Someone I know just died yesterday. Tested positive and asymptomatic. 48 hours later-- dead. I sure hope that little scrap of ribbon is worth it for the people who are planning to show soon in my area. I can’t imagine something LESS worth risking one’s life for but, you know, gotta’ get that ribbon.
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I am very sorry about your friend. That is a scary scenario.
We have been hit hit relatively hard with deaths in our county. Sadly COVID got into a nursing home and it’s just been tragic. And mishandled in the beginning.
Our governor just announced that all nursing home residents and workers will be tested. I’m not sure how frequent this will be.
But, you do know it’s not all about a cheap ribbon. There’s much more to the whole industry than that.
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Does it matter? Is his life worth less if he was old? He was in 100% good physical health with no identified risk factors. Got it and died 48 hours later.
Oh boy, here we go again with the “I’m not doing this because it’s my fun hobby… I’m doing this because I care so much about the grooms and jump crew.” I’m sorry, that’s BS. If you can afford to show you can afford to take that money and send it to people who need it and to wait a couple months before showing instead. Nobody will die from not showing for 2 months. If everyone who was going to show at Devon at the end of the month took all the money they would have spent and sent it to all the “little people” at the horse shows-- without any expenses, that would tide those people over for a while.
Nobody is showing for any reason other than because they want to.
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Great post!
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Here Here. And just for context, I’m educated in Public Health but currently work in the industry. I think people are being petty in their desires to horse show vs be concerned for the greater good. IF people are willing to do things more safely (ie haul in one day competitions pay online) then maybe, but I know so many are resistant to any sort of change.
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Of course his life is important no matter the age. Again, I’m very sorry for your loss.
But no, I can’t afford to pay the jump crew, braiders, in gate people, judges, office workers, etc. Those people collectively make their living from horse shows. I only do 6 shows a year. When it is SAFE, horse shows should resume with appropriate precautions.
And before you get a nosebleed from being on your high horse, I chose NOT to go to the show last week because I didn’t think it was a great idea to be having one so soon.
Everyone wants to make it so clear cut. Different areas of the country are at different stages with this. I believe you may be in a hotspot. Other people aren’t. If the state deems it safe, shows should open and follow all the applicable guidance (CDC, USEF, etc.). Then people can decide if they want to show or not.
But goodness gracious, the outright hostility is so uncalled for. No one is saying we should just all go horse show like we used to without a care in the world.
Bless your heart and hope everyone has a great day.
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This. All of it.
vxf is everything REALLY so black and white to you? I suppose so … me, I like to weight the risks vs benefits and make my decision from there. And certainly hope not to vilify those who disagree with me in the process.
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Not black and white but rather life and death.
I can’t even engage with you guys because I don’t have the bandwith for all the BS and strawman arguments today, I’m too upset. Literally. strawman after strawman. Logical fallacy after logical fallacy. We JUST WENT THROUGH THIS YESTERDAY. I’m not going to repeat all the rational explanations from literally 24 hours ago that apparently sail over some folks’ head. Because you are here 24 hours later making the same arguments that all fell apart on closer inspection JUST YESTERDAY ON THIS SAME THREAD,
If you can afford to show you can afford to donate whatever you are spending to show on people who need it. Instead you are willing to risk their lives (and yours) for your hobby,
If you (collectively) want to be selfish, it’s a free country. You have to live with yourselves.
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I feel like I’ve said this in a few COVID related threads but…
People literally will not get it until they are on their deathbed or their dearest loved one is.
A hobby is not more important. I mean if you want to die and potentially infect and/or kill others for the sake of “supporting the industry” well, I guess you are far more dedicated than I. Those of you who go through this pandemic without experiencing the virus first hand by contracting it and/or having to deal with a death or infection of someone you’re close to, are lucky. That doesn’t make the situation any less real, though.
But by all means, push for those horseshows.
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@vxf111 I am so sorry that you’ve lost a friend. I find the question “how old was he?” incredibly insensitive and irrelevant and I think it shows a very strange mindset.
My friend’s two friends that died due to the virus were in their 40’s and 50’s respectively. They were also healthy people. Both of them were fathers.
At what age does a person’s life become unimportant? Just incredible…
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That’s the rudeness that put me over the edge
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They (collectively) don’t believe that they will die. They think only old people will die, because statistically old people are more likely to die.
Apparently the possibility that they could be responsible for asymptomatic transmission of a virus that eventually kills someone else, or someone else’s friend, dear old Dad or Mom, has either not occurred to them or doesn’t trouble them. 
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I can understand why. :yes:
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Well, WEC in Ohio just closed for the rest of 2020 and Chagrin canceled their two week summer show (Cleveland area). Hope that sets the tone for the rest of the area as a whole.
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I sincerely apologize. I certainly did NOT mean the question the way it is being interpreted. The downside of online communication. I am going to edit because the last thing I want to do is offend. ☹ï¸â˜¹ï¸â˜¹ï¸
It was a scary scenario that I have not heard of happening and my reaction was to wonder about the specific circumstances. Now I see how it came across wrong and I truly am sorry.
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And for the record, I set foot in the grocery store for the first time since this all started today. I wore a mask because I don’t want to endanger anyone in case I am an asymptomatic carrier. (As an aside, I saw no customers under 30 with a mask on.) Although I’ve barely left my farm in the last 2 months. Have been to the office a few times because my place of employment is essential manufacturing that has been open the entire time.
My state is opening up and has had had relatively few cases. Not every place is the same. And there are ways to be out and about SAFELY.
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The “we need to show for the jump crews, braiders, grooms, etc” argument doesn’t take into account that many of us do not regularly show at AA rated shows with full time staff and the requirement for braiding. No one braids at the smaller local C rated ship-in shows thrown at the local barn (by the way, I saw in one AA show program (maybe HITS or Saratoga?) that braiding isn’t permitted). Additionally, to my knowledge, many times there is no paid “staff” at those local shows; the jump crews, office staff, ring starters, etc., are volunteers from those particular barns. When the bigger name barns with grooms do show up at those shows, it is rare, and typically a one off point chasing situation.
The folks I’ve talked to want to show because they want to show, not because they want to help out those in need.
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To be clear- they canceled Sep 2020- March 2021, coinciding with their grand opening in Ocala in jan 2021. Yes- they are saying it is Covid response and I believe part of it is.
The shows this summer are outside and slated to go ahead- as of right now.
Living in Texas, which is a state that “reopened for business” early, let me point out that just because our business at all costs Governor reopened the state DOES NOT MEAN THAT we aren’t a hot spot for COVID19, in fact, the rate of infections and death continues to climb in Texas. I fear that people are being given a false since of security by Governors, largely Republicans, who have opened up their states for business, and not in a thoughtful phased manner. Literally in Texas about the only businesses not open for business are massage and tattoo parlors and bars.
Is it safe? What two weeks and we’ll see what the statistics say.
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I live in the DFW area and Texas DOES NOT HAVE RELATIVELY FEW CASES! In fact, Dallas County is a “hot spot” and cases and deaths continue to climb.
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