Yes, I think that’s right (I also haven’t read it in a while). She learned she was being scammed on overpriced horses. Then some of those horses got killed for the insurance money to placate her a bit. Then she found out about THAT. Then she disappeared… and in the efforts to discover what happened to her the FBI uncovered the seedy horse dealings and horse killings. Then they followed those leads and found out about other race horse and show horse seedy dealings and killings.
2 Likes
Thank you for linking this. Ned and Nina Bonnie were truly exceptional people.
3 Likes
I know/knew someone who openly told people how she grew up riding and training with him. Like it was a good thing. Blew my mind – if it were me, I would never tell ANYONE that bit of info lol.
1 Like
Well I think Alexa Bell would have definitely gone to the authorities.
If you’re not familiar with her, check this out:
2 Likes
Lots of people TO THIS DAY are proud of training with PV. I do.not.get.it.
13 Likes
There’s a huge discussion about PV on here somewhere. Many supporters back then. I doubt it’s changed.
Last I heard he is in real estate in Florida.
I was actually on staff at Architectural Digest when we ran that feature. Too low on the totem pole at the time to have say, but eesh…
Reading through this lengthy thread, I think it bears remembering that Marian Hulick was fully involved in this.
3 Likes
It was probably her idea.
2 Likes
Ok so for those who said they didn’t believe that George Lindemann was ever the Chef…
From: https://horsenetwork.com/2016/05/mclain-ward-show-jumping-means/
"When the opportunity arose to ride for Team USA for the first time, I absolutely fell in love with it. It was in Rome ’95. I wouldn’t say I “made” the team.
I was in Europe working for George Lindemann at the time and he was the chef d’equipe.
But that was an incredible experience at age 19. In those days, it really was a team. You went to the show together. You ate together. You trained together. "
Em
I think that has to be an error by the journalist (and/or McLain). Lindemann never had the accomplishments or profile to act as Chef and I don’t find for example any official press release that says he had that role.
Frank Chapot was the USET jumping chef d’equipe from 1980 to 2004.
3 Likes
I concur.
As I recall, GLL was set down by the AHSA/USEF some time in the summer or fall of ‘94. I believe he sued to get reinstated in the interim as the insurance case was working its way through the legal system, but it seems extremely unlikely that he would have been named chef to any US team in ‘95.
2 Likes
The reference to “Leslie Burk” may be an indication of the overall accuracy of the article.
Also: I laughed a bit when McLain described himself as not being talented as a junior. “Talent” is relative, I guess, but one does not win the USET finals at any age if one lacks talent.
I was a junior on the east coast A Circuit at the same time, doing the equitation and junior jumpers against McLain and others at Devon, Harrisburg, etc. My recollection is that Nicki Shahinian, Kelley Farmer, and Ray Texel were the biggest “it kids” when we were all in juniors (Nicki in particular was the Tori Colvin of our generation). But McLain was certainly a big name as a junior rider, and perceived as plenty talented.
4 Likes
