Cheltenham Festival: Dignity and honour in both victory and defeat

Andy Murray is charmless; Jonny Wilkinson is no longer a winning force on the field of rugby union, and David Beckham limped out of the World Cup three months before a ball is kicked in anger.

And then there is the red mist that descends over the Premier League's molly-coddled multi-millionaires on a daily basis; Didier Drogba and Chelsea's

ill-disciplined Champions League exit, and players – Fernando Torres is a chief culprit – appearing to feign injury after the slightest push.

Yet those who lament sport's place in society should perhaps study the example set this week by those fine horsemen and women – arguably the greatest jockeys assembled – who went into battle this week at the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival.

The personification of courage and humility, they were racing for big stakes. This was horse racing's equivalent of the Olympics. There could only be one winner. For the rest, there was disappointment and, perhaps, dreams of another day.

However AP McCoy and Ruby Walsh, jump racing's leading lights, showed how sport should be played out. The fiercest of rivals when in direct competition, they were the first to congratulate – or indeed commiserate – with each other whenever they crossed the finishing line.

Both are born winners. Take McCoy. He has a record 3,000-plus winners to his name; Walsh is the greatest accumulator of Grade One races.

They know what it takes to win. But, crucially, they have learned that you have to accept defeat, however disappointing, with poise and dignity – and that sometimes you have to accept that you were beaten by the better horse.

Look at their reaction yesterday. Both had expected to fight out the finish to the Gold Cup. As is customary with this most unpredictable sport, it did not work out. Kauto Star and Walsh fell heavily, Denman and McCoy were beaten two out.

Yet their faces told a different story in the paddock afterwards. They have won Gold Cups, they will probably do so again, but their disappointment was masked by their delight and pleasure in Paddy Brennan, a friend and rival, stealing the limelight on the gutsy course specialist Imperial Commander.

As the weighing room's senior pros, the example of McCoy, Walsh and others is followed by many. After every race this week, each victorious jockey was congratulated by the vanquished before beginning the 'ride of dreams' – the long walk, past the packed grandstands, to the hallowed winner's enclosure and the acclaim of the public, most of whom will not have backed the horse in question.

Even here, sportsmanship at its very best was self-evident after every race. I was fortunate – privileged even – to follow Ferdy Murphy's gallant Poker de Sivola into the winner's spot after he had won an emotional National Hunt Chase after an inspired ride by Ruby Walsh's sister Katie.

The atmosphere was intoxicating. One of the first people to congratulate Murphy was Ruby Walsh. "I'm delighted for you, great training performance," he told the North Yorkshire trainer, his face beaming with pride. Delighted that his sister had won at the Festival, he also knew that it had taken months of frustration – and patience – to prepare the chaser for the big day.

Murphy's smile was wider than the Irish Sea. "That's grand. Thanks. And good luck."

It was sincere and heartfelt. For, less than two hours later, Murphy knew that stable star Kalahari King would be lining up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase – and Walsh, on hot favourite Master Minded, was the horse that they would have to beat. Yet, in these precious seconds, it did not matter.

Kalahari King, with typical valour, met that objective, the downside being there were two other horses that were simply too good on the day – his old nemesis Forpadydeplasterer and the emphatic winner Big Zeb.

He may only have been third, but there was no disappointment from Neil and Julie Morgan, Kalahari's lucky owners and those friends sharing their special day with them, as their hero took his rightful place in the winner's enclosure.

Placed at the Festival for the last three years, how many horses have such a consistent record? And then the couple said: "And we were the first English horse over the line."

Then the applause as Forpadydeplasterer, and his syndicate of owners bedecked in red and white scarves, took his place. And then the roar as Big Zeb, an Irish winner on St Patrick's Day, took the acclaim as Barry Geraghty stood up in the stirrups and waved the Irish flag.

As one, the crowd rose. Handshakes were exchanged between the connections of each of the four placed horses.

Disappointed that Master Minded, his dual winner, had lacked his sparkle and finished a distant fourth, his owner Clive Smith wished his opponents well. "No doubt, we will do battle again," he said.

Murphy disappeared to acknowledge the winner – then prepared to saddle his next horse. Kalahari King's connections, meanwhile, hovered, soaking up the atmosphere and clapping graciously as the winners received their prizes.

Big Zeb was a worthy victor, they concluded. He is a horse who has had his jumping problems in the past but he was foot perfect on the day when it mattered.

His jumping won him the race. Fair play (two words not normally associated with the so-called beautiful game).

It's a lesson in humility that our footballers could, perhaps, learn.

Champions are winners. But they are also champions when they show dignity in defeat and are content, when necessary, to acknowledge the success of others; the unexpected heroes like Imperial Commander and Big Zeb.

It is a characteristic that makes Cheltenham so special, so inspiring and an example of sport at its very best. And the 2010 vintage was, arguably, the finest yet.

Festival Focus

n Jockey of the week

Katie Walsh: Forget Tony McCoy and Ruby Walsh. Ruby's sister followed up her National Hunt Chase win on Poker de Sivola by beating the battle-hardened pros – including her brother – on Thousand Stars in the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle yesterday.

n Trainer of the week

Nigel Twiston-Davies: For pulling off one of the great Gold Cup shocks with Imperial Commander and ending champion trainer Paul Nicholls's stranglehold on the race.

n Race of the week

The Supreme Novices, race one on the opening day, Menorah clings on to deny the fast-finishing Get Me Out Of Here.

n Key moment

Kauto Star's heavy fall in the Gold Cup cost punters millions – but the vanquished warrior got to his feet and will run again.

n Quote of the week

John McCririck doesn't know one end of the horse from the other – Davy Russell was furious at the pundit's criticism of rookie rider Brian O'Connell's hold-up tactics after Dunguib, Ireland's Festival 'banker' finished third.