Because of a dislike of the sport of eventing in general, or because of an opinion on this specific situation?
Idle curiosity on my part.
1 Like
That article was written in 2017.
2 Likes
There was a comment buried deep in the announcement of the loss of the lease post (I think) on fb stating that the starter trials would still take place.
I stand corrected. Thank you!
1 Like
Just huh. What??? The LO is now part of systematic racism because he is a LO? Well damn, I own land. I know a lot of people who own landā¦ my parents, friends, family, strangers, and If I donāt want people on my land, itās systematic racism. Damn, thanks for enlightening me. They should have told me when I signed my land contractā¦ Iām calling my realtor and complaining.
20 Likes
I was told the unrecognized event end of October is going to run. Letās hope that some of them will run next year too.
6 Likes
I would agree with you if this was some noble lord swatting at the serfs and peasants toiling on his estate. Except itās not. What youāre asserting is that because you do not like who he is - he should not have the same rights as you.
So - heās not engaging in classism or racism. You are.
Whether the rich white people on this forum agree with it or not - a landowner has the same property rights as you do with your home. People do not have the right to barge into your home. You are not required to allow strangers to trample through your home and yard. They cannot raid your fridge, drink your beer, or hang out on your couch. You have rights to your property. If people violate those rights, you can have them charged with trespassing.
This is actually a thing. Look it up.
What you can do, should you choose, is invite people into your home. And establish a few rules. If people do not respect the boundaries you have outlined, you have every right to kick them out of your home - no matter how much they grumble that youāre a racist or classist or what have you.
What youāre doing is asserting that this landowner should not be permitted to exercise any rights. That he should open himself up to whatever treatment anyone metes out. Despite the fact that he, for decades, has opened up his land - without regard to race, sex, or other criteria. Heās opened it to one and all. He was being generous, because frankly itās a big headache to take on that kind of thing, sit on boards, fundraise, and do all the unpaid work involved in making these big events happen. I can see from many of the comments that many of you have no experience in taking on big projects with nonprofits. It is a lot of hard work, usually unpaid, and thankless. People who step up to fill these roles are to be lauded, not accused of racism. Without such people - none of you would be eventing. Not one person.
So - the landowner takes all this on. Yes, itās a headache, it opens him up to liability, but itās for a good cause his family always supported, itās good for the community, itās good for the local economy, so itās worth doing the work.
It goes well for a number of years until some emotionally disturbed activist decides to go after him and his family - in a time where rhetoric has taken on such a heated tone that people are being dragged out of their homes and beaten, precincts are being set on fire, and innocent people are being murdered.
He says - no way - I do not want to be dragged in to any of that. This is my home, my land, and Iāve done nothing wrong. Iāve opened up my land and been generous, Iāve done the work for free, Iāve made sacrifices for my community and I donāt deserve this mistreatment. Iād like the guests to leave.
When people abuse hospitality, theyāre abusing it. There are consequences to behaving badly. The landowner does not owe you anything. By grumbling that heās being a jerk or by hurling an unsupported accusation of āsystemic racismā, you sound like you have Touretteās.
If you think that is āsystemic racismā - you have never seen or worse, experienced, real discrimination.
Itās just a very curious argument. āhe should let us treat him however we want and call him bad names and threaten him and also tear up his land and if he doesnāt heās a big jerk and weāre going to start a smear campaign against him and drag his name through the mud in the press.ā
Iām just throwing this out as not the best way to gain or retain landowners for your sport. Or sponsors, or pretty much anyone else. Itās the childish, entitled tantrum of a child.
29 Likes
Bravo!
13 Likes
:love-struck::love-struck::love-struck::love-struck::love-struck::love-struck::love-struck::applause::applause::applause::applause:
11 Likes
For the folks who are of the opinion that the property owner might simply have been fatigued given any number of headaches that are no doubt part of owning property where competitions like this are regularly hosted, OR, perhaps fatigued from interactions with different challenging personalities involved in this story and the event itself, and thus, quite possibly on some level then he theoretically latched onto a reason to just end the lease, as this contentious situation played outā¦
The Hunt Magazine did a profile of the Plantation Field, the Glaccumās, and day down with them and Cuyler Walker and did interviews and got quotes from everyone. The piece was published in the August 2020 edition of the magazine, and obviously was a publicity effort in the lead up to September. The writer was someone named Michael Bradley.
Regardless of the likelihood that this piece was a concerted publicity effort in the lead up to the competitionā¦ I think itās an interesting, pleasant short read. Itās also noteworthy to think about the timingā¦ it was published in the August edition, so likely the interviews happened in July.
To me, personally, it does not seem like the property owner had any intention of canceling the lease at that time. And from the quotes he gave as part of this piece, he seems to have had a strong relationship with the Glaccums.
Anywayā¦ here it is.
How Bambi and Denis Glaccum Transformed Unionvilleās Plantation Field
Michael Bradley
From cattle grazing to horse racing, Plantation Field is the work of one remarkable couple.
Photos by Jim Graham.
Denis Glaccum was just 19 when he received an invitation that changed his life. It was 1960, and heād been riding horses with the Junior Essex Troop, a New Jersey-based cavalry auxiliary started eight years earlier by a chapter of the stateās national guard. His family was paying $75 a year for the privilegeāreal money in those daysāand Glaccum was pretty good.
In fact, he was so good that he received an invitation to the U.S. Olympic Trials in California. He was just a kid, and he wasnāt able to overcome the talents of more experienced, accomplished riders. But it was a great experience. āThat invitation got me more education and training,āĀ Glaccum recalls. After the trials, he found work teaching children to ride horses. āI didnāt know a lot about numbers, but I could teach four kids to ride for $6 an hour,āĀ he says.
While Glaccum taught, he also rodeālonger than anyone else in U.S. history, from 1956 to 2012. After surgery to remove an aneurysm in 2013 cost him his sight in one eye, Glaccum had to stop. Otherwise, he might still be competing now at age 79.
Glaccum and his wife, Bambi, operate Plantation Field Equestrian Events in Unionville, a 300-acre site that hosts competitions drawing some of the nationās top riders. āFifty-one people whoāve ridden here have competed in the Olympics, world championships or Pan American Games,āĀ says Glaccum. āThat makes riding here like skiing in Vail, Colorado.āĀ
In the area since 2001, the Glaccums also ran Fair Hill Equestrian in Maryland for 15 years. During their time at Plantation Field, theyāve made substantial improvements to the competition, training and stabling areas, not to mention the infrastructure of the place. Running water and electricity may not seem like a big deal to some, but to add those amenities to what was basically a hayfield is quite an accomplishment. And the sportās best competitors have noticed. āItās the near highest quality venue in the sport,āĀ says Cuyler Walker, who owns the Plantation Field property and is also on the board. āWe attract the top riders, who use it to prepare for the Olympics and other major events.āĀ
Denis Glaccum mightāve spent the majority of his professional career working for IBM, had he not received a call from a member of the Maryland equestrian community back in late 1980s. In 1976, he and Bambi started what would eventually become the Pennsylvania-based Chesterland Three-Day Event, which lasted 12 years. By 1989, he was balancing riding with his business career when he headed to Elkton, Md., to help build an equestrian hub on a nature preserve at Fair Hill. The 7,600-acre tract of land was owned by William du Pont Jr., who used it for fox hunting and steeplechase riding.
At the end of 1997, the Glaccumsā relationship with management at Fair Hill was āless than ideal,āĀ so Denis and Bambi moved back north. They spent a few years looking for the right opportunity before connecting with Cuyler Walker, who owned land that had been in his family for more than century. Walkerās family had used it for a variety of purposes, even renting it to the Texas-based King Ranch for cattle grazing. In 2001, they started work on the site of what would become Plantation Field, taking the name from the hedges planted around the property. āDenis figured out how to turn it into an equestrian venue,āĀ says Walker.
Often in concert with renowned designer Michael Etherington-Smith, the Glaccums have created a top-flight course with excellent terrain and a challenging layout. They and their staff run competitions in April, May and June, along with a series of summer events for less accomplished participants. Each September, Plantation Field hosts an international event that brings in riders from all over. āMost of it is due to Denisā incredible vision,āĀ Walker says. āHe saw how a hayfield, with its peaks and valleys, could have a course run through it. And he laid it out so that it would be easily watchable for spectators from one place. They can see just about everything without moving around.āĀ
And thereās plenty to see, even beyond the first-rate riders. Admission is often free, although the last day of three-day eventing competition usually costs about $20 a carload. Though the horses are certainly worth that reasonable rate, the tailgating scene is almost as entertaining. There are usually themes to the various weekends, and judges preside over revelersā attempts to be awarded best in show. Even better is that most of the action can be viewed from the tailgating perch, meaning spectators donāt have to abandon their parties to see whatās happening.
[IMG2=JSON]{ādata-alignā:ānoneā,ādata-sizeā:āfullā,āsrcā:"https://thehuntmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2020/06/horse-trials-plantation-field-1024x683.jpg)
This past September, Plantation Field began a new annual tradition, honoring an equestrian legend at the international event. The first to be recognized was Bruce Davidson, who runs Chesterland Farm in Unionville, which stages events and offers training. Davidson is best known for his competitive career. Heās won two Olympic gold medals, five world championships and was named to the U.S. Eventing Associationās Hall of Fame. Future honorees will come from a list of talented local riders whoāve participated in a variety of international competitions.
The Glaccums are constantly trying to improve the experience at Plantation Field. āDenis knows all the moving parts of the sport. He knows horses intuitively, and he knows what horses need,āĀ says Walker. āHeās always out there on the tractor and knows every blade of grass and thorn or thistle.āĀ
Bambi may not get the attention her husband does, but her efforts behind the scenes are also vital to Plantation Fieldās success. She handles much of the administrative and back-office work. Perhaps most importantly, sheās capable of operating successfully given her husbandās eccentricities. āDenis is a handful, and Bambi is an angel,āĀ Walker says.
For the folks who are of the opinion that the property owner might simply have been fatigued given any number of headaches that are no doubt part of owning property where competitions like this are regularly hosted, OR, perhaps fatigued from interactions with different challenging personalities involved in this story and the event itself, and thus, quite possibly on some level then he theoretically latched onto a reason to just end the lease, as this contentious situation played outā¦
The Hunt Magazine did a profile of the Plantation Field, the Glaccums, and sat down with them and Cuyler Walker and did interviews and got quotes from everyone. The piece was published in the August 2020 edition of the magazine, and obviously was a publicity effort in the lead up to September. Regardless of the likelihood that this piece was a concerted publicity effort prior to the competitionā¦ I think itās an interesting, pleasant short read. Itās also noteworthy to think about the timingā¦ it was published in the August edition, so likely the interviews happened in July.
To me, personally, it does not seem like the property owner had any intention of canceling the lease at that time. And from the quotes he gave as part of this piece, he seems to have had a strong relationship with the Glaccums.
Anywayā¦ here it is. If you look at the original online, it includes some photos and Iām sure it looked REALLY nice in print in the magazine. I just included the text on this forum post.
How Bambi and Denis Glaccum Transformed Unionvilleās Plantation Field
Michael Bradley
From cattle grazing to horse racing, Plantation Field is the work of one remarkable couple.
Denis Glaccum was just 19 when he received an invitation that changed his life. It was 1960, and heād been riding horses with the Junior Essex Troop, a New Jersey-based cavalry auxiliary started eight years earlier by a chapter of the stateās national guard. His family was paying $75 a year for the privilegeāreal money in those daysāand Glaccum was pretty good.
In fact, he was so good that he received an invitation to the U.S. Olympic Trials in California. He was just a kid, and he wasnāt able to overcome the talents of more experienced, accomplished riders. But it was a great experience. āThat invitation got me more education and training,āĀ Glaccum recalls. After the trials, he found work teaching children to ride horses. āI didnāt know a lot about numbers, but I could teach four kids to ride for $6 an hour,āĀ he says.
While Glaccum taught, he also rodeālonger than anyone else in U.S. history, from 1956 to 2012. After surgery to remove an aneurysm in 2013 cost him his sight in one eye, Glaccum had to stop. Otherwise, he might still be competing now at age 79.
Glaccum and his wife, Bambi, operate Plantation Field Equestrian Events in Unionville, a 300-acre site that hosts competitions drawing some of the nationās top riders. āFifty-one people whoāve ridden here have competed in the Olympics, world championships or Pan American Games,āĀ says Glaccum. āThat makes riding here like skiing in Vail, Colorado.āĀ
In the area since 2001, the Glaccums also ran Fair Hill Equestrian in Maryland for 15 years. During their time at Plantation Field, theyāve made substantial improvements to the competition, training and stabling areas, not to mention the infrastructure of the place. Running water and electricity may not seem like a big deal to some, but to add those amenities to what was basically a hayfield is quite an accomplishment. And the sportās best competitors have noticed. āItās the near highest quality venue in the sport,āĀ says Cuyler Walker, who owns the Plantation Field property and is also on the board. āWe attract the top riders, who use it to prepare for the Olympics and other major events.āĀ
Denis Glaccum mightāve spent the majority of his professional career working for IBM, had he not received a call from a member of the Maryland equestrian community back in late 1980s. In 1976, he and Bambi started what would eventually become the Pennsylvania-based Chesterland Three-Day Event, which lasted 12 years. By 1989, he was balancing riding with his business career when he headed to Elkton, Md., to help build an equestrian hub on a nature preserve at Fair Hill. The 7,600-acre tract of land was owned by William du Pont Jr., who used it for fox hunting and steeplechase riding.
At the end of 1997, the Glaccumsā relationship with management at Fair Hill was āless than ideal,āĀ so Denis and Bambi moved back north. They spent a few years looking for the right opportunity before connecting with Cuyler Walker, who owned land that had been in his family for more than century. Walkerās family had used it for a variety of purposes, even renting it to the Texas-based King Ranch for cattle grazing. In 2001, they started work on the site of what would become Plantation Field, taking the name from the hedges planted around the property. āDenis figured out how to turn it into an equestrian venue,āĀ says Walker.
Often in concert with renowned designer Michael Etherington-Smith, the Glaccums have created a top-flight course with excellent terrain and a challenging layout. They and their staff run competitions in April, May and June, along with a series of summer events for less accomplished participants. Each September, Plantation Field hosts an international event that brings in riders from all over. āMost of it is due to Denisā incredible vision,āĀ Walker says. āHe saw how a hayfield, with its peaks and valleys, could have a course run through it. And he laid it out so that it would be easily watchable for spectators from one place. They can see just about everything without moving around.āĀ
And thereās plenty to see, even beyond the first-rate riders. Admission is often free, although the last day of three-day eventing competition usually costs about $20 a carload. Though the horses are certainly worth that reasonable rate, the tailgating scene is almost as entertaining. There are usually themes to the various weekends, and judges preside over revelersā attempts to be awarded best in show. Even better is that most of the action can be viewed from the tailgating perch, meaning spectators donāt have to abandon their parties to see whatās happening.
This past September, Plantation Field began a new annual tradition, honoring an equestrian legend at the international event. The first to be recognized was Bruce Davidson, who runs Chesterland Farm in Unionville, which stages events and offers training. Davidson is best known for his competitive career. Heās won two Olympic gold medals, five world championships and was named to the U.S. Eventing Associationās Hall of Fame. Future honorees will come from a list of talented local riders whoāve participated in a variety of international competitions.
The Glaccums are constantly trying to improve the experience at Plantation Field. āDenis knows all the moving parts of the sport. He knows horses intuitively, and he knows what horses need,āĀ says Walker. āHeās always out there on the tractor and knows every blade of grass and thorn or thistle.āĀ
Bambi may not get the attention her husband does, but her efforts behind the scenes are also vital to Plantation Fieldās success. She handles much of the administrative and back-office work. Perhaps most importantly, sheās capable of operating successfully given her husbandās eccentricities. āDenis is a handful, and Bambi is an angel,āĀ Walker says.
11 Likes
Somewhere along the line, youāve misunderstood (and thus misconstrued) my position.
If you read through the thread, I completely support the landownerās position. In fact, Iāve been quite vocal about it, but perhaps youāre new to this discussion.
My comment about classism was in response to a poster who described a course of action and then deemed the conduct s/he described āracism,ā even though it had nothing to do with race. My point was that the conduct the other poster described was classism at best, not racism.
Iām sorry you spent so much time arguing against a position I did not take.
Somewhere along the line, youāve misunderstood (and thus misconstrued) my position.
If you read through the thread, I completely support the landownerās position. In fact, Iāve been quite vocal about it, but perhaps youāre new to this discussion.
My comment about classism was in response to a poster who described a course of action and then deemed the conduct s/he described āracism,ā even though it had nothing to do with race. My point was that the conduct the other poster described was classism at best, not racism.
Iām sorry you spent so much time arguing against a position I did not take.
Response to Wingstem (my post quoting Wingstemās post was āunapprovedā):
Somewhere along the line, youāve misunderstood (and thus misconstrued) my position.
If you read through the thread, I completely support the landownerās position. In fact, Iāve been quite vocal about it, but perhaps youāre new to this discussion.
My comment about classism was in response to a poster who described a course of action and then deemed the conduct s/he described āracism,ā even though it had nothing to do with race. My point was that the conduct the other poster described was classism at best, not racism.
Iām sorry you spent so much time arguing against a position I did not take.
6 Likes
I was trying to quote the offending post - not yours. I stand by my words and position, but apologize it appeared directed towards you. When something is quoted the text appears at the top of the box and I donāt see the entire thing (to verify Iāve quoted the correct post). Iāll pay more attention next time. (Actually, I hope this is an isolated incident and everyone knows to play nicer in the sandbox from now on)
6 Likes
What if we are thinking too small? I wonder if EN, USEA & USEF thought if they could force a name change through in months that they could then demand changes or concessions from Morven Park and even Leesburg itself. This was supposed to be a slam dunk. No one ever considered that the LO didnāt need or want them so badly that he and the board wouldnāt acquiesce straightaway. None of them believed they couldnāt dictate the terms to him.
Honestly, I strongly suspect Morven Park and renaming Leesburg is their ultimate goal. Its proximity to DC, its history - it would be a big deal.
1 Like
Another thought is that instead of approaching with ideas and rapprochment, Ms. Wylie and her allies behind the scenes went in with only one goal. Change the name. The money it takes to rename a venue is money that could be spent or dedicated to groups with broad and long-lasting community impact. Dedicating some fixed percentage of the gross take to the program based out of Philly from 2021 onward (sorry, brain is elsewhere, I canāt think of the name at the moment) for example. In addition to whatever rotation PFEE had scheduled for donations.
4 Likes
Leesburg isnāt named after Robert E. Lee. The name Lee goes back to the Revolutionary War and Colonial America. The Lee family intermarried into various other families in Virginia, including the Randolph family. Demanding that this townās named be changed would be a demonstration of ones complete ignorance of American history. Not that it stops people. Yes, Robert E. Lee is related to the Lee that the town is named for. The Lee family featured prominently in early America.
You see - - this is an example of ignorant but self important people insisting that a name is offensive, but being completely ignorant of the history or circumstances surrounding a word. (Iām not accusing you of this, only using the townās name as an example of how ignorant people prey on the ignorance of others to fan flames and create controversy where there is none)
An interesting story about Harry āLighthorseā Lee, who made the famous crossing of the Delaware with George Washington. These people have passed into myth and legend, so the crossing is imbued with a bit of mystery and romanticism. In fact, it was miserable. In one contemporary account of the crossing, George Washington is reported to have said to Harry Lee, āMove your fat ass over Harry or youāll swamp the boat.ā George Washington as one of the founding fathers, and George Washington as a crabby man suffering from cold and fighting a war of attrition and he gets ticked that some fat guy is going to topple the boat into the frigid water. Different Georges, but the same George. People are complicated.
Our historical figures had feet of clay. Just like us. What motivated them, how they perceived their world and interacted with it, the challenges they faced, the apparent contradiction in being advocates for freedom, but keeping their fellow man in bondage - these are all part of the human experience and our history. Bad and good. Not sure itās reasonable to judge those people by contemporary standards.
Personally, I like what has been done at many historical sites, including places like Monticello and Colonial Williamsburg. Rather than tearing down, vilifying, and destroying what exists, other voices of the past are being uplifted and added. By recognizing and celebrating those voices, black and white, rich and poor, slave, indentured, and free, we have a more complete understanding of history. Warts and all.
12 Likes
I am well aware that Leesburg was named after Thomas Lee (a distant relative of Robert E. Lee). However, if you look at the history of Leesburg (I posted links earlier in the thread) there is a long history of slavery in the area and that includes Thomas Lee and his descendents.
So I ask again, are we certain this wasnāt supposed to be the easy win and they would then move to insist that the name Morven Park couldnāt be used? Would using Leesburg then be on the list of place names to be banned?
1 Like
@MorganSercu I understood your point and it was apt; this is a conversation based on a misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the word plantation, based on righteous ignorance.
eg
It doesnāt matter that leesburg isnāt named after Robert E. Lee, because they a) donāt know and b) donāt care. The goal is destruction and power. The destruction of language, of knowledge, rewriting the past to control the future.
itās funny because these tactics are so obvious, and so ham-fisted, but so easy to ignore.
The targets ignore because they know the claims are false and believe that truth wins out in the end. they ignore to their peril.
The acolytes ignore because they believe they are aligned with the destroyers, the reformers to their mind, and they will become the new dominant class. They ignore to their peril.
10 Likes
