It’s about time.
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Interesting. I wonder what other similar changes we might see in the future. At horse shows and elsewhere.
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In light of the poster who thinks there should be a statute of limitations in place for someone sexually molesting children.
It took just a week-- in this particular cultural/political moment-- to make this change. But this is after #timesup and #metoo and Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby. Holy crap, think about all of the people who were silenced, shamed, not believed who formed so much “cannon fodder” before we reached this place where an institution (Flintridge Riding Club) finally sees it as being within its best interest to not co-sign pedophilia.
And so those complaining because victims didn’t speak up or file charges earlier. Are you kidding me? If you weren’t there believing and supporting those who did try to speak up, you don’t get to complain about their speaking up now.
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Anita Hill
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I want to say a huge thank you to those who have come forward. What you had to endure is horrible but speaking up will give the control back in your life that was taken away. It all boils down to CONTROL and those who are speaking up now are breaking the chains of that control. Keep going forward and don’t look back.
The horse show world is a petri dish for the scum. Some women in the circuit also abuse boys/girls just as some men. The worst is when they prey on children. We all need to speak up and not be afraid of those who want control over your lives.
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If anyone questions what would have happened if the accusers on here had come forward at the time, just look at the nasty, hurtful, and dismissive comments that have been made about them on here, and in reaction to the articles about the abuse. I have friends who were raped by family members, and were never believed, and told ‘so and so is so old I know he no longer does this’, and are condemned by family for not associating with the person, and for not allowing the molester near their own children.
I can only imagine the comments that would have been leveled if someone had tried to file reports at the time. Look at Sandusky, where there were complaints, and eyewitness accounts for years before anything was done to bring him to justice. The first teenage accuser had to change schools, and move to get away from people who supported Sandusky. Even now people complaint that Paterno’s statue was removed, and claim he didn’t know. He didn’t know because he didn’t want to know.
I was a federal employee for many years, and I personally knew two people who filed sexual harassment complaints against one man, and one had a very graphic message he left on her answering machine. I heard that message, and it outlined what she had to do to keep her job. The evidence was ignored, and the man allowed to retire with full benefits, and no impact on him. Both women were treated horribly, and one finally moved to another job, and had to move far away, but I’m sure the next job was warned about her.
I never would have made a complaint when I worked at any job, but tried to leave. I saw what happened to people who complained, and nothing was done about abuse.
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I am thinking that, in some cases, being a victim is a learned behavior. So I share my story and hope it helps someone. I grew up with a brother who bullied me. I never could win.
(This is not about sexual abuse at all but how I managed to eventually handle being bullied so there is some kind of lesson here—at least for me there was.)
I tried to fight back and always lost. My parents didn’t do much. Somehow, whether it was my behavior or my mannerisms, I guess the constant abuse by my brother somehow made me a target. I wish I knew how. So in school, I got bullied a lot. When people would say bad and mean things about me I would get tongue tied and never came up with the right thing to say. I tried to fight back against my brother with my fists but that never really worked.
In 8th grade there was a boy that bullied me a lot. Always said mean things. I tried to stay away from him but he rode my bus and was in many of my classes so I couldn’t avoid him. This continued when I was a freshman in high school. He would say terrible things, walk behind me down the hall kicking at my feet trying to trip me, especially on the stairs and would frequently knock the books out of my hands.
I had zero self confidence in most things but, my parents bought me a horse that year and I was becoming good rider. So, at least, I had that.
On one pivotal day in the spring, I had had enough. Or, I had had a bad day mostly, I think. It was a long time ago. Anyway, the bell had rung and all of us were walking down the hall headed for the buses. This kid came up behind me and was kicking at my feet trying to trip me. I exploded. Without thinking, I whirled around and slugged him in the head twice, nearly knocking him to the ground in front of God and everyone walking out to the buses. Thankfully no teachers saw this as they were never on my side.
And that was the end of that kid bullying me. Oh, some things were said after that, but that was the end.
Somehow, this changed me.
People sometimes still tried to bully me, often succeeded because I didn’t know an effective way to handle it but I could remember that time when I punched that kid and somehow it helped me.
I have thought about this so very often as an adult and tried to understand it. I am so very fortunate that I was never sexually abused by anyone ever. I was a terribly horse crazy kid and can’t imagine what would have happened if some predator came between me and my goal to be the best rider I could. I can’t imagine the pressure that those girls at Flintridge experienced.
Ever since, I have tried to learn effective ways of how to deal with situations and people. I took martial arts classes. They helped but, of course, it was the horses who saved me! In trying to learn how to handle tough horses, I found Linda Tellington-Jones who became a mentor in not just horse training but in people handling too. They go together you know. Horse handling and people handling. She is good at handling both.
I also found a great book—several books by Gavin DeBecker. “The Gift of Fear,” and “Protecting the Gift.” https://gdba.com/book/protecting-the-gift-keeping-children-and-teenagers-safe-and-parents-sane/
GET THESE BOOKS!!! THEY WILL HELP YOU!!!
These books (and Linda) helped me develop my intuition. Now I read situations well. I wish I had this back then, but I had to learn it.
I AM NOT IN ANYWAY THINKING MY SITUATION COMES CLOSE TO THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SEXUAL ABUSE!!! I AM HOPING THAT WHAT I WRITE HERE WILL BE HELPFUL TO SOMEONE!!
We have to learn to stand up for ourselves and teach the kids to do the same. It is self-respect, after all! There is a way to do it! These books will help you! Also, understanding how horses, animals and human animals learn, is a valuable thing to understand and this will help you with them all!
It seems like we shouldn’t have to empower ourselves—but we have to. SO DO IT!!!
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It was watching the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearings that made me come forward and file a formal complaint in the work place. He should not be on the Supreme Court. I always believed her…still do. Had those hearings not happened, I would have endured more.
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I can’t imagine how many knew and while it was openly discussed, it continued for years.
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Just went back to read the more recent facebook comments - Judy Richter’s comments are awful. 
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In the end it was the end for him, and it seems that karma did indeed take its toll. For the young women and the horses. Looking back, there just simply was no discussion about that topic, so at that age, it didn’t seem right, but it also didn’t seem wrong if that makes any sense. I was also never in it like others were. More of a perepheral hanger-on.
Link to the comments by judy richter? I am
unabke to find them.
Wow… the Judy Richter comments.
As as far as teenage girls who wear provocative clothing, or “chase” older men… that sometimes happens AS A RESULT of a child being molested in her earlier years. Any experienced licensed mental health counselor or psychiatrist will back me on that. Some of these teenagers who come off as “worldly” girls who are “fast” or “easy” are just trying to make sense of having been through sexual experiences waaaaayyyy too young, and are putting on a show of confidence. They are attempting to take CONTROL of their sexuality. Precisely because someone already took away their control…
Referring to girls who are internally struggling while working through these issues, despite an external image of being sexually confident beyond their years… referring to them as junior whores?" That is so damaging it makes me nauseous just thinking about it.
Maybe if older women who are supposed to be mentors and coaches to teenage girls PAUSED to really LOOK at what’s going on with some of these girls, they would SEE the underlying insecurity. The fact that most of the time those “worldly” girls are putting on a front because they are really struggling. MAYBE the older woman could then offer guidance and MENTORSHIP, and something akin to “top cover” … an old military term. Instead of judgement.
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Well said, Virginia Horse Mom. I feel nauseated after reading Judy’s comments.
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Absolutely…AND, (and I posted this on FB in response to Judy’s comment) - any normal, healthy adult male should refuse the advances of teenage girls!! The adult male is the adult and should have the maturity and wherewithal to say “No, this isn’t appropriate” and not just drop his pants.
Any adult male who is having sexual contact with underage girls is messed up and it is abuse. Whether girls described as above realize it at the time or not, they’re very much going to regret that behavior and be damaged by it. They’re just too young to fully understand the implications. Which is why the burden of responsibility is on the adult!
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i cannot see what Judy Richter wrote; but from the comments; I am so dissapointed in the apparent victim shaming that was in her comments.
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Long story short, Jimmie Williams and his ilk aren’t rapists and pedophiles, they’ve been manipulated and beguiled by, and I quote, “junior whores” who are “screwing for the blue”.
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Judy Richter Though I certainly don’t condone his behavior, taking advantage of minors, I suspect some of those girls chased him until he caught them. Where were the parents???
I know of one parent who would not send his daughters to a horse show with Jimmy. He took them, every time, for that reason. He was not a gossip, so I’m guessing it was common knowledge back in the day…Rumors even reached the East Coast.
Judy Richter Francie, agreed. There was a lot of abuse on this coast too. Abuse of preteens is horrible and unforgivable. However, some of my contemporaries back in the day were not above “screwing for the blue,” as teenagers, thinking if you don’t win the ties, you don’t win much. Some were even egged on by their ambitious mothers!!! A few mothers bedded down with the trainers!
This issue is nothing new.
For some it was a shortcut to fame and fortune, lovely horses to ride, etc. That is a choice and that is different. A friend of mine gave up riding though she loved it, all because she didn’t want to be subjected to the abuses of Jimmy Williams. That was her choice and despite some regrets she’s glad she made it. I’m guessing there were many others like her…
I’m glad this issue is finally being addressed. It’s long overdue, and if we save one child from abuse, it will all be worth it.
PS. There are plenty of beautiful girls prancing around the horse shows in skimpy sexy outfits, including super tight breeches and tight see through shirts. They are asking for trouble. Some of them look like junior whores
Judy Richter I’ve seen girls chasing… such bad judgment…I’ve even tried to dissuade them! Though of course it was none of my business.
Kat Magnuson Judy Richter screeching about little girls dressed like whores chasing older men until they caught him…isn’t ‘HELPING’.
I was a nobody with a backyard horse on field board- a pudgy girl in glasses with ratty hair. The farm owner molested me and I was so afraid to tell b/c I thought I would lose my horse.
Want to call me a whore, Judy?
Judy Richter Kat OF COURSE NOT…
It went on like that for a while- lots of people telling her how horrid her words are- and she just couldn’t stop digging.
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Given her visibility and presence, she should be held to a higher standard. Calling kids Junior Whores isn’t being plain spoken. It’s her being horrible, I’m sorry, but there’s no way around that for me.
https://sidelinesnews.com/weekly-featured/judy-richter-is-the-consummate-horsewoman.html
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