I want to add a possible explanation for some of the people who looked up to GM over the years in spite of his condescending snarkyness, at least prior to the publication of his tell all book and Safesport sanction. I was one of them until I read his book when it first came out. To be clear: In this case, I am not talking about sexual abuse, I am talking about verbal abuse, bullying and intimidation.
There are those who found a way to get through it and become better riders. some of these individuals think, hey, I could take it, what’s everyone whining about? (I I am strong, everyone else is weak). This part may explain some of the trainers who are so vocal in their support. There is a cachet to “surviving” GM.
Then there are those who have watched GM teach but never been taught by him, thereby not putting themselves in the “line of fire”. Some of those feel superior to those they saw him belittle.
Another group, which includes me, are those who actually rode with him in clinics risking public humiliation which never occurred. Before my first clinic with him, I was warned that I was a likely target with my larger than than pencil thin thighs. I wasn’t overweight but I didn’t have the “equitation” body type. My early years (starting at 6) riding at an eventing based summer camp came in very handy when he decided to teach us a “new” skill and then test us. Fortunately for me, four full summers of riding cross country meant I already knew this particular skill quite well. He gave us a command to execute it and, um, well, I really executed it, to a bit of an extreme. Looking back, I actually should have been criticized for it, as it was not kind to my horse. Instead, I was publicly praised with an added sexist comment for good measure. After that, never a negative word from him. I was not a particularly gifted or talented rider, never went to any of the equitation finals. However, when he judged my class(I never went to any of the big indoor shows either), I never won but as long as I had a good, clean round, I got a ribbon. What I mean is that if there were a group of us all around the same place, I was given the benefit of the doubt.It was subtle but there. Pretty ironic that this experience made me feel superior even though, as I admitted above, I was a middle of the road rider.
That experience made me a huge fan of GM for many years. The very fact that he was so awful to so many people gave those who survived it as well as those who avoided it a sense superiority. We shared GM “war stories”. It wasn’t until the undercurrent of rumors we had all heard for years about GM and others came roaring up into actual allegations, that many, including me, changed our way of thinking.
