Eventing Nation booted from covering Event in Unionville, PA

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

Oh please. I’m in my early 40’s and have many 20 something year old friends irl who ride. And have two kids… one of whom is in middle school.

I’m hardly a millennial… but I have not yet hit the stage of life where I am hobbling around all grumpy calling people “whipper snappers.”

And for the record, every single one of my 20 something year old friends in real life who ride (some of whom compete very seriously) are profoundly upset over the loss of Plantation Field, and feel EN went way too far and anyone supporting it is a person with an activist agenda who doesn’t live and compete regularly in this area.

But hey - folks can label my posts the ramblings of a geriatric closet racist if you want :winkgrin:

And as for the back and forth between myself and a few other posters, and some particular twitter users, who have truly funny names… there were one or two jokes about their names and related snarky comments on this thread for sure. There are certainly some jokes about COTH forum posters on Twitter right now, calling us a bunch of “Karen’s” and plenty of related snark. I doubt either side is too upset over it. I’m pretty sure “pink haired nihilist“ and I actually are both laughing more than anything… Good for her. However, one particular twitter user is apparently busy attempting to publicly “out” COTH forum users, and tied me to someone who is not me… and I decided to crack a joke about that too (and make sure people know I am not Wanda… whoever she is).

Outing people like that on public social media is actually pretty hostile. Some of the people they outed were not even involved in the joking about the Twitter user names. I was though But they tied the wrong name to me.

And yes… some of the twitter users involved in this little sidebar nonsense do seem to have nose piercings. Which is fine. Good for them. But since they are calling everyone old racists… I think joking about their nose rings is fair game. :yes:

[ladyj79]

I am a millennial :lol:

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

@ladyj79

I am a millennial :lol:

Well for goodness sakes then… get yourself right off the COTH forums you whippersnapper, put back in your nose ring, and head on over to Twitter to chat with your people and be part of the revolution! Apparently you guys are going to take down the old oppressors in American Eventing, one racist old person at a time! Or something like that :rolleyes: At least that’s seems to be the general gist of their dialogue… but twitter users don’t always speak in complete sentences, which I find really challenging, so I might be misunderstanding what it is they are saying.

I don’t use twitter all that much. Because I have a tendency to be wordy.

[FitzE]

@Virginia Horse Mom

But hey - folks can label my posts the ramblings of a geriatric closet racist if you want :winkgrin:

Don’t know if you’re referring to something on twitter (b/c I am not on twitter and know almost nothing about it), but I never referenced race even once, only age.

[ladyj79]

@Virginia Horse Mom

Well for goodness sakes then… get yourself right off the COTH forums you whippersnapper, put back in your nose ring, and head on over to Twitter to chat with your people and be part of the revolution! Apparently you guys are going to take down the old oppressors in American Eventing, one racist old person at a time! Or something like that :rolleyes: At least that’s seems to be the general gist of their dialogue… but twitter users don’t always speak in complete sentences, which I find really challenging, so I might be misunderstanding what it is they are saying.

I don’t use twitter all that much. Because I have a tendency to be wordy.

I dont use Twitter at all because it’s a cesspool and an echo chamber that sad people are confusing for reality. It is not.

Also millenials are turning 40 now :lol:

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

@FitzE

Don’t know if you’re referring to something on twitter (b/c I am not on twitter and know almost nothing about it), but I never referenced race even once, only age.

Yes… I’m referring to what they are talking about on twitter. The people on twitter are labeling many many people in eventing, not just a few here posting on this thread… many many people are being called racists.

Upper level eventing names across the board are all being called racists. Anyone who said anything publicly about Plantation Field that wasn’t supportive of the crusade to change it’s name? Well, those people are all now being called RACISTS.

It’s ok… if you don’t actually see some of the commentary going on right now on twitter… you might not be aware.

But yeah… it’s a bit specific. They aren’t worried about what we are posting on these forums, and their feelings don’t seem to be hurt by any of the posts here. That’s not the impression I get at all.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

@ladyj79

I dont use Twitter at all because it’s a cesspool and an echo chamber that sad people are confusing for reality. It is not.

Also millenials are turning 40 now :lol:

Really? I’m technically on the border then between generation X, and a millennial. Someone posted a great meme about this a while ago on this thread.

I wonder if I still look young enough in real life to get away with randomly starting to self identify as a millennial. Just for $hits and giggles… :lol:

[FitzE]

@Virginia Horse Mom

Yes… I’m referring to what they are talking about on twitter. The people on twitter are labeling many many people in eventing, not just a few here posting on this thread… many many people are being called racists.

Upper level eventing names across the board are all being called racists. Anyone who said anything publicly about Plantation Field that wasn’t supportive of the crusade to change it’s name? Well, those people are all now being called RACISTS.

It’s ok… if you don’t actually see some of the commentary going on right now on twitter… you might not be aware.

But yeah… it’s a bit specific. They aren’t worried about what we are posting on these forums, and their feelings don’t seem to be hurt by any of the posts here. That’s not the impression I get at all.

That’s honestly a shame. I’m sorry to hear that.

I’m hoping the posters on here, regardless of age, can lead by example and get this back to an open and inclusive conversation where all sides feel free to weigh in, no groups are demonized or painted with broad strokes (and I mean all sides: no painting all young people as ill-informed and disrespectful, no painting the other side as racist, etc.), name calling is rejected, and the goal is positive change that shows our sport and its fans at its best and helps us keep our long-term participants and attract new ones. Let’s show the collaborative, nuanced, and diplomatic approach that seems to have been missed in the Plantation name change debacle.

And if that venue is gone, so be it. If millennials are turning 40, I bet some of them are about to do what Mr. Walker did many years ago: inherit wealth and land from their families and become custodians of beautiful places that might someday host a major event. Let’s make those new friends while we work to keep the old.

[Sandman]

Things that strike me as very odd about this: Why does Glaccum say changing the name would be an insult to the landowner’s family when the historic name of the property was Logan’s Field, not Plantation Field? According to him in 2016, he suggested Plantation Field as the name
of the event 20 years ago because he thought Logan’s Field “just didn’t fit.” That seems like a fairly flimsy reason to change a name, but the landowner agreed to it then. If history is so important here, let’s call it Logan’s Field Horse Trials and get on with things!

Second, why on Earth did the board, with all it invested in improving the property, not have a lease that protected them from being kicked off immediately?

Third, this Work to Ride thing. Glaccum mentioned it in his press release and it has taken a life of its own since there, as of Plantation Field is a major supporter of this organization.

@Virginia Horse Mom

I find it sad that neither the NYT or even the Philadelphia Inquirer made note of the actual story behind the property name, nor any of the philanthropic causes Mr. Walker’s family has been associated with for decades… not did the Philadelphia Inquirer even mention the relationship between the event, and fundraising for Work to Ride.

Do you know what the relationship between the event and fundraising for Work to Ride is? As far as I can tell, Work to Ride was a beneficiary of the CIC in ONE of the 12 years it has been in existence, or the 20 years Plantation has been running. Nice, but worth a mention in the NYT, particularly as some kind of mitigation against allegations of a racist name?

Last, as someone who once was Facebook “friends” with Glaccum: No amount of asking nicely would have changed his mind on this topic. A person can be a founding supporter of the sport of eventing and a bigot at the same time. This man proudly, repeatedly, posted “O’bama” birthed conspiracies, the plight of the Irish indentured servants as being far worse than that of African slaves, of how Muslims are trying to obliterate all Western countries and cultures, and criticism of the removal of Confederate monuments. Changing a name he picked to make people of color feel more welcome goes against everything he posted on social media.

[FitzE]

@Sandman

Last, as someone who once was Facebook “friends” with Glaccum: No amount of asking nicely would have changed his mind on this topic. A person can be a founding supporter of the sport of eventing and a bigot at the same time. This man proudly, repeatedly, posted “O’bama” birthed conspiracies, the plight of the Irish indentured servants as being far worse than that of African slaves, of how Muslims are trying to obliterate all Western countries and cultures, and criticism of the removal of Confederate monuments. Changing a name he picked to make people of color feel more welcome goes against everything he posted on social media.

After my post wishing the LO had used this moment to make a positive change and highlight/celebrate his family even more, a couple friends local to the area contacted me to note the same thing about both men, along with other (publicly known, not gossip) news related to the LO and his local reputation and activities. I hear the LO’s FB page was…eye opening, to say the least, which is why it quickly went private.

That’s why I think it’s all a shame and such a missed opportunity all around. I guess I was wrong. This LO was never going to take the Dolly route to solving this problem. That’s really a shame, but if it’s so, it’s so and good to know, I guess. [Note: posters here have both contended that he couldn’t b/c he doesn’t have “deep pockets” like Dolly, but also that he’s a “multimillionaire” and “multigenerational landowner”, etc., so that point seems to go both ways.]

Let’s use this lesson to (i) make other LO’s feel appreciated for their generous support ,and (ii) work to cultivate some new LOs to come on board. Someone is already considering it (see the spinoff thread) so let’s find those people and throw support behind them!

ETA: if they’ve been over representing their support for Work to Ride, that’s rubbish. I hope someone can clear that up and that it’s not true.

[2bayboys]

@Sandman

Last, as someone who once was Facebook “friends” with Glaccum: No amount of asking nicely would have changed his mind on this topic. A person can be a founding supporter of the sport of eventing and a bigot at the same time. This man proudly, repeatedly, posted “O’bama” birthed conspiracies, the plight of the Irish indentured servants as being far worse than that of African slaves, of how Muslims are trying to obliterate all Western countries and cultures, and criticism of the removal of Confederate monuments. Changing a name he picked to make people of color feel more welcome goes against everything he posted on social media.

So if this is true about Glaccum and the landowner, then surely a truly woke individual would not want U.S. Eventing to have any involvement whatsoever with these two individuals, regardless of the name of the event. Am I understanding this correctly? It’s OK to rely on the beneficence of racists to sustain the sport as long as the name of the competition is not offensive?

For those who feel strongly about changing the name, I suggest digging a little deeper into your commitment to effect fundamental change.

[2bayboys]

@Sandman

Things that strike me as very odd about this: Why does Glaccum say changing the name would be an insult to the landowner’s family when the historic name of the property was Logan’s Field, not Plantation Field? According to him in 2016, he suggested Plantation Field as the name
of the event 20 years ago because he thought Logan’s Field “just didn’t fit.” That seems like a fairly flimsy reason to change a name, but the landowner agreed to it then. If history is so important here, let’s call it Logan’s Field Horse Trials and get on with things!

Second, why on Earth did the board, with all it invested in improving the property, not have a lease that protected them from being kicked off immediately?

Third, this Work to Ride thing. Glaccum mentioned it in his press release and it has taken a life of its own since there, as of Plantation Field is a major supporter of this organization.

Do you know what the relationship between the event and fundraising for Work to Ride is? As far as I can tell, Work to Ride was a beneficiary of the CIC in ONE of the 12 years it has been in existence, or the 20 years Plantation has been running. Nice, but worth a mention in the NYT, particularly as some kind of mitigation against allegations of a racist name?

Last, as someone who once was Facebook “friends” with Glaccum: No amount of asking nicely would have changed his mind on this topic. A person can be a founding supporter of the sport of eventing and a bigot at the same time. This man proudly, repeatedly, posted “O’bama” birthed conspiracies, the plight of the Irish indentured servants as being far worse than that of African slaves, of how Muslims are trying to obliterate all Western countries and cultures, and criticism of the removal of Confederate monuments. Changing a name he picked to make people of color feel more welcome goes against everything he posted on social media.

So if this is true about Glaccum and the landowner, then surely a truly woke individual would not want U.S. Eventing to have any involvement whatsoever with these two individuals, regardless of the name of the event. Am I understanding this correctly? It’s OK to rely on the beneficence of racists to sustain the sport as long as the name of the competition is not offensive?

For those who feel strongly about changing the name, I suggest digging a little deeper into your commitment to effect fundamental change.

[trubandloki]

@OverandOnward

Not because he didn’t agree with what was being asked. But because he handled it so terribly.

Unless there is some backstory compelling reason that hasn’t yet been aired, in my opinion throwing away so much investment and work by others was reprehensible. He had a moral obligation to either ease out of the situation, or manage it more considerately, after having permitted so many people to pour their work, time and money into the event on his property.

This is how this post reads to me - Land Owners do not ever let eventers use your land because once you do, no matter how they treat you or your land you better not ask them to leave because darn you they put work into your land so now you are morally evil for not letting them stay as long as they want to.

[ladyj79]

@2bayboys

So if this is true about Glaccum and the landowner, then surely a truly woke individual would not want U.S. Eventing to have any involvement whatsoever with these two individuals, regardless of the name of the event. Am I understanding this correctly? It’s OK to rely on the beneficence of racists to sustain the sport as long as the name of the competition is not offensive?

For those who feel strongly about changing the name, I suggest digging a little deeper into your commitment to effect fundamental change.

:love-struck::love-struck::love-struck::applause::applause::applause:

[MorganSercu]

@OverandOnward

To be clear again - I am not discussing those people.

It’s everyone who gave a part of their lives to building, maintaining and competing at that event. Including and especially Denis Glaccum. They did not deserve to have it all thrown away in a hissy fit. Its clear from his statement that Cuyler Walker had no regard or consideration for all that they had put into that event, because he was mad at a situation that none of them created. As best we know so far, it seems that the pressure was definitely not from DG or his helpers/supporters. Cuyler Walker doesn’t seem to have cared who was involved, or what was just and fair for all that work and investment.

Using that logic, Mr. Walker should also have written a will that would leave the land to PFEE in the event of his untimely demise.

It is his land. It has been for generations. Contracts spell out the responsibilities of both parties and most have clauses that spell out how the contract can be brought to an early end. He doesn’t “owe” the volunteers, PFEE, USEA or the competitors a thing.

He did state that he would stay away from the event in order to not be a distraction and help PFEE remove their equipment after it was over. He certainly didn’t have to do that, either.

One of the BOD wrote a comment about the tone and frequency of Ms. Wylie’s writings since June. She states they can’t be released legally. As the BOD of PFEE also stood to lose this venue and knew the magnitude of the loss - literally and viscerally - her comments carry a lot of weight with me. Remember that Mr. Glaccum may have been in receipt of the first letter and it may even have solely been addressed to him - but he was a board member. He couldn’t unilaterally make any changes or decisions without the board. Mr. Walker was also on that board so was privy to all the discussions. Whatever and however it was said or written by USEA, USEF and EN went too far.

Again, he doesn’t “owe” anyone anything regarding his property. Just the taxes to the county and state.

[Horsegirl_s_Mom]

@2bayboys

So if this is true about Glaccum and the landowner, then surely a truly woke individual would not want U.S. Eventing to have any involvement whatsoever with these two individuals, regardless of the name of the event. Am I understanding this correctly? It’s OK to rely on the beneficence of racists to sustain the sport as long as the name of the competition is not offensive?

For those who feel strongly about changing the name, I suggest digging a little deeper into your commitment to effect fundamental change.

Perhaps the USEA should review the party affiliations of all its landowners and benefactors and terminate any arrangements with Trump supporters. Surely, anyone who believes the word “plantation” is racist also believes that supporting Trump is racist, so shouldn’t USEA disavow such individuals?

[merrygoround]

@Horsegirl's Mom

Perhaps the USEA should review the party affiliations of all its landowners and benefactors and terminate any arrangements with Trump supporters. Surely, anyone who believes the word “plantation” is racist also believes that supporting Trump is racist, so shouldn’t USEA disavow such individuals?

As far as I can see, the whole business is ridiculous.

It is in the same vein as the field hunter individual having a hissy fit over the named color the shade of gray in her hunt’s jackets. And perhaps Southerners feel that Unionville should change its name , etc, etc, etc.:sigh::sigh:

[Sparrowette]

@Virginia Horse Mom

…

As for booting EN from venues… I wholeheartedly agree. I think leadership with the governing bodies should have stepped in before this blew up though, and communicated clearly that it was NOT ok for EN to harass organizers or the land owner. Not if they want to continue being treated as a media outlet with press credentials, and given access to recognized competitions.

Preface: I am not an eventer, but if I were younger, I think I would have loved it! AND, I’m still trying to catch up with a thread that really, really started without me. I know this post is pages old. If some one has made this point already, please forgive…

That said - EN is supposedly a print/online media reporting entity. That means their JOB is to REPORT THE NEWS, NOT CREATE THE NEWS.

If creating the news is what EN wants to do moving forward, it would be within a venue’s rights to deny EN access. Because who knows what they would come up with next?

[ACMEeventing]

@Horsegirl's Mom

The more accurate analogy would be this: I let you park a trailer on my land and you make it a wonderful place and live there for 20 years. Then one day you say to me, “I don’t like the design of the yard anymore. I’ve come up with a landscape plan to add gardens, terraces, and a stream and you need to get it done asap… or else I’ll go around and tell all the neighbors and the local paper what a rotten landlord you are.” I’m pretty sure most landlords would say, “If you’re no longer satisfied with this place the way it’s been for the last 20 years, time for you to move your trailer somewhere else.”

Yep

[Equibrit]

@OverandOnward

Just for the record, in Chester County, Cuyler Walker has lived a life that has been anything but obscure. He is a very well-known fixture in government, politics and civic activities in that area.

Worked for the US Attorney General and the UN.