George's exams

[everetting]

Kate is not going with william to Singapore as George has important exams. What exams would a 10 year old be sitting in November?
I know nothing about private school systems so hoping someone here does.

I did not introduce that topic at all.

@EdEdithWeston I think it is both.its no accident that football does have a lot of working class kids who become top stars, unlike many sports. My city along with others has free or cheap football summer coaching and there is a well supported route to get taken onto a football academy.
If one of my kids was a talented rider, not only could I not afford to pay for them to pursue their ambition, I would have no idea how they could. The only working class route I know is for kids to become jockeys.

@everetting

Horseriding is largely a county sport here. Plenty of kids around here ride and have their own horses, and they’re not particularly wealthy. Land is cheap, so they don’t have to board their horses.

I grew up in Surrey. The horse loving girls found the only way to ride was to work at stables. Even the middle class ones.

I think your definition of not wealthy is different to mine. You mean not rich rich, rather than working class.

My husband grew up with a horse rather than a tractor
(we’re talking the 80’s so not wealthy) There is just a different culture in Ireland to the U.K.

My neighbours work jobs and many farm at weekends or have family farming close by.

Its just a different culture rather than different class

On the other hand my husband has a friend whose family own one of the largest farms in Ireland. They are seriously into horses on a completely different level 🤣

I have a school friend whose daughter is moving up the showjumping ranks. They are comfortable but not mega wealthy.

I don’t see horses as the preserve of the wealthy in Ireland.

Yes they all cash in.

I grew up in Surrey. The horse loving girls found the only way to ride was to work at stables. Even the middle class ones.

Oh, hello 😁

Me too albeit a rather gritty part now designated as a London Borough.

The only horse loving girl I knew trotted round our tarmacked playground neighing...

Got to post that DH who grew up near a famous polo place once helped the then PoW quieten his 🐎 horse

There’s clearly a wider socio economic mix of horse ownership in Dublin. There are areas of Dublin who still own and graze horses in open areas

I grew up in Surrey. The horse loving girls found the only way to ride was to work at stables. Even the middle class ones
we got DD a horse for her birthday last year , the livery charges alone are 🤯, never knew horses needed that much wood pellets ! it’s still cheaper than having your own stables and doing all the work yourself and it is a lot of work. Unless it’s your livelihood.

In Dublin people graze horses in council land outside tower blocks. Try doing that in England.
And those people in Dublin with those horses do not have the money to compete in horse competitions that could lead to the Olympics.

A number of talent Irish show jumpers came via the army.

And Eddie Macken didn’t come from a wealthy background.

https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/plus/features-plus/legends-of-the-sport-irish-showjumper-eddie-macken-hh-plus-717883

Irish people equals horses. Doesn’t mean all Irish people ride and doesn’t mean that every person has actually a particular interest in them BUT it does mean that as a nation just in the blood. It’s different to England where it can be class linked but also massively linked to lifestyles in the South West.

He’s apparently average, lovely boy, very emotional. Know a teacher at Thomas. Don’t think said person taught Charlotte though. Didn’t seem to know anything about her. Or maybe they left before she got there. They don’t teacher there anymore. Kate lovely apparently but very nervous.

I grew up in in Somerset, and the terrace of council houses in the village had a paddock behind them where some of the residents kept ponies.

There are also council farms all over the country although I think they are being sold off so there aren’t as many now as in the 90s

But to your point that only racing can take a working class kid through the ranks, that’s absolute nonsense. Not least because the vast vast majority of work riders don’t get to ever race

The same opportunities exist in all equestrian disciplines and very few top riders are riding horses they own

And what a tangent you’ve taken this thread off on!

I think that teacher has broken quite a few guidelines.

I can't believe anyone would think it's all equal and anyone could enter the Olympics!

If Zara was Janice Smith who lives in Swindon but liked horses.... she would hardly have had Zara's opportunities and open doors. Her mother did it before her, she would have access to the very best horses in the country.

It's like the children of actors becoming actors and securing plum roles, or the daughters of models becoming top models in their first season. Some people just have more opportunities in life.

Zara would still need to be as good as the other Olympic team members to get a place

The background of other successful Olympians is probably helped by circumstance as horses are expensive but out of interest I looked up the top listed and their background was state school and parents had to find a way to fund it all

Zara would still need to be as good as the other Olympic team members to get a place

Not saying she wouldn't. She was brought up round horses so obviously had natural talent that had been nurtured.
I'm talking about opportunity.

Amazed nobody's mentioned Riders by Jilly Cooper yet.
I used to love The Horse of the Year Show when I was a child. Luckily for my parents, that was as far as my interest in horses went (apart from the obligatory pony books and Black Beauty).

I think opportunity would apply to some of the team members but for a few they’d have more normal backgrounds

It is a sport that’s expensive and it won’t be the same as say, football

But that’s the nature of it. Some might succeed without the background though

Dd does a sport, she’s 13. They’ve Olympians at her club, and she has an amazing coach. i think these are two essential components along with parental support and a desire to compete and money.

Most people don’t drop out due to money. They drop
out as they can’t or don’t want to manage 12 sessions a week. To do something for 25 hours a week, you really need to love it.

Of course Harry loved to horse about in fields too 😂