Why didn’t Hoster try to set up a match between Catelyn and Rhaegar?

[Angel Eyes]

So it’s shown that Hoster Tully had high ambitions for his House, not unlike Tywin Lannister; just look at Robert’s Rebellion when he married his two daughters into the Houses of two Wardens, albeit one of those matches being unsuitable. So why, in the years leading up to 276 AC (when Catelyn was betrothed to Brandon Stark), didn’t he try and aim for the highest house he could?

[Canon Claude]

47 minutes ago, Angel Eyes said:

So it’s shown that Hoster Tully had high ambitions for his House, not unlike Tywin Lannister; just look at Robert’s Rebellion when he married his two daughters into the Houses of two Wardens, albeit one of those matches being unsuitable. So why, in the years leading up to 276 AC (when Catelyn was betrothed to Brandon Stark), didn’t he try and aim for the highest house he could?

Maybe he tried? It never said that he didn’t. Sounds awful but given what a sexist Hoster was, and what a product of his environment he was, I doubt Catelyn would have been fully aware of any deals being made about her future. Why should Hoster involve her in the minutiae? So for all we know, he did suggest it somehow and Aerys turned him down.

[Salsa Stark]

There is speculation about Rickard Stark's "Southron Ambitions" which arose because all Lord Paramount sons and daughters suddenly marrying each other during Aerys 's reign . The main goal being breaking away from the IT and the Targaryen rule  since they no longer had dragons and go back to old ways before Aegon's Conquest. The Lords of Westeros were in on it or joined the plot via marriage pacts, foster sons, etc to get most of the 7 kingdoms on their side. Hoster did try to get Tywin to join by offering Lysa to Jaime . The Martells offered Elia to Jaime . I say that you look into Southron Ambitions Speculations 

[John Suburbs]

After the way Tywin's offer of Cersei was rebuffed, I'll bet Hoster knew better than to make a public overture to Aerys. The king seemed bent on finding a bride of Valyrian descent anyway, sending Steffon B all the way to Volantis to find one. And in the end he settled for a Dornish princess, probably reasoning that the Targs were already infused with Dornish blood anyway, so why dilute it even more by marrying into another lesser house.

There is also the relatively recent instances of several Westerosi houses thinking they were getting Targaryen princes and princesses only to be publicly humiliated. So maybe Hoster did not want to take the chance.

[Quoth the raven,]

I don't recall anything like that coming from Hoster. 

[Walder Frey the XXIII]

Well if you read "Southron Ambitions" thread/theories on reddit or on this forum, there is speculation that the lords of Westeros decided to kick out the Targs and go back to being independent kingdoms as they no longer had dragons. So they joined the gang by marriage pacts like with Brandon-Catelyn, Elia-Jaime ,Lysa-Jaime ,etc. and , foster children , etc. like with Bobby B, Ned, at the Vale. The Tyrells had no choice but to stand with the Targs and Martells would have if Elia didnt marry Rhaegar. This mostly speculation mostly came to be because the children of Lord Paramounts suddenly start marrying one another, which rarely happened during the 300 years of Targ rule.

[Kierria]

On 1/6/2021 at 4:26 AM, Walder Frey the XXIII said:

Well if you read "Southron Ambitions" thread/theories on reddit or on this forum, there is speculation that the lords of Westeros decided to kick out the Targs and go back to being independent kingdoms as they no longer had dragons. So they joined the gang by marriage pacts like with Brandon-Catelyn, Elia-Jaime ,Lysa-Jaime ,etc. and , foster children , etc. like with Bobby B, Ned, at the Vale. The Tyrells had no choice but to stand with the Targs and Martells would have if Elia didnt marry Rhaegar. This mostly speculation mostly came to be because the children of Lord Paramounts suddenly start marrying one another, which rarely happened during the 300 years of Targ rule.

The Lannisters had the most to offer and Aerys still refused Cersei.  What chance would Catelyn have?  Rejection will hurt the family's pride.

[TheSamsa]

On 1/6/2021 at 10:26 AM, Walder Frey the XXIII said:

...snip...
This mostly speculation mostly came to be because the children of Lord Paramounts suddenly start marrying one another, which rarely happened during the 300 years of Targ rule.

Is this known that it did happen rarely in the 300 years long rule of the Targaryen? I honestly do not know, I thought there is not enough information about all the marriages pacts of the paramount houses in the 300 years.

[Universal Sword Donor]

6 hours ago, TheSamsa said:

Is this known that it did happen rarely in the 300 years long rule of the Targaryen? I honestly do not know, I thought there is not enough information about all the marriages pacts of the paramount houses in the 300 years.

I don't believe we do but we do have the family trees for multiple great houses AND pretty in depth background on most of them with the AWOIAF and other companion books.

[James West]

Every great house with a daughter must have entertained the idea to offer her to Rhaegar.  Hoster thought about it but the stars failed to align for him. 

[Curled Finger]

Hrm, well I do think there is something to an alliance building a block of power Aerys would have to think twice about screwing around with.  The Southron Ambitions didn't smack so much as going back to old ways as presenting a united front against Aerys.  Once Tywin Lannister was out of the Crow's Eye so to speak, what could Aerys do really?  With Jamie and Oberyn and Elia out on the open market, Lyanna & Robert/Cat & Brandon already sealed into betrothal pacts what real choices did Aerys have for his son?  No one seemed all that hot and bothered to marry the Martell children (or Jamie) for whatever reason, but lousy Tywin was entertaining the brats and Aerys may have thought he scooped Elia from Lannister alliance.   Honestly I think the Elia deal was probably some nasty dirty deal designed to tweak Tywin.  The louse couldn't even not be an ass to his little grand daughter.  What on earth is better than a little tiny grand daughter?  Aerys was mad.   

Earlier it was bandied about possible refusal from Aerys and yah, as someone said it didn't get any better than Cersei Lannister, but even she wasn't good enough.  I think it was Duncan the Small who was betrothed to a Tully lass and kicked her to the curb in favor of a commoner--some skinny chick named Jenny of Oldstones.  One of Egg's kids, anyway.  That had to sting the Tullys.  It wasn't that far back or long ago so as to be forgotten.