[QUOTE=MHM;6746513]
Ding, ding, ding.
Generally speaking, the client who pays for vet work is the person who gets the full report. The vet does not release it to anyone else without the client’s permission.[/QUOTE]
Yes… But as a condition to being allowed to show, USEF could require that owners and trainers agree to provide permission in the case of drug testing or USEF inquiries. In other words, if you want to show, these are the conditions… Not at all difficult to draft…
[QUOTE=MHM;6746513]
Ding, ding, ding.
Generally speaking, the client who pays for vet work is the person who gets the full report. The vet does not release it to anyone else without the client’s permission.[/QUOTE]
I really question that the USEF was so hamstrung by it’s own regulations that it could not suspend a person who,after admittingly killing a pony at a show, at the end of a needle,would refuse to be forthright with the necropsy results.
Is it a case of USEF not wanting to bother? It looks it…
[QUOTE=juststartingout;6746534]
Yes… But as a condition to being allowed to show, USEF could require that owners and trainers agree to provide permission in the case of drug testing or USEF inquiries. In other words, if you want to show, these are the conditions… Not at all difficult to draft…[/QUOTE]
That is a possibility going forward. It doesn’t have anything to do with what happens right now under the current rules.
[QUOTE=War Admiral;6745926]
Well, yeah, but let’s take an informal poll here: hands up, how many of you have ever actually SEEN a USEF drug tester alive and in person, let alone had a horse tested? How many have had a horse tested more than once?
I have only ever SEEN a USEF drug tester ONE time at ONE show. I’m 54, been riding/showing since age 6. (And remember, I’m multi-disciplinary, so I “get around” a LOT: breed shows, carriage driving shows, etc. as well as H/J.) So if you do the math, that’s pretty close to 50 YEARS of USEF shows at which I never saw a tester and could, if so inclined, have cranked whatever I wanted into horsie.
With the multi-day shows, if the USEF testers are on the show grounds on Day 1 you can bet the word gets out within a couple of hours, and those testers are going to be VERY hard pressed to find a positive for the remaining 10 days of the show.
I’m in agreement that the fines and suspensions should HURT (and that the entry blank loophole needs to somehow get closed, stat). I also wonder about making the shows pay to have USEF drug testers on the grounds at all times. If USEF passed that AND simultaneously passed a rule that required all USEF show managers to freeze their fees (ALL fees not just drug testing) for a period of x years, and just made the presence of USEF drug testers part of the show manager’s cost of doing business I wonder if that would help?[/QUOTE]
Maybe we get more than our share because we have both USEF and the Cal Dept of Food and Ag testing at USEF shows and the latter testing at all shows, but I’ve had three horses tested, one twice. Two tests were at HJ shows, one local and one USEF, and two were at USEF dressage shows. One was not successful as the horse stopped urinating as soon as she stuck the jar on a stick underneath him. In addition to that my mom had a horse tested at a USEF dressage show.
[QUOTE=PonyPenny;6746384]
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amber-Hill-Farm/104506122920571?ref=ts&fref=ts[/QUOTE]
WOW. Now that’s interesting reading.
Hard to imagine that her attorney would be pleased with how much info she’s giving out. Although the attorney posts there as well.
The hearing date on her complaint is January 11 in New Jersey. She encourages everyone to attend…
.
The article is heartbreaking.
That there was a protest or investigation at all was only because of the heroics of Ms. Williams. Had she not been willing to file a protest and organize an investigation on her own, this would have stopped right there. I want to thank her for doing that, for putting herself out there, for putting in the time, the money, the tears, and the rest for bringing this situation to light when no doubt everyone around her just wanted it to go away. I hope she and her daughter remain a strong and enthusiastic part of our sport.
USEF: we can’t rely on individuals having to pay to make a protest to start an investigation, or worse, to run the investigation themselves. This has to change.
The four statements, the list of 15 medications for a 9 year old pony? Holy cow.
And that wasn’t enough.
I also hope whatever samples were tested from that pony are being maintained for possible future testing.
Some of the medications we allow do have good purpose - I have no problem with 20+ year old ponies going around with some bute. But if the price for that is that we have 9 year old ponies on a careful regimen of injectables so thorough that their white coats are bloodstained, then I say get rid of it all.
There is no reason a horse should need any injections 2 hours before a class.
The reason for limiting needles to licensed vets is to add a layer of accountability and trackability. Again… in general, legitimate injections should be done at home anyway. And if your horse needs an injection because he’s colicking, then obviously scratching from the classes within the next 12 hours would be in order. I imagine part of the hesitation in adopting the 12 hour rule is enforcability… but obviously it would have been a big help in this case, even if other people had ‘gotten away with it.’
And on subpoena power… USEF doesn’t have it and won’t ever. But they can - and must - make whatever powers they need for proper enforcement a condition of future membership. Simple enough: if they rule that evidence was destroyed or withheld, that itself could be cause for a year’s suspension, or more.
Agree with everything by the above poster, especially this (as quoted, above) regarding Ms. Williams.
[QUOTE=skydy;6746545]
I really question that the USEF was so hamstrung by it’s own regulations that it could not suspend a person who,after admittingly killing a pony at a show, at the end of a needle,would refuse to be forthright with the necropsy results.
Is it a case of USEF not wanting to bother? It looks it…[/QUOTE]
The necropsy (that bit we’ve been privy to) says that the Humble had some sort of lung infection and that no illegal amounts of medications were ascertained. I’m sure that’s all accurate.
But when an animal receives an injection and immediately drops to the ground in convulsions followed shortly by death, it is nearly impossible for the average person not to draw the obvious conclusion.
USEF will be dealing with drug issues forever. In the instance of an equine death at a show, it would make sense that the show and USEF have the right to investigate in whatever manner they choose. The owners/trainers rights could be suspended in this situation leaving our governing body to determine if the death was from natural causes or from something else.
Death is a part of life, but in a situation such as occurred at Devon, it would be helpful to all the parties involved to place the onus of discovery on USEF, rather than allowing speculation to run wild because of something the owner or trainer might not think to do.
It has been my experience in the horse industry that most trainers do not have a basic understanding of equine anatomy, much less, equine physiology. When one is questioned, their depth of knowledge surprisingly superficial. I also acknowledge thats there are exceptions to this but the in-depth understanding of equine anatomy, physiology and pharmacology can still remain elusive among trainers at the sports highest levels. Having the ability to perform a basic technical procedure such as venipuncture in the external jugular vein under the direction of a veterinarian, is a skill that can obviously be beneficial in providing aid to a horse in an emergency situation until definitive veterinary care can arrive. Unfortunately, this technical skill allows individuals to perform freelance pharmacology with the intention of creating a more favorable equine experience by masking undesirable behaviors or injuries in a particular horse. The science of pharmacology is much more complex than the dosing of a drug and its anticipated effect. The understanding of the elimination half-life, volume of distribution and clearance of the medication must be known. The administration of multiple drugs together can effect their metabolism, therefore, increasing or decreasing the potency of the drug and or it’s metabolites as well. This synergistic effect at times can be desirable but in most instances it’s not, especially in the hands of individuals who lack formal education in this area. To complicate things further, the horses metabolic, hepatic, renal, cardiac, pulmonary, neurologic and intestinal status influence the effect of drugs and are constantly changing. Not to mention, stress, electrolytes, dietary supplements, temperature(ambient & core) and intravascular volume to just name a few more. Get the picture? Administering a said drug to the same horse 10 times and obtaining a favorable outcome each time may give one a false sense of the understanding of Pharmacology and Equine Physiology. This is eventually catastrophic for the horse, rider or both. It is not a question of if a sentinel event will occur, but, when it will occur. It seems that the USEF will be forced to address their rules regarding doping and the misuse of controlled substances at sanctioned events and competitions now that these issues have reached a national platform. If someone is found to be in violation of USEF rules and disqualified from an event is great, but they should also determine if any federal laws were violated. Remember, DEA rules trumps USEF rules with the intentional misuse of controlled substances which could also be problematic for the prescribing veterinarian!
[QUOTE=Purepony;6746877]
The necropsy (that bit we’ve been privy to) says that the Humble had some sort of lung infection and that no illegal amounts of medications were ascertained. I’m sure that’s all accurate.
But when an animal receives an injection and immediately drops to the ground in convulsions followed shortly by death, it is nearly impossible for the average person not to draw the obvious conclusion.
USEF will be dealing with drug issues forever. In the instance of an equine death at a show, it would make sense that the show and USEF have the right to investigate in whatever manner they choose. The owners/trainers rights could be suspended in this situation leaving our governing body to determine if the death was from natural causes or from something else.
Death is a part of life, but in a situation such as occurred at Devon, it would be helpful to all the parties involved to place the onus of discovery on USEF, rather than allowing speculation to run wild because of something the owner or trainer might not think to do.[/QUOTE]
I honestly missed the necropsy results. Was it a confirmed lung infection or hypothesized? Or a general statement?
Someone mentioned “the beginning of a lung disease” not a “lung infection”. I think. Not going to go back through everything to double check if that was what I saw.
USEF is presiding over a hobby sport that started back when there was such a thing as sportsmanship and personal ethics (for most who owned and showed horses), has no law enforcement authority, lacks supeona power and cannot compel anybody to produce much of anything. In this case they had to work with the Pa State Police to get what they did and it does not seem to have helped. Plus they get slapped with legal action to prevent them from excercising what little power they have.
I know people don’t want to read that but…it is what it is. And I got little use for USEF or Ms Mandarino (whose facebook page is full of rantings and name calling).
Said before and say again, until they go after the OWNERS as well as offending trainers/agents/those responsible for the horse? It’s a $300 return the prizes nuisance to shrug off. USEF CAN do that-revamp the way they treat ALL associated with management of a horse EQUALLY. Not treat owners like ignorant shlubs who just sign checks and slap their wrists.
Somebody has to start saying no. If they get scared they will go down too? They might stop turning a blind eye and not speaking up.
BTW I have been tested many times over a good many years and always insisted on specific approval and itemized billing regarding “meds”. As well as buying a suitable animal and managing it properly…incuding saying no when I thought too much was being asked of the horse.
It was not a lung infection. It was described as “emerging lung disease,” which I bet a lot of horses have.
I think some of you are overly pessimistic. I think you will see some changes from this debacle, though many not as many as we might want.
USEF will never ever ever get tough on doping horses and ponies. They will ignore and pretend until obvious issues are publicized and then dance around a bit making silly statements and promises to make it seem like they care and then go right back to status quo.
They’ve always been like that and they always will be. If they came down hard on doping, they’d lose an enormous chunk of trainers and valuable animals (value made by doping animal), show their ass to the public on just HOW prevelent it is and how they had to have known all along (obvious to anyone with 2 working brain cells) and set showing back by a good decade or so. (because owners would have to wait while trainers learned how to train) And the benefit to all this would be better riders and healthier, happier horses.
Well who the hell would want that??? :no: :winkgrin:
Since AHF has filed suit against Rate My Horse Pro (whom I filed court documents linking to Horse Show Diva - see below), Samantha Lawton Duthie, Bridget Marks, Kristen Williams, Jane and John Does (anonymous pseudonyms) and defendants to be named as a result of the false statements made against myself and my business in the NY Times article, I prefer to deal with this matter in a court of law where people need to be sworn under oath and provide evidence in support of their accusations but now I feel compelled to lay out some facts relating to the matter.
I cooperated fully with the USEF and anything to the contrary is false. In my opinion, the USEF tried to use me as a “poster child” for Carolina’s Gold which I have never used. Anyone who knows me knows I do not drug my animals.
As for Ms. Brayman’s statement, I hope she has evidence to back up her allegations. Ms. Brayman is nothing more than a former employee who took advantage of my good nature and I have an email from her husband supporting my assertions. (see his email below)
As for Mr. Long, I have emails from Sonja Keating, USEF in house counsel, to refute his statement that I did not fully cooperate. As a matter of fact, I produced all documents in relation to Humble above and beyond what was required by USEF rules and gave the USEF full access to his body. I even asked them to retest all of my B samples on any animals they had drug tested previously. If the NY Times reporter would have fact checked his sources and read the hearing transcript and the accompanying evidence book along with the dismissal letter, the NY Times would not have published the false statements.
Maybe it is time I share these documents with the public so this public lynching can end and Humble can finally rest in peace. Humble’s death was a tragedy and had nothing to do with Carolina’s Gold or any other illegal substance.
My daughter is an exceptional rider and we work tirelessly to train our animals.
It is an insult to Emma that we illegally drug our animals because she has spent hours in the saddle training her mounts with me by her side. Emma has ridden and taken some of the toughest ponies in the country to the top with me training her. Everyone saw Emma schooling Humble at Devon so he would be ready for the girl who leased him. The reason he spooked so badly is because trainers had coolers all over the ground and jump, but Emma worked him through it under my direction.
I am willing to go under oath in a court of law against this group of individuals and regardless of how hard they try to bully me with threatening emails and with slanted NY Times articles I will not stand down.
I have threatening emails from Kristen Williams and the reason she took the picture of my med list (which was in full public view and not hidden) was because she was going to dispute charges after the lease at Devon not because she thought I was giving illegal drugs. She rode Royal T after Humble’s death and then stated I should refund her monies as that would be my “least expensive option”. Why would a mother who thought I was drugging my ponies allow her daughter to mount and show one of my animals? It is common knowledge that I leased an equitation horse for Emma and when I found out it was being drugged for her to ride, I sent it back IMMEDIATELY. The horse was donated to Texas A&M afterwards and I was told it landed a rider in the hospital.
The USEF could have enjoined the protest and they declined to do so because they had everything I provided to them and there was no wrongdoing on my part.
I am a mother who lost a child tragically and would NEVER put my daughter or anyone else’s child in danger EVER! I also would NEVER harm an animal.
Humble had an emerging lung disease and while the necropsy was being performed, the pathologist stopped and called me and asked me if I knew about it because he had never seen lungs so diseased in an animal of that age. He asked me questions regarding his health. I had noticed that Humble had been pawing in his stall the night before and was laying down when I arrived but he popped up when I called his name. I did not hit the carotid as I had thought and blamed myself for. The speculation regarding the necropsy is sickening. The necropsy proves their was no wrongdoing. His death was a tragedy and Emma and I miss him terribly. I loved him like a child as I do all of my ponies.
I think everyone should read and follow the complaint I have filed in New Jersey and watch the true facts come out.
There is a hearing set for January 11th and it is a public courtroom. Unlike the masses that were supposed to support Ms. Williams as witnesses that never showed up at the USEF Hearing, I encourage you all to attend. I have invited a reporter who reports the facts.
Seems the NY Times turned National Enquirer took the article off the front page of their website and has now buried it… Check your sources before you print Walt… you have been played like a fiddle. This screams of hidden agenda… this happened in May and right before circuit and after I filed my complaint this pops up. Maybe Walt should get his hands on the USEF correspondence sent to all USHJA committee members warning them of his anticipated presence at the USHJA convention which I was told also contained a statement from the USEF asking the committee members to be careful about what they said during the drug and med portion of the convention.
I knew Rate My Horse Pro and Horse Show Diva were linked somehow for years… everyone else missed that registration page but me. Its in the Amended Complaint.
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The Hearing Panel stated in its ruling Nancy (Men of Match) Baroody was not credible. Brayman has had a previous drug violation. Williams wanted $$ or else. Long has short term memory problems. The list goes on… and Mandarino’s will NOT stand down nor will I be a “poster child” for the USEF’s lack of handling of the drug problem at its competitions.
I think this email speaks for itself about the Braymans. I did delete a certain portion of children’s, clients and trainers names to protect their privacy. The Braymans wanted to use my motor home at HITs Ocala and my husband did not allow it after he found out they used my credit card and they had an anniversary dinner on me without asking…
[I]From: Elizabeth Mandarino <elizmand@aol.com>
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: Fwd: The world
Date: Tue, Jul 17, 2012 11:07 am
email from matt brayman… this is where i started to cut things off as they were just taking advantage.
Regards,
Elizabeth Mandarino
Amber Hill Farm LLC
www.amberhillponies.com
908.397.0977 cell
352.629.4459 barn/office
-----Original Message-----
From: Brayman, Matthew <MatthewBrayman@newportrischools.org>
To: Elizabeth Mandarino <elizmand@aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Nov 1, 2011 4:09 pm
Subject: Re: The world
I mean we had planned on working there and sort of going on together. As I said,
I hope we can help each other out as it works for all.
Matt
Sent from my iPhone
On Nov 1, 2011, at 3:58 PM, “Elizabeth Mandarino” <elizmand@aol.com> wrote:
> I wasn’t expecting to go to pre amber hill life?
>
> Regards,
> Elizabeth Mandarino
> www.amberhillponies.com
> 908.397.0977
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Nov 1, 2011, at 3:34 PM, “Brayman, Matthew” <MatthewBrayman@newportrischools.org>
wrote:
>
>> I understand. We will go back to pre amber hill life, and hopefully assist
each other as we can. Not sure what you want to do about the pony at our place,
but you and Wendy can work that out. I’ll get the trailer back to you soon as I
can, and I’ll see you in Ocala. I think we see the past few months a little
differently, but that’s ok. Hopefully no hard feelings.
>>
>> Matt
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Nov 1, 2011, at 3:15 PM, “Elizabeth” <elizmand@aol.com<mailto:elizmand@aol.com>>
wrote:
>>
>> Ok Matt I am breaking for a minute before Emma comes home and we are off to
the barn. I have mulled this over before responding.
>>
>> I understand the situation you are in but I can not offer a paycheck when I
personally, and my clients are financing the riding portion.
>>
>> Lets take this past month for an example. I am obligated to pay the camper
loan, the insurance due on it and maintenance and asked my client to not only
pay for a clinic but loan her horse that is insured for $150,000 and is for sale
for $225,000. In addition, I footed the entire bill from housing to show fees
for Abigail at Capital Challenge and the camper spot for Harrisburg. I also
found a trailering job for wendy in which I loaned her my trailer which she has
carte blanche use of for the whole month. This trailer also has payments,
insurance and just had 4 new tires installed. I also tried to get her to help
with sales of some of the animals in house and gave her half a pony to market up
in your area.
>>
>> I understand that Wendy is sick, but even at the darkest point in my life, I
woke up each day and tended to my business. My clients were attended to even
when I felt I couldn’t go on. I have worked days with migraines I was throwing
up from and days when I was adjusting to the medicine the doctors were giving
me. I spent less than a week not working when my son died and that was a life
changing event. Even on family trips, I spend most of my time working. I spent
one night with my father in the emergency room when he had a heart attack and
then ran to check on him for an hour a day.
>>
>> Please do not take this as me being thankless, as I appreciate everything you
and Wendy do for me and Emma, but I find myself being resentful when I am asked
to pay above and beyond what I already do. I do make sure Wendy has gas money to
cover her expenses and usually pay for all housing and food at shows in addition
to buying the girls presents to thank them. I never ask the girls to lift a
finger other than to ride as I am not pro working student. Even with the camper,
Wendy promised to work to offset the payments and just doesnt keep up with her
end. It puts me in such an awkward situation and I do not want to ruin our
friendship
>>
>> I hope you understand my viewpoint and do not take this the wrong way. I
value our relationship and have learned that to work, relationships must flow
both ways. I am a workaholic and have built this business from my own two hands
with Emma at my side. It has not been easy as we have people trying to knock us
down every step of the way. I happily work 7 days a week and do this so my
daughter can have the best. I do not have the funds some of the riders out there
have but have managed to put my daughter on the best I could afford and now that
she is entering the equitation ring, I built my business to generate income to
help fund the enormous costs because I have watched, learned and absorbed and
know what needs to be done. I wish I had unlimited funds but I do not.
>>
>> I have riders and even a trainer offering their services for free in Atlanta.
>>
>> I hope you understand and I am sorry I can not do more than I already do.
>>
>> Warmest Regards,
>> Elizabeth Mandarino
>> Amber Hill Farm LLC
>> www.amberhillponies.com<http://www.amberhillponies.com/>
>> 908.397.0977
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Brayman, Matthew <MatthewBrayman@newportrischools.org<mailto:MatthewBrayman@newportrischools.org>>
>> To: elizmand <elizmand@aol.com<mailto:elizmand@aol.com>>
>> Sent: Mon, Oct 31, 2011 7:56 am
>> Subject: The world
>>
>>
>> Hi Liz,
>>
>> I’ll try to cover all we talked about. What I feel we have to offer is this:
>> Wendy, who is a knowledgable rider, trainer and teacher with impeccable
morals
>> in a field not exactly loaded with similar people. 2 kids who are extremely
>> talented and knowledagable in the saddle, and me, the voice of reason. I
think
>> we have all made a solid name for ourselves as very loyal, hardworking, and
>> honest people.
>>
>> What you have to offer us is a rapidly expanding barn loaded with talented
>> animals who receive impeccable care. A barn owner/trainer who is not afraid
to
>> dedicate resources to ensure those animals stay that way.
>>
>> For this to work for us, we would need 20 or so consistent hours weekly for
>> Wendy to receive a steady paycheck. Her level of commitment will be much
higher
>> than that during active show time, and maybe a little less when not so
active.
>> As I’m sure you are aware, she will do most anything for you, from shipping
to
>> braiding to cooking dinner to handling show entries. While the opportunities
>> offered Abbie and Madison are appreciated, we can’t pay our bills with those
>> opportunities. And if they are riding your animals, I think we all share in
he
>> benefits from shows, clinics, etc. for the girls.
>>
>> Our thought is to start slowly regarding working for you, to be sure its the
>> right thing for us all. We would like to maintain our friendship, our
business
>> in RI, and my job for the time being. Maybe we reassess that down the road.
>>
>> Not sure if you realize how much Wendy has done for you in the past 4 months,
>> and other than opportunities for the girls, she hasn’t received much
>> compensation. We realize you have picked up the tab on the road religiously,
>> and appreciate that. Ultimately, however, we need to make some type of steady
>> pay. Believe me, if she was making the money you pay Russ, she would have
found
>> a way to get there for you this AM.
>>
>> I hope we can figure this all out and move forward together. It’s an exciting
>> time for you and Amber Hill Farm, and we would love to help promote the
>> continued growth of the farm.
>>
>> Hope this all makes sense.
>>
>> Matt
>>
[/I]
If anyone has any questions, please email me ( elizmand@aol.com) or my attorney ( tamara.tucker@nelsontucker.com ) with your questions because we will NOT respond to anonymous questions or request.
Elizabeth Mandarino, you are the epitome of unmitigated gall! To bring you son’s death into this makes you even more despicable in my eyes.
WOW, JUST WOW :eek: :eek: :eek:
Popcorn time. Anybody got a good box of wine handy for the hour or so before the lock goes on?
[QUOTE=amberhill;6747015]
Since AHF has filed suit against Rate My Horse Pro (whom I filed court documents linking to Horse Show Diva - see below), Samantha Lawton Duthie, Bridget Marks, Kristen Williams, Jane and John Does (anonymous pseudonyms) and defendants to be named as a result of the false statements made against myself and my business in the NY Times article, I prefer to deal with this matter in a court of law where people need to be sworn under oath and provide evidence in support of their accusations but now I feel compelled to lay out some facts relating to the matter.
I cooperated fully with the USEF and anything to the contrary is false. In my opinion, the USEF tried to use me as a “poster child” for Carolina’s Gold which I have never used. Anyone who knows me knows I do not drug my animals.
As for Ms. Brayman’s statement, I hope she has evidence to back up her allegations. Ms. Brayman is nothing more than a former employee who took advantage of my good nature and I have an email from her husband supporting my assertions. (see his email below)
As for Mr. Long, I have emails from Sonja Keating, USEF in house counsel, to refute his statement that I did not fully cooperate. As a matter of fact, I produced all documents in relation to Humble above and beyond what was required by USEF rules and gave the USEF full access to his body. I even asked them to retest all of my B samples on any animals they had drug tested previously. If the NY Times reporter would have fact checked his sources and read the hearing transcript and the accompanying evidence book along with the dismissal letter, the NY Times would not have published the false statements.
Maybe it is time I share these documents with the public so this public lynching can end and Humble can finally rest in peace. Humble’s death was a tragedy and had nothing to do with Carolina’s Gold or any other illegal substance.
My daughter is an exceptional rider and we work tirelessly to train our animals.
It is an insult to Emma that we illegally drug our animals because she has spent hours in the saddle training her mounts with me by her side. Emma has ridden and taken some of the toughest ponies in the country to the top with me training her. Everyone saw Emma schooling Humble at Devon so he would be ready for the girl who leased him. The reason he spooked so badly is because trainers had coolers all over the ground and jump, but Emma worked him through it under my direction.
I am willing to go under oath in a court of law against this group of individuals and regardless of how hard they try to bully me with threatening emails and with slanted NY Times articles I will not stand down.
I have threatening emails from Kristen Williams and the reason she took the picture of my med list (which was in full public view and not hidden) was because she was going to dispute charges after the lease at Devon not because she thought I was giving illegal drugs. She rode Royal T after Humble’s death and then stated I should refund her monies as that would be my “least expensive option”. Why would a mother who thought I was drugging my ponies allow her daughter to mount and show one of my animals? It is common knowledge that I leased an equitation horse for Emma and when I found out it was being drugged for her to ride, I sent it back IMMEDIATELY. The horse was donated to Texas A&M afterwards and I was told it landed a rider in the hospital.
The USEF could have enjoined the protest and they declined to do so because they had everything I provided to them and there was no wrongdoing on my part.
I am a mother who lost a child tragically and would NEVER put my daughter or anyone else’s child in danger EVER! I also would NEVER harm an animal.
Humble had an emerging lung disease and while the necropsy was being performed, the pathologist stopped and called me and asked me if I knew about it because he had never seen lungs so diseased in an animal of that age. He asked me questions regarding his health. I had noticed that Humble had been pawing in his stall the night before and was laying down when I arrived but he popped up when I called his name. I did not hit the carotid as I had thought and blamed myself for. The speculation regarding the necropsy is sickening. The necropsy proves their was no wrongdoing. His death was a tragedy and Emma and I miss him terribly. I loved him like a child as I do all of my ponies.
I think everyone should read and follow the complaint I have filed in New Jersey and watch the true facts come out.
There is a hearing set for January 11th and it is a public courtroom. Unlike the masses that were supposed to support Ms. Williams as witnesses that never showed up at the USEF Hearing, I encourage you all to attend. I have invited a reporter who reports the facts.
Seems the NY Times turned National Enquirer took the article off the front page of their website and has now buried it… Check your sources before you print Walt… you have been played like a fiddle. This screams of hidden agenda… this happened in May and right before circuit and after I filed my complaint this pops up. Maybe Walt should get his hands on the USEF correspondence sent to all USHJA committee members warning them of his anticipated presence at the USHJA convention which I was told also contained a statement from the USEF asking the committee members to be careful about what they said during the drug and med portion of the convention.
I knew Rate My Horse Pro and Horse Show Diva were linked somehow for years… everyone else missed that registration page but me. Its in the Amended Complaint.
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The Hearing Panel stated in its ruling Nancy (Men of Match) Baroody was not credible. Brayman has had a previous drug violation. Williams wanted $$ or else. Long has short term memory problems. The list goes on… and Mandarino’s will NOT stand down nor will I be a “poster child” for the USEF’s lack of handling of the drug problem at its competitions.
I think this email speaks for itself about the Braymans. I did delete a certain portion of children’s, clients and trainers names to protect their privacy. The Braymans wanted to use my motor home at HITs Ocala and my husband did not allow it after he found out they used my credit card and they had an anniversary dinner on me without asking…
[I]From: Elizabeth Mandarino <elizmand@aol.com>
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: Fwd: The world
Date: Tue, Jul 17, 2012 11:07 am
email from matt brayman… this is where i started to cut things off as they were just taking advantage.
Regards,
Elizabeth Mandarino
Amber Hill Farm LLC
www.amberhillponies.com
908.397.0977 cell
352.629.4459 barn/office
-----Original Message-----
From: Brayman, Matthew <MatthewBrayman@newportrischools.org>
To: Elizabeth Mandarino <elizmand@aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Nov 1, 2011 4:09 pm
Subject: Re: The world
I mean we had planned on working there and sort of going on together. As I said,
I hope we can help each other out as it works for all.
Matt
Sent from my iPhone
On Nov 1, 2011, at 3:58 PM, “Elizabeth Mandarino” <elizmand@aol.com> wrote:
> I wasn’t expecting to go to pre amber hill life?
>
> Regards,
> Elizabeth Mandarino
> www.amberhillponies.com
> 908.397.0977
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Nov 1, 2011, at 3:34 PM, “Brayman, Matthew” <MatthewBrayman@newportrischools.org>
wrote:
>
>> I understand. We will go back to pre amber hill life, and hopefully assist
each other as we can. Not sure what you want to do about the pony at our place,
but you and Wendy can work that out. I’ll get the trailer back to you soon as I
can, and I’ll see you in Ocala. I think we see the past few months a little
differently, but that’s ok. Hopefully no hard feelings.
>>
>> Matt
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Nov 1, 2011, at 3:15 PM, “Elizabeth” <elizmand@aol.com<mailto:elizmand@aol.com>>
wrote:
>>
>> Ok Matt I am breaking for a minute before Emma comes home and we are off to
the barn. I have mulled this over before responding.
>>
>> I understand the situation you are in but I can not offer a paycheck when I
personally, and my clients are financing the riding portion.
>>
>> Lets take this past month for an example. I am obligated to pay the camper
loan, the insurance due on it and maintenance and asked my client to not only
pay for a clinic but loan her horse that is insured for $150,000 and is for sale
for $225,000. In addition, I footed the entire bill from housing to show fees
for Abigail at Capital Challenge and the camper spot for Harrisburg. I also
found a trailering job for wendy in which I loaned her my trailer which she has
carte blanche use of for the whole month. This trailer also has payments,
insurance and just had 4 new tires installed. I also tried to get her to help
with sales of some of the animals in house and gave her half a pony to market up
in your area.
>>
>> I understand that Wendy is sick, but even at the darkest point in my life, I
woke up each day and tended to my business. My clients were attended to even
when I felt I couldn’t go on. I have worked days with migraines I was throwing
up from and days when I was adjusting to the medicine the doctors were giving
me. I spent less than a week not working when my son died and that was a life
changing event. Even on family trips, I spend most of my time working. I spent
one night with my father in the emergency room when he had a heart attack and
then ran to check on him for an hour a day.
>>
>> Please do not take this as me being thankless, as I appreciate everything you
and Wendy do for me and Emma, but I find myself being resentful when I am asked
to pay above and beyond what I already do. I do make sure Wendy has gas money to
cover her expenses and usually pay for all housing and food at shows in addition
to buying the girls presents to thank them. I never ask the girls to lift a
finger other than to ride as I am not pro working student. Even with the camper,
Wendy promised to work to offset the payments and just doesnt keep up with her
end. It puts me in such an awkward situation and I do not want to ruin our
friendship
>>
>> I hope you understand my viewpoint and do not take this the wrong way. I
value our relationship and have learned that to work, relationships must flow
both ways. I am a workaholic and have built this business from my own two hands
with Emma at my side. It has not been easy as we have people trying to knock us
down every step of the way. I happily work 7 days a week and do this so my
daughter can have the best. I do not have the funds some of the riders out there
have but have managed to put my daughter on the best I could afford and now that
she is entering the equitation ring, I built my business to generate income to
help fund the enormous costs because I have watched, learned and absorbed and
know what needs to be done. I wish I had unlimited funds but I do not.
>>
>> I have riders and even a trainer offering their services for free in Atlanta.
>>
>> I hope you understand and I am sorry I can not do more than I already do.
>>
>> Warmest Regards,
>> Elizabeth Mandarino
>> Amber Hill Farm LLC
>> www.amberhillponies.com<http://www.amberhillponies.com/>
>> 908.397.0977
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Brayman, Matthew <MatthewBrayman@newportrischools.org<mailto:MatthewBrayman@newportrischools.org>>
>> To: elizmand <elizmand@aol.com<mailto:elizmand@aol.com>>
>> Sent: Mon, Oct 31, 2011 7:56 am
>> Subject: The world
>>
>>
>> Hi Liz,
>>
>> I’ll try to cover all we talked about. What I feel we have to offer is this:
>> Wendy, who is a knowledgable rider, trainer and teacher with impeccable
morals
>> in a field not exactly loaded with similar people. 2 kids who are extremely
>> talented and knowledagable in the saddle, and me, the voice of reason. I
think
>> we have all made a solid name for ourselves as very loyal, hardworking, and
>> honest people.
>>
>> What you have to offer us is a rapidly expanding barn loaded with talented
>> animals who receive impeccable care. A barn owner/trainer who is not afraid
to
>> dedicate resources to ensure those animals stay that way.
>>
>> For this to work for us, we would need 20 or so consistent hours weekly for
>> Wendy to receive a steady paycheck. Her level of commitment will be much
higher
>> than that during active show time, and maybe a little less when not so
active.
>> As I’m sure you are aware, she will do most anything for you, from shipping
to
>> braiding to cooking dinner to handling show entries. While the opportunities
>> offered Abbie and Madison are appreciated, we can’t pay our bills with those
>> opportunities. And if they are riding your animals, I think we all share in
he
>> benefits from shows, clinics, etc. for the girls.
>>
>> Our thought is to start slowly regarding working for you, to be sure its the
>> right thing for us all. We would like to maintain our friendship, our
business
>> in RI, and my job for the time being. Maybe we reassess that down the road.
>>
>> Not sure if you realize how much Wendy has done for you in the past 4 months,
>> and other than opportunities for the girls, she hasn’t received much
>> compensation. We realize you have picked up the tab on the road religiously,
>> and appreciate that. Ultimately, however, we need to make some type of steady
>> pay. Believe me, if she was making the money you pay Russ, she would have
found
>> a way to get there for you this AM.
>>
>> I hope we can figure this all out and move forward together. It’s an exciting
>> time for you and Amber Hill Farm, and we would love to help promote the
>> continued growth of the farm.
>>
>> Hope this all makes sense.
>>
>> Matt
>>
[/I]
If anyone has any questions, please email me ( elizmand@aol.com) or my attorney ( tamara.tucker@nelsontucker.com ) with your questions because we will NOT respond to anonymous questions or request.[/QUOTE]
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