Eventing Nation booted from covering Event in Unionville, PA

[ake987]

@TheMoo

Are you being sarcastic? Reading through all of this we lost an event due to lack of diplomacy and people seem to want to defend it.

Yes, I’m being sarcastic. I’m a member of a “younger generation” who completely agrees that a lack of diplomacy and display of utter idiocy and misplaced self-righteousness resulted in the loss of a premier event in our county and I don’t believe that the responsibility of that outcome falls squarely on the shoulders of those “younger generations”.

[ladyj79]

@Gardenhorse

Or we lost an event because the organizer decided their “First Amendment rights” to name their event whatever they wanted was more important than even considering a compromise. Everyone keeps going on about how EN approached this, but few people have discussed what the organizer’s role in blowing this up into a circus was. From the one email I saw, it’s pretty clear he wasn’t employing any diplomacy. I haven’t seen that anyone else on the PFEE board attempted to play a diplomatic role either. Maybe they did, but we haven’t seen any evidence of it. Did anyone on the board ever say, “Of course we know that’s not what Plantation refers to, but maybe we should consider this concern if that’s what people are thinking about our event.”

Yeah how dare they not want to be threatened with actual violence by an insane faux press!

[TheMoo]

@ake987

Yes, I’m being sarcastic. I’m a member of a “younger generation” who completely agrees that a lack of diplomacy and display of utter idiocy and misplaced self-righteousness resulted in the loss of a premier event in our county and I don’t believe that the responsibility of that outcome falls squarely on the shoulders of those “younger generations”.

If my generalization doesn’t apply don’t take offense. Are you your generations representative?

[Gardenhorse]

@ladyj79

Yeah how dare they not want to be threatened with actual violence by an insane faux press!

And we know that was the first email that EN sent them? “Change your event name or else…”. I’m just imagining it written in letters cut and pasted from magazines like a ransom note.

[TheMoo]

@Gardenhorse

Or we lost an event because the organizer decided their “First Amendment rights” to name their event whatever they wanted was more important than even considering a compromise. Everyone keeps going on about how EN approached this, but few people have discussed what the organizer’s role in blowing this up into a circus was. From the one email I saw, it’s pretty clear he wasn’t employing any diplomacy. I haven’t seen that anyone else on the PFEE board attempted to play a diplomatic role either. Maybe they did, but we haven’t seen any evidence of it. Did anyone on the board ever say, “Of course we know that’s not what Plantation refers to, but maybe we should consider this concern if that’s what people are thinking about our event.”

I don’t blame them for shutting their doors. If I was a LO I wouldn’t want this drama.

[MorganSercu]

@Virginia Horse Mom

I hope Jenni Autry gets ahold of her buddies at EN, and tells them to please oh please leave this sort of crap 100% alone from here on out, or USEF itself will bar them from covering ANY recognized competition from here on out in the US.

If I were in leadership at either USEF or USEA, that would be my message to EN right now. If they EVER threaten one of our sport’s sponsors, or a land owner with this sort of social media smear job again… they will be barred access to the grounds of recognized competitions across the country. Forever.

That, everyone, would cancel THEIR organization.

I wonder if Ms. Autry matters at this point. I mean, she is with USEF and presumably could see this was going in a bad direction. So if she did reach out to EN and ask them to tap the brakes - they didn’t do so and she burned social capital with them. Perhaps she didn’t see a problem unfolding, in which case she is short-sighted. Or (and I hope this isn’t the case), she was thrilled with what was going on because come hell or financial water - that venue/organizational name was going to be changed and so what if doing so could hamstring or destroy PFEE. Anyway, the damage is done. I hope it’s temporary, but I fear it is permanent.

But the staff at EN saw their dreams come true. They’ve been picked up by one of the big names now.

[Jealoushe]

Youngblackequestrians have shared this on their instagram. There is some movement behind this opinion.

Eventing is finally getting the publicity it has been desperately chasing for years…careful what you wish for I guess

[ake987]

@TheMoo

If my generalization doesn’t apply don’t take offense. Are you your generations representative?

Oh, please. I’m a member of a generation you painted with a broad brush and blamed for the loss of the event. Which is asinine. There were plenty of people of all ages involved in and responsible for this debacle.

[Gardenhorse]

@TheMoo

I don’t blame them for shutting their doors. If I was a LO I wouldn’t want this drama.

I’m questioning the role the event organizer, Denis Glaccum, and the PFEE board played in making it into a drama instead of a civil discussion.

[MorganSercu]

@Gardenhorse

Or we lost an event because the organizer decided their “First Amendment rights” to name their event whatever they wanted was more important than even considering a compromise. Everyone keeps going on about how EN approached this, but few people have discussed what the organizer’s role in blowing this up into a circus was. From the one email I saw, it’s pretty clear he wasn’t employing any diplomacy. I haven’t seen that anyone else on the PFEE board attempted to play a diplomatic role either. Maybe they did, but we haven’t seen any evidence of it. Did anyone on the board ever say, “Of course we know that’s not what Plantation refers to, but maybe we should consider this concern if that’s what people are thinking about our event.”

Did you see the post by atl_hunter on the many hidden costs to change the name? It isn’t cheap and if you look at PFEE’s most recent 990, I doubt it could absorb the cost and would have folded its doors. Particularly if the expectation was for it to be accomplished in 2020.

[Gardenhorse]

@MorganSercu

Did you see the post by AltE on the many hidden costs to change the name? It isn’t cheap and if you look at PFEE’s most recent 990, I doubt it could absorb the cost and would have folded its doors. Particularly if the expectation was for it to be accomplished in 2020.

And if the event organizer/board had said, we see the concern, and we might consider it, but the costs are X and we need financial support and Y months to do it? We just have no indication whether any discussions like this happened or whether it was an immediate “no, I’ll never consider changing the name of my event” by the organizer.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

@Gardenhorse

I’m questioning the role the event organizer, Denis Glaccum, and the PFEE board played in making it into a drama instead of a civil discussion.

Boyd Martin, as well as Phillip and Evie Dutton are on the PFEE board. I’m sure they were up to their eyeballs in turning this whole thing into a crazy drama, and didn’t try to get anyone to engage in civil discussion. Because, you know, having that venue in that location for both recognized and unrecognized competition and schooling wasn’t important to them or anything :rolleyes:

[MorganSercu]

@Gardenhorse

And if the event organizer/board had said, we see the concern, and we might consider it, but the costs are X and we need financial support and Y months to do it? We just have no indication whether any discussions like this happened or whether it was an immediate “no, I’ll never consider changing the name of my event” by the organizer.

On Aug. 19, Eventing Nation editor Leslie Wylie took the topic to Denis Glaccum, organizer and owner of Plantation Field Equestrian Events.

Glaccum and Walker did not agree to change the name of the 300-acre site, which has been in the Walker family for generations.

Snip

“Plantation Field will not change its name,” Glaccum said a day before the lease was terminated. “The owner has said that and considers it an insult to his grandfather and a lot of people who don’t know what they’re talking about. [Eventing Nation] believes ‘plantation’ should be never used again. That’s an extreme view, and it’s nonsense.

The owner was on the board and said no, and was insulted. Remember that one board member has referenced communications sent by Ms. Wylie since June as being…less than tactful.

Plus coming up with anywhere from $50-100K isn’t an easy feat even when times are good. Even if the owner wasn’t angry with how it was broached and pursued.

Pity for the sport and for everyone who used and profited from those events. Maybe when PFEE officially dissolves (what is the point to carrying on if they lost the land lease) USEA will step up and buy, build and maintain a dedicated venue in Region II.

Put their money directly on the line and no longer have to deal with private landowners.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

@MorganSercu

On Aug. 19, Eventing Nation editor Leslie Wylie took the topic to Denis Glaccum, organizer and owner of Plantation Field Equestrian Events.

Glaccum and Walker did not agree to change the name of the 300-acre site, which has been in the Walker family for generations.

Snip

“Plantation Field will not change its name,” Glaccum said a day before the lease was terminated. “The owner has said that and considers it an insult to his grandfather and a lot of people who don’t know what they’re talking about. [Eventing Nation] believes ‘plantation’ should be never used again. That’s an extreme view, and it’s nonsense.

The owner was on the board and said no, and was insulted. Remember that one board member has referenced communications sent by Ms. Wylie since June as being…less than tactful.

Plus coming up with anywhere from $50-100K isn’t an easy feat even when times are good. Even if the owner wasn’t angry with how it was broached and pursued.

Pity for the sport and for everyone who used and profited from those events. Maybe when PFEE officially dissolves (what is the point to carrying on if they lost the land lease) USEA will step up and buy, build and maintain a dedicated venue in Region II.

Put their money directly on the line and no longer have to deal with private landowners.

USEA won’t be able to afford buying adequate land in a location like this, as well as building and maintaining it. Just my opinion.

They’ll need to get sponsors and donations from wealthy private individuals, who have great interest in the sport (maybe because of stuff like a family history with respect to go hunting, land conservation, etc etc)… and then THOSE funds will then be able to be utilized to purchase land and build a venue like this.

But good luck convincing sponsors and wealthy private people with that sort of family history to contributing to something like this… after the way everyone involved with Plantation Field was just treated.

[TheMoo]

@ake987

Oh, please. I’m a member of a generation you painted with a broad brush and blamed for the loss of the event. Which is asinine. There were plenty of people of all ages involved in and responsible for this debacle.

So take up the mantle for your generation. That’s not on me that’s on you. Regardless, EN lacked diplomacy.

[MorganSercu]

@Virginia Horse Mom

USEA won’t be able to afford buying adequate land in a location like this, as well as building and maintaining it. Just my opinion.

They’ll need to get sponsors and donations from wealthy private individuals, who have great interest in the sport (maybe because of stuff like a family history with respect to go hunting, land conservation, etc etc)… and then THOSE funds will then be able to be utilized to purchase land and build a venue like this.

But good luck convincing sponsors and wealthy private people with that sort of family history to contributing to something like this… after the way everyone involved with Plantation Field was just treated.

I suspected as much. So after this debacle they will have to go around, hat-in-hand, and work harder still to retain the venues they still have and try to find a new one. Or at least retain the current ones.

Imagine Morven Park deciding to quit while they’re ahead. Before EN researches their history and insists on a new name. Now. Hang the expense - it’s just (your) money!

I bet there will be emergency BOD meetings being called all over the place in the next few months.

”‹”‹”‹

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

@MorganSercu

I suspected as much. So after this debacle they will have to go around, hat-in-hand, and work harder still to retain the venues they still have and try to find a new one. Or at least retain the current ones.

Imagine Morven Park deciding to quit while they’re ahead. Before EN researches their history and insists on a new name. Now. Hang the expense - it’s just (your) money!

I bet there will be emergency BOD meetings being called all over the place in the next few months.

”‹”‹”‹

Morven Park is totally safe from cancel culture. Lots of powerful people with politics that are different than that of Mr. Glaccum and Mr. Walker love Morven Park and are local to it. And guess what… all these local, wealthy elitist white equestrians… who also happen to be liberal… they all just love competing at their “historic” venue. Their local history is important to them. As is having access to such a beautiful top notch venue in their own backyard

So… they will make sure “cancel culture” never touches Morven Park. One way or another. You can take that to the bank, IMO.

I find the whole thing BEYOND ridiculous and ironic and infuriating. In case everyone following this thread hadn’t noticed yet.

[ake987]

@TheMoo

So take up the mantle for your generation. That’s not on me that’s on you. Regardless, EN lacked diplomacy.

It’s on me to disprove your outdated and overplayed characterization of a generation? Okay. Thanks for clearing that up.

[TheMoo]

@ake987

It’s on me to disprove your outdated and overplayed characterization of a generation? Okay. Thanks for clearing that up.

I was speaking about the staff at EN and the people leaving comments on social media. Why are you picking this fight? Every generation deals with gross generalizations. Your’s seems to be the only one to act like it’s new. Do you disagree that EN lacked diplomacy? Or do you want to stay off topic?

[Equibrit]

“Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to follow you.”
RBG.