This is my take on it, as well. Sociopathic tendencies. Using the legal system to try to bludgeon people is right in line with that, as well. If this is the reality, this person will not change, and will continue to use the systems and other beings to their advantage.
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A LittleGrayā¦ if you need an attorney please set u Go Fund Me account. I will contribute 100.00 and share to all my friends. I hate Bullies.
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Iāll contribute to your legal fees and testify in court to the abuses Iāve witnessed at the hands of ML and LL.
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Make that $250.00
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Thank you to all of you. We arenāt at that point yet and the forum rules prohibit fundraising except for legitimate charities. I will keep you as in the loop as I can once Iāve secured the right counsel. Weāve been contacted by a couple other former employees and are just taking things one day at a time.
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Raising hand. Count me in.
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I know this thread is about ML, but since weāre discussing behavior and attitudes of some UL riders, these comments from Townend about his warning for excessive use of the whip at Badminton seem equally disturbing.
āI am disappointed,ā said Townend, from Duddleston Heath, near Ellesmere, as he reflected on Saturdayās events. "I am who I am.
"Kentucky last weekend felt fantastic and smooth for me, and I won it.
"I can win prettily and I can win ugly, and that is why I am seven times British No.1 and world No.1 at the minute.
"Of course you are going to get critics, but AP McCoy, Lester Piggott, Conor McGregor, it doesnāt matter who you are in sport.
āIf you are at the top of your game, you are always going to get someone try and trample you.ā
I have not seen the rides in question. But, here is an example of officials doing their job/enforcing rules, and an UL rider basically blowing it off - going so far as to indicate the officials were just out to get him.
Iām not even sure what to say, at this point.
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Thatās sad. I saw one of his rides. He point blank rapid fire nailed the horse with a whip at the end of XC, and this was after some borderline whip usage moments before at a fence. The horse looked tired and was slowing down. The whip didnāt accomplish anything. It honestly looked liked a spoiled child throwing a tantrum.
And no one should be proud of winning āugly.ā
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The Telegraph has a good write-up of Badminton and the whip complaints - and thereās also mention of the Bloody Marilyn situation and how an online campaign has made sponsors drop her.
Jonelle Price wins Badminton amid furor over Oliver Townsendās use of the whip
(Whips, blood, implements in the mouth, all this controversy over what is part of the game. Eventing is sounding very 50 Shades of Grey these days.)
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The grey Townsend was on was by far the worst.
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Uck! Something you would never hear from William Fox Pitt or Michael Jung.
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I find it frustrating that this Marilyn thread is up to 37 pages of people advocating for horse welfare but the Townend thread is what, two pages? I think when people pick what is abuse and what isnāt based on the person involved the horses lose every time.
That would be fine if it were just him, in regards to winning pretty or ugly, but when he is responsible for the welfare and wellbeing of his horses it most definitely is NOT ok. :mad: From HERO to ZERO. Same goes for ML.
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Before or after the last fence? (AFAIK some variation of āthe whip shall not be used after a horse has jumped the last fenceā has been in at least the FEI and USEF rulebooks for a really long time, no judgement call required. Such use is automatic disqualification if the ground jury is playing by the rules.)
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Mark Todd used the whip after the last fence at the London Olympics and nothing was done.
Bloody Marilyn has had bloody mouths over and over again, and nothing is done.
The FEI needs to do a better job of training its ground juries in what constitutes horse abuse. Their current focus now is on the humans, not the horses.
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This is another way of saying a discretionary rule doesnāt work.
A āred and whiteā blood rule is the only solution here, as in SJ and dressage. All blood should require a yellow card.
Yes, an unfortunate few will get caught in this but those few are unlikely to get red-carded for multiple offenses, unlike the Bloody Marilyns and Fifty Shades of Olivers.
One of the most important elements of a good rule is CLARITY. This way, the riders know the parameter and what to expect and the officials know when and how to apply the rule. Discretionary rules lack clarity and IMO, are unfair to all concerned.
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Oh, the GJ knows the rules. They also know what kind of a backlash will be aimed at them by the rider and their supporters. That is the root of the problem. Not lack of education on exsisting rules. Riders reaction to the whip incident seems to be " How dare you, do you know who I am?"
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According to EN, Townend issued a new statement taking full responsibility for his actions and blaming himself for his use of the whip. Contrast this to taking no responsibility on MLās part.
Perhaps if she does make the team for WEG, goes ahead and rides and has blood which leads to disqualification of the either herself and/or the team, that might do the trick. Perhaps international focus would lead to some changes in the rules.
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I wonder if giving a yellow card to Ollie was a shot across the bow to ML.
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He wasnāt given a yellow card though was he? Just a warning?
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