Horse Racing: The ‘bottle’ of Michael Owen

[forrado]

Think of Michael Owen what you will, he’s been called some names over the years, but being short of bottle is not one of them. In the minds of Liverpool FC supporters he remains a mercenary little so and so both in terms of goal scoring and suspect loyalty issues. Popular around Anfield Owen is not …

https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/football/1138922/liverpool-fans-troll-snake-michael-owen-after-they-announce-him-as-international-ambassador/

The Owen family’s love of horse racing has been well-documented. Indeed, wife Louise Owen was a promising show jumper before marrying Michael Owen and having children …

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1102162/The-WAG-prefers-horses-handbags-Michael-Owen-8217-s-wife-Louise-reveals-greatest-passion-rescuing-racehorses.htm

However, throughout a senior playing career that spanned 17 years (1996 to 2013) Michael Owen was banned from getting on the back of a horse because of contractual footballing obligations. But earlier today on Ascot Racecourse, at the age of 37, he at last got his wish to ride in a horse race when, in front of the heir apparent to the UK throne, he rode and finished second in a charity event. To watch the 7-furlong contest go to …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmUVLNMIfVo

Such fans of horse racing will note Michael Owen non-use of the whip. The whip wasn’t necessary because Owen didn’t yet have the learned ability to ride-out his mount Calder Prince in a finish. Watch and compare the finishing styles of the two riders as they run for the line, Owen just basically sits still on his horse. Give him a whip and he wouldn’t have known how to correctly use it. However, I must admit his riding style looks tidy, there’s no arms and legs flapping about, he holds it together well even though he must be getting tired. In the last couple of months leading up to the race it appears he’s been well schooled in what to do and how to do it considering he started from scratch. I think it’s been a lot to do with the repetitive training he went through as a professional footballer, that of knowing how to react in a given situation, that stood him good stead.

For the after race interview go to …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBaN46c6h_Y

I think Michael Owen’s wife Louise will be having a few words to say to her husband if his in-built sporting competitiveness and enthusiasm starts getting the better of him in the horse riding department.

But say what you will, to race against others for nearly a mile on the back of a four-legged animal weighing up to three-quarters-of-a-ton that can run at a top speed approaching 30 miles per hour takes a lot more thinking about than running round a football field chasing ball.

Michael Owen ‘bottler’ he most certainly isn’t.

[Itsallaguess]

Popular around Anfield Owen is not …

Au contraire - I've lost count of the number of times thousands upon thousands of Liverpool fans have been heard loudly asking about his whereabouts on the evening of 25th May, 2005.....



Itsallaguess