Actually, Jimmy Williams was never on the SS list since he was dead before they started investigating and they are really only interested in people who pose a current threat to children. USEF put him on the list to send a message.
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I think of Jimmy Williams, George Morris, and Rob Gage as being pretty significant folk in the community. And the first two, in particular, are trainers of trainers. Meaning that there are dozens of professionals who learned what it was to be a professional horseman from them, and more who admired them from afar. (There are other top names that did/do things like drug horses, kill them for money, or cheat clients via improper commissions and sales, and these are problems as well.) I don’t think this means that their students grew up to perpetuate the same - in fact we know that particular students turned away from particular nasty practices - but I do think it’s made it easier for many people to look the other way and harder for people to say, “Um, no, that’s not how this should be.” On all the behaviors I mentioned.
This is why it’s important to me that our industry have a bit of HR training via USEF. SafeSport, to teach about harassment and sexual abuse of minors. But also training about ethics in general - professional ethics with clients, ethics in employment, ethics in showing, ethics in humane treatment of both humans and horses. Too many of our professionals were only taught by one person and his one set of practices and honestly aren’t even aware that the way they do things isn’t the way everyone does them. Or that there are better ways to be, that are also very successful.
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You are incorrect, Jimmy Williams absolutely was on the Safesport and USEF permanently banned lists. He and Rob Gage were both removed after a decision was made not to keep people who are deceased on the lists. I personally saw his name on both lists as have many others on this forum.
100% this.
We have so many clinics to help people be better riders, better horse trainers, to solve horse problems more effectively; so many videos and programs and DVD’s; working student positions; and on and on.
Where are the programs to help young pro’s learn how to run a better business? To help veteran pro’s improve their business, make it more profitable, understand more about acceptable and unacceptable business practices? From efficient management to business ethics. Specific to the horse industry, not just general business courses from a local educational institution (although that would be a good start). This is desperately needed in this industry.
Not just to better manage their business, but also to know the expectations of their students, customers and clients, as many of them do have this background in some form or other.
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I posted the following on the People Attempting to Undermine Safesport thread but wanted to ask it here as well:
”Does anyone know if Diane Carney is still the USHJA Gold Star Clinic Coordinator as she states on her farm website?
https://www.telluridefarm.com/about-diane.html
“If so, is it really appropriate for someone working against USEF and Safesport to be in such a position?”
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This is such a good idea. As a parent, I can’t tell you the number of times fellow parents and I would be shaking our heads and bemoaning how “unprofessional” a trainer’s action was-- not huge major things, but just workaday failures to communicate appropriately or prioritize our interests as clients. Now with more time and experience, I recognize that a lot of these incidents were just because the trainer was young and had just launched her own program, and it is hard and complicated to juggle all the things that trainers must juggle… horses (with all the inherent unpredictability of their behavior and health), riders, parents, veterinarians, farriers, barn staff, other trainers, schedules… yikes, my head is spinning just thinking about it. My daughter’s trainer is/was a darn good horse trainer and teacher, and that is the most important thing, but it probably would have been nice for her and her clients if there were educational resources to help with establishing a well-run program.
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Most GOOD trainers I have worked for have told me (when I was younger obviously) to go to college and major in business if I was hell bent on running my own farm or to get a day job. I think only one person didn’t have a day job and a very successful barn but her Mom started the barn (and had a day job) and she still went to college. She now has her own barn and rides for the US Team.
The thinking that the horse industry is somehow vastly different than any other industry needs to stop. It’s a business and needs to run like one.
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My understanding is that Piper Klemm is teaching an online Equine Business class through St. Lawrence University this summer.
So, so true.
Good business practices would enhance a professional trainer’s own quality of life, and their finances as well.
And would help them avoid becoming the target of an angry student/client/customer who think they have been hard done by, even if that was never the pro’s intention.
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Lawsuits and a new NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/06/sports/equestrian-sexual-abuse-george-morris.html
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Wow, Bill Moroney has a spine after all! Very emphatic condemnation of George’s behavior.
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Not seeing it so much in light of them reigniting Jr Hunter Finals by relocating them 😕
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He’s just trying to distance the USEF from the GM debacle, as they will be involved in these lawsuits or future ones, if/when more victims come forward. You can bet that the USET will also be involved, given their level of support and enablement for GM’s “development program”, before he was relegated to being an angry lawn gnome for hire.
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Interested that the suits were in part instigated by the the pro-George backlash:
… said that part of his decision to come forward was a backlash in the equestrian community to Morris’s ban: Some supporters claimed the boys sought Morris’s sexual attentions to get ahead in the sport — favorite students were lavished with better horses and his training. A number of the sport’s most revered champions furiously defended Morris…
and
The man said that after his identity as one of Morris’s accusers had emerged last year, some people in the sport shunned him at horse shows. “That is revictimization,”
To whoever the second plaintiff is, I salute you. And I hope you find some peace at the end of this long, awful road.
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I’m so disgusted by this, by GM I mean. To think he was raping children then carrying on the next day at shows being worshipped. UGH. Reminds me Cosby. So so glad he was taken down, not soon enough but better late than never.
#ibelieveyou
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Well, the COTH Facebook reactions aren’t disappointing. Only a few isolated GM apologists/supporters and coincidentally, they all appear to be a certain type of individual. :winkgrin:
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To the survivors: I stand with you, behind you, beside you. May justice be swift and uncompromising.
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The Senate unanimously passed a bill this week more than doubling SafeSport’s budget:
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Thank god
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You’re right; I spoke too soon. I see that USEF is named in the suit against George.
Will be interested to see what Diane Carney & Friends have to say.
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