khaled Al Eid rides. Him and Presley Boy were a force to be reckoned with. It’s a shame we lost that horse so young
Eta- yes he praises Allah after his round but he also praises his wonderful horse as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H0UCZ0_DfY[/QUOTE]
I watched the video and thought that was a very soft and tactful ride. If he praises Allah (or whatever high power he believes in) after a ride like that, I don’t think anyone would mind. He stays in two point, doesn’t hang on his horses’s mouth, and he pats his horse afterwards.
The problem people have with Sharbatly is that he’s all over the place, he praises Allah too, but pulls on the horse’s mouth, displays horrible equitation, and is disrespectful to the sport by talking on his cellphone while on the podium.
Er, what’s wrong with praising Allah?
[QUOTE=Drvmb1ggl3;7744302]
Er, what’s wrong with praising Allah?[/QUOTE]
No one said that there was. If you go back to the original messages, you’ll see that people were complaining about Sharbatly praising Allah while galloping around on Hickstead. That’s not the problem. The problem is the way Sharbatly treated the horse.
[QUOTE=SnicklefritzG;7744323]
No one said that there was. If you go back to the original messages, you’ll see that people were complaining about Sharbatly praising Allah while galloping around on Hickstead. That’s not the problem. The problem is the way Sharbatly treated the horse.[/QUOTE]
Why are people even bringing it up?
[QUOTE=Drvmb1ggl3;7744302]
Er, what’s wrong with praising Allah?[/QUOTE]
I personally have no issue with the action itself; the concern with Sharbatly was that he was dropping the reins and doing it on other people’s horses.
[QUOTE=Drvmb1ggl3;7744332]
Why are people even bringing it up?[/QUOTE]
no idea. the rest of us are addressing what the real problem is
[QUOTE=Darkwave;7744373]
I personally have no issue with the action itself; the concern with Sharbatly was that he was dropping the reins and doing it on other people’s horses.[/QUOTE]
While I personally think it is rather odd, did his rounds warrant that? Doing it every single round regardless of whether or not you have a great round is kind of weird.
[QUOTE=SnicklefritzG;7744399]
no idea. the rest of us are addressing what the real problem is and it has nothing to do with that.[/QUOTE]
Exactly. It’s just a mere technicality. It’s irrelevant.
[QUOTE=dani0303;7744025]
I’ve always respected the way Khaled Al Eid rides. Him and Presley Boy were a force to be reckoned with. It’s a shame we lost that horse so young
Eta- yes he praises Allah after his round but he also praises his wonderful horse as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H0UCZ0_DfY[/QUOTE]
I remember watching when he won the Olympic bronze some years ago, he was trained by Nelson Pessoa at the time. It is obvious he appreciates his horse. Is he still riding?
[QUOTE=BAC;7744408]
I remember watching when he won the Olympic bronze some years ago, he was trained by Nelson Pessoa at the time. It is obvious he appreciates his horse. Is he still riding?[/QUOTE]
The last thing I ever remember hearing/seeing was a doping incident before the 2012 Olympics… How old is Presley Boy now? I would love to see the two of them out and about again. I forgot what a good WEG appearance they laid down. So calm and accurate.
[QUOTE=MonterStables;7744402]
While I personally think it is rather odd, did his rounds warrant that? Doing it every single round regardless of whether or not you have a great round is kind of weird.[/QUOTE]You also “It’s just a mere technicality. It’s irrelevant.” If some Catholic crossed him or herself after their rounds, or looked up with thanks after each, do they get the same swipe, or is it just a Muslim who you decide to poke at?
[QUOTE=Pony+ an inch;7744418]
The last thing I ever remember hearing/seeing was a doping incident before the 2012 Olympics… How old is Presley Boy now? I would love to see the two of them out and about again. I forgot what a good WEG appearance they laid down. So calm and accurate.[/QUOTE]
Shortly before London he colicked and subsequently foundered. He was retired and was euthanized a few months ago at 17 from complications of founder.
http://www.noellefloyd.com/much-loved-stallion-presley-boy-sadley-euthanized/
[QUOTE=Pony+ an inch;7744418]
The last thing I ever remember hearing/seeing was a doping incident before the 2012 Olympics… How old is Presley Boy now? I would love to see the two of them out and about again. I forgot what a good WEG appearance they laid down. So calm and accurate.[/QUOTE]
Presley Boy was humanely destroyed recently after a debilitating laminitic episode brought on by a severe colic 
[QUOTE=Drvmb1ggl3;7744332]
Why are people even bringing it up?[/QUOTE]
It had been mentioned about Sharbatley, that’s why I brought it up.
[QUOTE=Coreene;7744424]
You also “It’s just a mere technicality. It’s irrelevant.” If some Catholic crossed him or herself after their rounds, or looked up with thanks after each, do they get the same swipe, or is it just a Muslim who you decide to poke at?[/QUOTE]
Let me just say that I didn’t make that statement as you maybe interpreted it. I felt I was merely stating the obvious due to what I’ve gathered from reading this post with a completely unbiased view, because I’m a writer(that has had a published article in the last few years)- that’s what we do. While I do not know the other religions of some of the other riders, we do not have a lot of middle eastern riders that we ever get to see on the podium or out in the arena- I remember back at least 10 years when there was really no Saudi team or team from Qatar. The first time I ever saw a full team from the Middle East was in 2012 in London when the Saudi Arabian team received the bronze medal.
That being said, I feel that a Catholic or Christian wouldn’t get the same swipe for that same reason. People are a lot more accustomed to seeing the sign of the sign of the cross than they are seeing someone praising ‘Allah’. In all seriousness, they probably might not ever be accustomed to it even as we all preach tolerance to other religions due to the state of our world affairs at the present moment.
(going slightly off track for a moment, but still related) I heard an NPR interview yesterday about everything that is happening with ISIS, and why the Muslim world continues to be a heated issue for many Americans. The bottom line is that they do not like us, whether we are in their country or not. They despise everything about us and our culture. Whether we are in their country or not, we are always at war with them for that reason. So, I feel that as long as the world continues to be living under the shadow of negativity associated with the Muslim religion, there is always going to be that proverbial bite in a conversation about them- whether the people we are referring to are good people or not.
[QUOTE=MonterStables;7744572]
and why the Muslim world continues to be a heated issue for many Americans. The bottom line is that they do not like us, whether we are in their country or not. They despise everything about us and our culture. Whether we are in their country or not, we are always at war with them for that reason. So, I feel that as long as the world continues to be living under the shadow of negativity associated with the Muslim religion, there is always going to be that proverbial bite in a conversation about them- whether the people we are referring to are good people or not.[/QUOTE]
An incredibly gross and inaccurate portrayal of a large group of human beings.
FWIW, I spent a fair amount of time discussing religion with various people I met while visiting the Levant some years back, and found the discussions to be fascinating. The overall hospitality of the many different people I met was outstanding. (I walked into a local convenience store outside Damascus, and the kid behind the register sat me down and started feeding me and making tea.)
“Those people” are by and large just like any random group of people you’re likely to meet anywhere.
I personally would be upset if someone let go of the reins on my horse to praise any god while racing around the arena. Wait until the horse is stopped or under control at least, especially when so much is at stake. Nothing to do with what religion it is - it is how he treated the horse while he did it. Even if he just pumped his fists while letting go of the reins and racing around would bother me.
The way he acted and rode at WEG left a really sour taste in my mouth about him, and I didn’t even seen the podium incident. Glad he isn’t competing this year.
