Not defending this pile of sheeeet, but not every country has the same process for selecting their Olympic teams that the US does. If Columbia had been allocated a dressage spot - this may be how they choose their riders. That being said - are you allowed dual citizenship under FEI rules? Heās represented the US in the past - is he still Columbia eligible? And I donāt think Columbia even has a slot for dressage at Paris, individual or team. So that whole exchange sounds pretty suspect.
Disclaimer - I have no insider knowledge for how Columbia selects their representatives for international competition, just positing a scenario in which there was no nefarious undertones by the judge in question.
Edit - I was thinking this was a current situation - after reading the article I know it was early 2000s
I think he represented Columbia first, then the US after becoming a citizen.
100% this
13 Likes
Iām not sure I agree with that statement because the bill does give federal teeth to those involved with heinous acts of animal torture and abuse and it closed a loophole in a previous bill by āprohibiting underlying acts of animal abuseā and expanding a previous bill that mainly addressed videoing of animals being crushed. This new bill addresses other forms of animal abuse and makes them a federal felony across the entire USA (including the District of Columbia, which previously did not have a legal arm to investigate and prosecute animal abuse crimes in its jurisdiction).
And as I said, I do not know if a DA or judge or jury will think that harsh horse training methods like Parraās rise to what they consider āabuse.ā I sadly think there are a lot of attorneys out there who will manage to get their clients absolved of both criminal and civil accusations of āwrongdoing toward animals.ā
I do agree with the rest of your comment. The questionable training methods and abuse of horses is happening mostly behind closed doors - at gated facilities where the āpractitionersā likely rely on strongly worded NDAs to ensure their clients and staff keep their mouths shut.
If FEI, USEF and other NGOs have even one set of balls between them - sorry not sorry for the vulgar language - they will enact a policy that strictly prohibits certain training methods and devices, and enforce it by permanently banning any individual found in violation. It may not stop those individuals from continuing to abuse horses in private but at least they wonāt be allowed to compete at events governed by FEI or NGOs, and it wonāt give the public the impression that the organizations will look the other way regarding such practices.
8 Likes
There is a video of him stabbing a horse with a metal pitchfork or it could be a still photo of the aftermath (A friend told me and I couldnāt stand to wade through everything it sickened me too much). Either way, thatās abuse even if his ātraining methodsā are not perceived as such.
3 Likes
Is there a link to the Cesar Parra video in question?
These rule proposals speak to the slippery slope many are worried about. Whipping a horse over the head or until welts and blood appear is miles away from the proposal to limit use of the whip to once.
Same with the excessive contraptions being miles away from a flash noseband.
19 Likes
If you search his name on FB they will come up.
Itās a photo of a Horsesā behind, in a trailer I believe, with three holes in it.
The WS was taking their horse out of there I believe.
I wish I could find it to share.
Dear God. What a despicable creature he is. If only one of the horses he abused could have kicked him in the nuts - that would have been justice. (I know someone who almost lost a testicle when he got kicked while teaching a horse to piaffe in hand - it was so badly damaged it swelled up like a grapefruit and when he was finally convinced to seek medical help, the docs recommended removing it but the guy refused.).
6 Likes
I did personally see the picture of the screw/nut he attached under the noseband but without a video of him putting said bridle on the horse and working it, I donāt think it will mean much in court.
Check out #5 from the The 2023 Florida Statutes:
(5) A person who intentionally trips, fells, ropes, or lassos the legs of a horse by any means for the purpose of entertainment or sport commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. [775.082], s. [775.083], or s. [775.084]. As used in this subsection, the term ātripā means any act that consists of the use of any wire, pole, stick, rope, or other apparatus to cause a horse to fall or lose its balance, and the term āhorseā means any animal of any registered breed of the genus Equus, or any recognized hybrid thereof. This subsection does not apply when tripping is used:
(a) To control a horse that is posing an immediate threat to other livestock or human beings;
(b) For the purpose of identifying ownership of the horse when its ownership is unknown; or
Ā© For the purpose of administering veterinary care to the horse.
5 Likes
Videos. Plural. Like a dozen of them. Pics too. Floating everywhere now. Go to FB and search using his name.
He wasnāt tripping. Tripping is used - was used in the movie industry to get horses to fall like during fight scenes.
1 Like
The statute does not specify that the use case is for movies as you suggest. The horse is still being intentionally tripped and snatched for the purpose of getting a reaction.
Also, read the entire statute. We may agree or disagree on the use of the ropes and terms about tripping but he certainly violated the horse under 1 and 2, which would negate the NDA.
4 Likes
Thatās the one, thanks I was having zero luck finding it
1 Like
Crikey, how many more stories like this is it going to take before LE and/or the NGOs do something to set down this little prick?
14 Likes
And thereās the faction of those who do horse tripping as a recreational sport
I wonder if thatās where this came from
