To think Liz Jones is a bitter and twisted old hag?

Suits me fine Greatnan - I can do without the continual digs.

For goodness sake, Ana - I was just replying to a post of yours.
Perhaps we could reach an agreement - I won't comment on anything you say and you will return the compliment.

The Arabs bred the thoroughbred horse; they've forgotten more about horses than most people will ever know. But if anyone wants to read something into what I said then sobeit. It's just that there was mention of Ballabriggs needing oxygen and water at the end of the National. I just wanted to put a link to an interview with his owner that showed that he has been cared for from the minute he was born and will have a home for life on the Isle of Man with Mr Hemmings' other horses; people that only watch racing on rare occasions wouldn't know that. I just wanted to show another side to racing. That there are people who care about the horses. And, yes, Clare does get upset when accidents happen [although not according to the author of the piece in question]. Having just read the article I thought it was vitriolic and probably written because she didn't get the interview she wanted.

I think Liz Jones would be delighted by this thread

FGS!!!

Crimson 'the Arabs' ? do I read something perjorative in your reference or am I being over sensitive?

Oh, I did wonder if you'd have a go at me about that, Greatnan....sigh

sel I know it is an old article..but I had not seen anything about LJ before. I have been reading other stuff about LJ. She seems to have suffered from some degree of mental health issues throughout her life, which is sad. Perhaps this is why she seems to alienate many acquaintances and some readers. Some other journalists rate her... I will have to read a bit more of her work to give her a 'fair' go! .

Ana - most people who help their family don't publish it in the national press. Not very nice for the family, is it?

What is this (I think) British tendency to want to knock people? CB is damn good at her job. Whether or not a person is in favour of horse racing is their opinion and if a journalist they are entitled to express it. But what has CB's dress sense got to do with the price of bread? Is it a euphemism for her sexuality - Liz Jones wouldn't dare knock that- or her background (racing)? I cannot believe that somehow we are exercised over this. I think it is bad journalism when someone has to have recourse to gratuitous insults - it shows a lack of real material. Who is trying to turn her into "the naton's favourite lesbian" anyway- sorry, riverwalk but a dreadful phrase ? What in any case do her sexuality or marital status/ star sign/favourite colour/ or any personal details have to do with the subject? This is pandering to the "celebrity" culture I thought most of us were too intelligent to indulge in.
By all means discuss horse racing. But I think it is pretty shabby journalism for this woman to go for the jugular in this way. I don't think she will have done herself any favours. I certainly wouldn't lift up a newspaper to read her sort of trashwriting.

And what is the value of Ballabriggs then?

riverwalk I agree, she's good but this good? She's being elevated beyond anything I've known. Wonder if she'd been male would everyone get so excited {smile]

'old hag' is a nasty phrase.

I used to love her Sunday Times column about the search for a boyfriend - then at The Mail she wrote very wittily and poignantly about her short-lived marriage and break-up. I used to look forward to her column but it went seriously downhill with the move to Somerset. Now I don't bother to look at it most weeks, all that rubbish about how poor she is and the secret rock star boyfriend!

I'm not a racing fan so until the Olympics didn't know much about Clare Balding, only the publicity when she humiliated a winning jockey live on national TV by referring to his terrible teeth!

I'm quite bemused by the press and BBC who are being overly generous in their praise of CB, trying to turn her into the nation's favourite lesbian and a 'national treasure'

Lilygran I would agree with you but as regards animals, she actually seems true to what she writes. Hopefully

Crimson jump racing is very different to the flat. How dare I ? I was trying to tell you that horseracing is a business, nothing more, nothing less. Just don't bring horses into it - as animals. That's why I do have respect for Liz Jones. Depends really if people who think racing is some sort of benign 'sport of kings' believe it. And having listened to the whole of the link...what on earth did you think he was referring to, other than the value of the horse to him?

Liz Jones (whose columns I admit to regularly reading) appears to me to be a very clever journalist who has invented a character about whom she writes.

Did you actually watch the link Sel. The man breeds endangered breeds of horse and also breeds racehorses. He made his money in other ways. How dare you critiscise him when you just sold yours on to the Arabs. Did you make a profit on them by the way or did you just want to get rid because they weren't winning races for you?

We're turning into Mumsnet

Lilygran she isn't. I'm pleased to say.

No she's not, Lilygran. Why do you keep saying that?

nanaej that was 2010

She's a fiction!

Crikey, Crimson, is that link supposed to show people who actually care about the horses or itetify men who've made huge amounts of money out of them?

Ughhh, Can't stand Liz Jones, she appears to expect everyone to bow and scrape to her, we too moved to the West Country and contrary to her reports of the people being horrid to her, we have found them great, it all depends on how you treat people yourself, if she is always miserable and argumentative, that is what she will get back,she needs to learn that you can get a lot more with a spoonful of honey or sugar than you can with vinegar. O.k.she has helped out some of her family but she seems to want them to continuously bow and scrape to her in gratitude, you can't buy love you have to earn it. Oh I must stop preaching, but by reading her diaries in the YOU magazine on a Sunday I would say she is a very sad unhappy person and whoever tries to befriend her she turns them away, how sad.

Lots of people help their family, and make no secret of it. What's wrong with that, Greatnan?