LOL. Might be a good place for horses to leave a steaming pile too.
It’s either extreme embellishment on his part or there is something else (money laundering?) going on there if the numbers are correct. Nothing would surprise me anymore. TN has never been able to run a successful business of any sort. When he first took over the “business” from the previous property owners, he was always begging people for money. He stiffed a lot of farriers and feed stores, a former partner and who knows who else. Pissed off a lot of trainers that worked for him and boarders, too (a constant turnover).
A lot of disinformation out there. Take the post below from Robert Dover who insists that George Morris had no knowledge of what was happening and which it makes it sound like GM has been completely railroaded. No wonder everyone is beating on SafeSport.
George has received calls from top professionals from all around the world to show their support. Several saw him out at dinner with Robert and me in Wellington last week and came up to shake his hand and say how sorry they were that he was being put through all this. Many trainers are truly worried that anyone could accuse them of something as well and ruin their career without a burden of undeniable proof being put on the accuser. And now, well over 2 weeks have gone by and it seems that Safe Sport is delaying George’s appeal to try to do anything they can to strengthen whatever weak “legal case” they have, since this will be the first and only time George will ever have had the chance to defend himself as to the accusations, for which he is ready. Every day of delay is a day that wreaks havoc on George’s emotional and physical wellbeing and denies him as well of earning money from teaching and clinics he had agreed to do around the world but were naturally postponed or cancelled pending the outcome of the case. He is 81 years old and this has wrecked his life but I tell him daily how all of you share your amazing support here on social media and he is very grateful. Thank you ALL!
Isn’t this the cornerstone of the horse industry’s issues? Yes, this is how much your horse costs. No, you don’t need a formal contract. Yes, leaving your children with me is a good idea. No, these drugs are fine for the horse and won’t test.
There is no real oversight within the industry and far too many ignorant (or willfully blind) people forking over small fortunes to prop up its (many) offenders.
@bogie
Actually, I agree with Dover that the primary place for the respondent to defend himself is the appeal. I think of the investigation as analogous to the police investigation and DAs indictment all rolled into one.
In the appeal before arbitration, SafeSport is analogous to the prosecution, the respondent is the defendant, and the arbitrator is the judge.
Either side can request a continuance. In RGs case, it was scheduled to go before an arbitrator when SafeSport requested a continuance because another victim had come forward. So no, GM would not be happy with delays requested by SafeSport if other victims have come forward.
I have lost any and all respect for Robert Dover. While I can appreciate supporting your “friend” through a difficult situation like this, his willful ignorance and public disregard for the victims is disgusting.
I see that some of you have access to the names and posting on the ISWG FaceBook Group.
I’m a big fan of using whatever itty-bit of power I have. Usually those are my wallet, my feet and my voice, in descending importance.
Is there a way that I can see a roster of folks who support George? I just want to see who I ought to boycott in the future.
Not, not, not rewarding or subsidizing behavior that is counter to my deeply-held values about protecting the powerless. Not. Yeah, not any of that, not.
Thanks.
ETA: In fact, I can’t tell which of my FB friends are part of that group. I suspect that that is because I’m technologically literate at a 5th grade level. Is there a way that I can tell which groups those folks belong to? I have not seen that crap float across my feed (when there’s room left by the crazy cat groups).
Or perhaps people who feel as I do need to give our pro-George FB Friends a chance to leave? “If you stand with George, I don’t stand with you”? A good friend of mine says that sometimes the trash will take itself out.
I didn’t have much to start with. As far as I’m concerned he elbowed his way onto at least one Olympic team, probably using his connections. This is based on two separate reports from people who happened to be in the show office at the final selection trial.
Not that it matters but I am part of the ISWG page. I am also part of the SS reform group.
Please remember that some people on there don’t support George, they are just watching to see what happens and what people are saying.
No discovery
No right of the accused to have his/her lawyer directly cross examine the claimant
“past conduct informs current fitness” which is pretty much exactly what Fed Rule Civil Procedure 404(b) says is not admissible ("(1) Prohibited Uses. Evidence of a crime, wrong, or other act is not admissible to prove a person’s character in order to show that on a particular occasion the person acted in accordance with the character.").
It’s like a Frankenstein of legal processes. The heart of safesport is in the right place, and we need it, but the process needs improvement.
Originally posted by SmartPak Customer Care
Hi @Texarkana and @dannyboy - SmartPak here! Please know that as a company, we take SafeSport violations very seriously as they are in direct conflict with our mission of healthy horses and happy riders. We want to clear up the confusion regarding our association with Tom Navarro and River Chase Farm, since it’s been mentioned here a couple of times. SmartPak does not currently, nor have we ever, sponsored Tom Navarro or River Chase Farm. We appreciate you drawing our attention to River Chase Farm’s unauthorized use of our logo on their Sponsors page. Having reviewed it, we found that this was seemingly a copied image of an outdated corporate logo that has not been use for several years. We also see that, in any case, the unauthorized logo has now been removed from River Chase Farm’s website. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to our Customer Care Team at 1-800-461-8898 or CustomerCare@SmartPak.com and one of our team members would be happy to help. – the SmartPak Team
Thank you for addressing this! That’s seriously sleazy.
:nonchalance:
The FRE don’t apply to administrative processes. But while you’re looking at the 400 series, you might check out 413 and 414. Two of the permissible uses for propensity evidence. And guess what they’re for? Sexual assault and child molestation.
My point was its a mismash, I’m not sure 413-414 change that.
@Virginia Horse Mom
And the whole special ops/army ranger stuff? Safe Sport will be the LEAST of this guy’s problems if he goes and spouts off about an obviously fabricated/embellished military record to the wrong person.
do you know if he’s ever said anything in print about being a ranger or special ops guy or is that just blowing smoke? If you do, I’d like to see a citation. I know some folks who might be interested…
That’s not all you said. You said FRE 404 doesn’t allow the propensity argument. Except FRE 413 and 414 ALLOW it in cases of sexual assault and molestation—- which are the prior acts at issue in SafeSport hearings. Even in court you’re allowed to argue “once a child molester, always a child molester.” So it’s not a “mishmash” to allow that argument in SS hearings. FRE 404 is the general rule, FRE 413 and 414 turn the general rule around in specific types of cases. You’re arguing that prior bad acts would not be allowed in court but are in SA hearings. Except you are wrong— in these type of cases prior bad acts would be allowed to show propensity.
He was just blowing smoke. He was talking to my husband (who he didn’t realize was a retired Army Colonel). He’s never been in the military; just more BS.
Once again, I will say it is NOT TRUE that the accused does not get to have his/her lawyer directly cross examine the claimant. SafeSport policy states that the witness may be questioned by the arbitrator with questions that are submitted, however, it also states:
Examining witnesses (1) The Responding Party and Reporting Party shall be subject to questioning by only the arbitrator unless the Responding Party or Reporting Party agrees to direct examination and cross-examination by the opposing party.
From experience, witnesses HAVE BEEN QUESTIONED BY OPPOSING PARTY’S ATTORNEY!
He says his family has ties to the USMC and there’s a picture on the farm Instagram of someone in uniform with his name, third of the TNs. It could be him in the 90’s, given the apparent age of the photo, and public information says his father was “TN Jr.”, but his face has aged and changed so much from life that you’d have to make a best guess.