Horse & Hound – 01 August 2019

30 Horse&Hound1 August 2019

Illustrations

by

Penelope

Beech

THE FIRST LOSER

T

HE theory that “nobody

remembers second place” may well

be a harsh reality of the sporting

world. The names of champions

and gold medallists stay with us,

both in the memory and in the history books,

but how many people could recall who finished

second to Tiger Woods in the Masters golf or

the name of the beaten finalist when Andy

Even the greatest

sportsmen suffer from

‘seconditis’. Jennifer

Donald talks to some

of those afflicted

Murray was crowned king at Wimbledon?

The nature of equestrianism means that

just setting foot on the hallowed turf of

Badminton, the Hickstead Derby or the Grand

National with both horse and rider fighting

fit is an achievement in itself, but who really

remembers the runner-up — except his or her

own connections?

So for those who finished second in some

of the world’s most prestigious competitions

without ever going on to have their names

etched on the trophy, has it been a career-

defining moment on which to reflect fondly, or

do they spend the rest of their days thinking

“What if...”?

“I don’t expect anyone to remember I was

once second at Badminton,” says Sue Benson

(née Hatherly), who finished runner-up at

Badminton in 1979 and third at Burghley in

1973, and went on to design the 2012 Olympic

cross-country course.

“I remember being disappointed, trying to

put a brave face on it and thinking, ‘So near

and yet so far,’ but I look back now and think it

was just one of those things,” says Sue. “I never

won Burghley or Badminton, but I did win

a team gold medal at the Europeans, so I’m

proud of what I’ve done.”

Sue stood second to Lucinda Prior-Palmer

Always the bridesmaid...

‘I remember being disappointed, trying to

put a brave face on it and thinking, “So near

and yet so far,” but I look back now and

think it was just one of those things’

SUE BENSON ON FINISHING SECOND AT BADMINTON