Sea The Stars ineligible for Sports Personality Award, says BBC

H&H’s hopes of Sea The Stars winning a category in the 2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards have been dashed as the BBC have ruled that the horse is ineligible.

The Irish colt was hailed one of the greatest racehorses of all time when he became the first to win the 2000 Guineas, the Derby and the Prix de I’Arc de Triomphe.

Two weeks ago, H&H launched a campaign to have Sea The Stars voted Overseas Sports Personality of the Year.

This week the campaign has been gathering momentum with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) adding their support.

“No one who saw Sea The Stars in his remarkable season can doubt his star quality. A racehorse might seem an unusual choice but there can be no doubting the impact he made on both the back and front pages this year,” said Jon Ryan, BHA communications director and former sport editor of the Sunday Telegraph.

“Sea The Stars needs your help, together we can do it and give this wonderful horse and all his connections the recognition they deserve!”

The BBC has not been able to decide until now whether, as a horse, Sea The Stars would be eligible for the award.

But after two weeks of confusion and deliberation a BBC spokesman confirmed to H&H this morning that the colt could not be put forward for the Overseas award, saying it is only open to people.

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