Eventing Nation booted from covering Event in Unionville, PA

B_and_B · October 23, 2020, 1:38pm

Except you quoted me and then wrote that in the same post. I’m done.

endlessclimb · October 23, 2020, 1:38pm

sing:

But we didn’t, we did nothing. At all. And yet we still feel entitled to control the narrative from the back benches.

Which is not going to work going forward, that is what I am uneasy about. I am looking forward and don’t like what I see for this sport. We are falling behind with all our 1990’s PR strategies that are shopworn and are not going to fly in the current environment. You are trying to kill the messengers.

There is a problem here and we have handled it badly, and we have no plan going forward on how to do better next time.

And insulting each other may be entertaining, pretending anecdote=data might be comforting, closing your eyes sticking your fingers in your ears and shouting “LaLaLaLaLa” might lead you to believe that the scary bear is gone away, but these are diversions.

Have some tact. Be patient. Consult with several people. Do not threaten. Give the owner time to think and respond.

Many ideas have been presented here. I do hope the governing bodies, while not in control of individual behavior, have plans to issue guidelines on how to handle this in the future to avoid the scorched earth policy that was presented.

I agree that we need a plan.

I don’t agree that the fact that no one had done anything to date legitimized a ham-handed gruff way of handling it now.

endlessclimb · October 23, 2020, 1:38pm

How privileged you must be to have a landlord who cares about your garbage disposal. And how dare someone who can afford horses take a couch for free off Craigslist - you know, there are disadvantaged people who needed that couch way more than you do.

See how this works?

Equkelly · October 23, 2020, 7:15am

Can we just not be presumptuous about other people’s financial status during a pandemic where millions of people are unemployed and unable to pay their bills? I mean maybe this is just not the time to assume and mock people for having granite counter tops when so many people are trying to figure out how they’re going to pay their board, or rent, or mortgage, or grocery bill.

Blugal · October 23, 2020, 7:15am

White privilege isn’t about money. It’s the absence of racial discrimination.

ladyj79 · October 23, 2020, 1:38pm

:eek::eek::eek::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::uhoh::uhoh::uhoh::uhoh:

Horsegirl_s_Mom · October 23, 2020, 7:15am

This discussion has gone off the rails, with people taking or trying to force others to take absolutist positions. The truth is, race relations raise many complex issues and there are some grey areas where people in good faith might disagree.

I’m sure most people agree that white privilege (or advantage) exists in a generalized sense. Still, in some circumstances it is fair to ask if white privilege is really a meaningful prism through which to view things. Not everything in life can be reduced to skin color.

Similarly, I assume most of us agree that affirmative action can be effective in helping correct for disadvantage or prejudice. That said, there can be problems/issues with it. Malcolm Gladwell has written compellingly (and with data) about problems that ensue when less-qualified students are admitted to programs for which they don’t have the qualifications to be successful.

Regarding words, there are some words I’m sure we all agree should never be uttered. There are other words–like plantation–that are relatively new to the social justice discussion where people’s opinions might differ. These opinions might change over time, just like people’s opinions of gay marriage evolved over about a decade from the majority being against it to the majority favoring it.

The biggest problem is not that people disagree when it comes to the grey areas or new ideas. The problem comes with labeling a person or idea you disagree with “RACIST!!” and thinking that ends the discussion. Or, on the other side, calling someone a “SNOWFLAKE!!”

We need to avoid labels and stick with reasoned discussion. And we need to be intellectually honest (i.e., Gladwell, a mixed-race liberal intellectual, is not “racist” for acknowledging that affirmative action sometimes has the opposite of its intended effect-- he is simply identifying a problem that merits attention).

MorganSercu · October 23, 2020, 7:15am

Funny how it took EN about a year to come up with a diversity scholarship and put it into place, but the same timetable for changing a business name wasn’t acceptable. In addition, the only reason they were able to give out $5400 was because of additional money that came from outside sources. EN’s initial offering was $1000.

"Wylie explained that she was a panelist on the 2019 Tom Bass Seminar at Tryon International Equestrian Center, which was the first ever seminar dedicated to the subject of diversity in equestrian sports. She said that two things really jumped out to her at the seminar. “First, and this seems obvious but I think sometimes it gets lost in the shuffle, is the importance of just shutting up and listening to what minority voices have to say,” she said. Wylie feels, “we need to stop talking over minority voices and give them the microphone instead.”

Secondly, Wylie realized that although conversations were a great place to start, these words were “only as good as our ability to take them out into the world and make them actionable.” Thus, Nation Media started the idea of a Diversity Scholarship and first announced the “1st Annual $1,000 Diversity Scholarship” on June 26."

Djones · October 23, 2020, 1:38pm

MorganSercu:

Funny how it took EN about a year to come up with a diversity scholarship and put it into place, but the same timetable for changing a business name wasn’t acceptable. In addition, the only reason they were able to give out $5400 was because of additional money that came from outside sources. EN’s initial offering was $1000.

"Wylie explained that she was a panelist on the 2019 Tom Bass Seminar at Tryon International Equestrian Center, which was the first ever seminar dedicated to the subject of diversity in equestrian sports. She said that two things really jumped out to her at the seminar. “First, and this seems obvious but I think sometimes it gets lost in the shuffle, is the importance of just shutting up and listening to what minority voices have to say,” she said. Wylie feels, “we need to stop talking over minority voices and give them the microphone instead.”

Secondly, Wylie realized that although conversations were a great place to start, these words were “only as good as our ability to take them out into the world and make them actionable.” Thus, Nation Media started the idea of a Diversity Scholarship and first announced the “1st Annual $1,000 Diversity Scholarship” on June 26."

I cannot say this enough: please listen to Leslie’s podcast eposide on Major League Eventing. Please. I hear a disjointed, jumbled, ill prepared rambling mess. With her take on how she’s approached diversity in the past vs. This past summer. I came away woefully unimpressed by her communication skills, her lack of a strategic mindset, and her overall lack of focus. After countless podcast interviews with riders and trainers, her episode was a turd in a punchbowl.

MorganSercu · October 23, 2020, 1:38pm

Well, then shouldn’t the owner of Eventing Nation (that’s John - right?) be taking a more keen interest in how his business is run and represented?

I am ALL for diversity. I am all for not sweeping ugly facts and ongoing ugliness under rugs. I think what I find so particularly upsetting about this entire episode is how badly it was bungled. That there was a very large stone chucked into a pond and the ripples swamped more than just USEA/EN.

anon6923113 · October 23, 2020, 1:38pm

Yup!

Add to it her lack of sound editorial judgement that already was pointed out.

And before her friends following this thread launch into a shrieking cascade of, “HOW DARE YOU BRING UP HER PAST!!! YOU ARE UNFAIRLY SMEARING AND BULLYING HER!!!”

I suggest you all go look up a NEW vocabulary word… we’ve already covered “plantation” and “defamation”

The new key word is:

OBFUSCATION

obÂ·fusÂ·caÂ·tion
/ËŒÃ¤bfÉ™ËˆskÄSH(É™)n/

noun [LIST=1]

the action of making something obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. "when confronted with sharp questions they resort to obfuscation" [/LIST] Soooo... let’s just STOP with the whole discussion of white privilege, the book “White Fragility”, and the remarkable series of posts over the last several pages which seem to indicate some of you believe that 3 out of every 4 people participating on this thread are racist.

Honestly… it’s gotten absurd. Racist racists everywhere!

If we pause with all this obfuscation for a brief second, it’s quite clear to thinking folks that the truth is that Leslie Wylie and leadership at Eventing Nation have REPEATEDLY shown a predisposition for exercising very poor editorial judgement when they get excited about certain key societal issues, and decide to use their platform, Eventing Nation, to editorialize about these issues. And when they both editorialize, and take on the role of “subject” in their own essays on controversial issues? Well… their lack of sound judgement and journalistic ethics is even MORE notable.

This was the case with her 2017 MeToo essay. The essay contained a portion referring to the writer INTENTIONALLY driving a car off the road one night when they were suffering from despair and feelings of hopelessness. I’m very sorry they went through a dark emotional time like that. I do not bring this up again in an effort to be cruel. But the fact is, the person who wrote that essay was actually involved in a vehicular accident in real life 2012, and that real life, 2 vehicle accident resulted in the death of another person. The details of what caused the real life accident are EERILY similar to what was written about on the 2017 EN essay. The writer of the 2017 essay actually plead guilty in 2013 to involuntary manslaughter. It was a tragic accident… details are a matter of public record. Given all that, who in their right mind involved in something like that, pens and publishes an essay just a few years later that speaks about certain key details, and INTENTIONALLY driving a car off the road and wrecking?!?

Someone with a notable lack of sound editorial judgement… that’s who. I’m sorry… but that is the truth. I understand the writer felt strongly about her own personal life experiences as the MeToo movement became a big issue in our national consciousness. I can relate to that. But passion for an important societal issue overrode basic good judgement when it came to the editorial process with that particular essay. And it’s obvious of you choose to look at it honestly. It does not make me a bully to point that out.

Next up was the incident involving EN publishing the “Anonymous: Don’t Let Anyone Take Your Power” essay in February of 2018. This happened as the topic of SafeSport blended into the MeToo movement to a certain extent in 2018. Again… I bring this up not to challenge the authenticity of what was written in that essay. I don’t know who wrote it, and I don’t know what did or didn’t happen years ago. I bring it up to point out the fact, however, that sound editorial judgement at Eventing Nation went out the window AGAIN when they got passionate about a major societal issue, and our sport. They made a decision to publish a picture with that “anonymous” essay… and the background of the picture, combined with details in the essay led MANY MANY people in the eventing community to confidently conclude who precisely the upper level eventing “hero” was that the essay was essentially accusing of quid pro quo sexual harassment. There was a long discussion thread about it ON THESE FORUMS! Lawyers were hired! This actually was a key reason COTH developed certain policies about not accusing folks by name of a crime in discussion threads if there isn’t actual proof in a public record of some kind to back up these sorts of allegations…

To this day, the upper level person who is widely rumored to have been the subject of that essay… well… he still isn’t on the Safe Sport list. I’m not saying he’s either innocent… or guilty. I just find it notable that he hasn’t landed on the list yet, considering the number of rumors and accusations that circulated about him after that 2018 Eventing Nation essay.

I ALSO find it rather ironic that there was such an outcry on this thread and on Facebook with respect to folks bringing up Leslie’s own past, and what has been mentioned on this thread and in editorials HoDV has published. Accusations of “defamation” have circulated widely. People were outraged that HoDV published an “Anonymous” letter to the editor.

Man oh man… the hypocrisy and irony are BREATHTAKING.

Furthermore, when it comes to people on this forum, or the anonymous letter writer that HoDV published? Well… we’ve all been talking about her actual, public record with respect to that accident, and the essays she’s actually published. And looking at the link between the two, and how shocking and poor the editorial decision making involved in it all obviously is. And it’s been brought up now now because Leslie and EN have “gotten over their skis” AGAIN with an editorial about a really controversial societal issue… this time it’s systemic racism in society though, and they are alleging it’s a problem in the sport of eventing.

Come on, folks. Criticizing Leslie and EN for terrible editorial judgement snd getting way too far out over their skis on a controversial issue and essay like this… That’s not defamation. It’s legit criticism, with pointed evidence that backs up that criticism. This is their 3rd time getting themselves into a MESS because of the way they went about matters when writing an editorial. This time, a property owner of a major eventing venue, someone who has generously donated to the sport… well… he felt unjustly smeared by the EN team. And the venue is gone for good. And many in the sport are outraged.

He’s not the first person to feel they were unjustly smeared by the EN team. Lawyers have been hired by others before. That’s the truth.

There are probably other examples of controversial editorials that EN has run, that any reputable fair minded person with a little bit of background in journalism and journalistic ethics can look at, and go, “WTF were they thinking?!?!”

You guys can keep on obfuscating all you want, and declaring that anyone who points this track record out is “racist” … or guilty of “bullying” survivors of abuse in sport, or “insensitive” to folks who struggle with depression at some point in their lives.

But bluntly… that’s BULL $HIT. I’ve spoken up just as much, if not more, than any other poster on these forums in support of SafeSport. And I have supported folks struggling with depression all my life. Trust me on that or don’t… but that’s the truth.

The reason I have shown a BRIGHT light on this track record with Leslie and EN is that they have made some REALLY TERRIBLE editorial decisions when it comes to trying to write about important issues and tie them to the sport of eventing. Maybe it was a pot stirring, click bait strategy of some sort. Or maybe it was just poor judgement and a lack of professionalism. But we’ve now lost a major venue in area II because of it. And that venue is pretty much irreplaceable. And some people feel as though they’ve been smeared in the pages of the New York Times.

The publication/blog needs to GET IT TOGETHER and get more educated about how to be professional and ethical when publishing editorials like this. The sport doesn’t need more drama, lost venues, and negative publicity.

Obfuscators are going to obfuscate though. So by all means, quote me if you wish, and declare that I am a racist bully of abuse survivors. :rolleyes:

anon6923113 · October 23, 2020, 1:38pm