Ruby Walsh: BHA’s rigid approach partly to blame for Hill controversy
round, the solid surface of the earth! Who thought it could provoke such outrage as it does in sport? Too wet or too dry, too rough, too slick. The grass is too long or too short, the greens are too fast or too slow, the rough is too thick, the goal mouth too bare, it’s too soft for the ball to bounce, too hard for a horse to gallop on.
That natural surface created god knows when is never what everyone wants it to be. Why? Because it is natural, controlled and altered by nature. Humankind can mind it. Some people do, and they take great care and effort in doing so, particularly on pitches and golf courses, but they have the luxury of being damaged only by humans. Racecourses have the extra issue of being churned up by four-legged steeds and are often used when most other venues have been closed by nature.
