NYTimes on H/J

Surprised to see so much equestrian coverage in a major media outlet. I don’t get the print edition so not sure if there’s a reason/event, but sharing the articles:

Judging: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/sports/show-jumping-horses-judges.html?unlocked_article_code=1.3U4.5gXr.lFYAN_aBtnxJ&smid=url-share

Ponies: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/sports/ponies-equestrian-sizes.html?unlocked_article_code=1.3U4.aMVB.SD-hNoRmfgfI&smid=url-share

Jumpers (Grand Slam): https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/sports/scott-brash-dutch-masters-show-jumping.html?unlocked_article_code=1.3U4.GOTd.KRL2RIzacuvh&smid=url-share

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Well the author of the first 2 articles competes rather regularly on the circuit. So if she’s contracted or on-staff for NYT, that’s probably a good reason right there.

She must be competing in the local shows. She is an USEF member but has no USEF results listed.

Interesting to get publicity that isn’t horrible for once.

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I have seen her show at USEF shows in the last couple of years.

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My mistake. There are results from 2023.

She rides in the Adult Equitation and Amateur Hunters. Nice!

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Rob is such a nice guy. I lessoned with him while in North Carolina and he has such a good teaching style. And he loves a good TB!

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Nope. A Circuit. She’s definitely showed up north and in Florida. I’ve seen that name multiple times on scoreboards.

She’s best known around here for having gone undercover to a horse show at Flintridge Riding Club (by wearing her breeches) to expose the ongoing fealty to the legacy of Safe Sport poster boy Jimmy Williams, despite the allegations against him and the lawsuits filed against the club for its inaction while he was molesting and raping their junior girls.

She also wrote a lovely book called Horse Crazy.

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See post # 4, written by me 11 hours before this post by you. :wink:

She has a USEF record that is available to see.

Maybe just me being overly sensitive with the license to operate issue nowadays, but I cringed a bit seeing a vet say "We trimmed the feet, then we trimmed some more; we shaved the pony, then we shaved some more,” Dr. Trujillo said. The day of the measure, she also exercised Lucy, a lot. “When I’m done for the day, my posture is terrible. The ponies are the same way. When they’ve had a good hard day, they slouch. And that’s what you want for a hard measure.” Especially given the audience of these articles isn’t a niche pony hunter community.

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Her journalism caught my eye with her deep dive into the downfall of George Morris:

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Haven’t read the articles but yeah, if they’re by Sarah Maslin Nir she’s an equestrian and the author of Horse Crazy. She also has a series of children’s books, one of which is about jockey Cheryl White.

Last I was aware she was a full-time reporter there, usually on the metro beat but sometimes covering equestrian topics if one pops up.

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Wow, that’s so weird. They all read like strange PR exercises, not what you would expect to see in the NYT.

Edited to add that I missed that they are from the International edition of the paper, so maybe that’s why they’re more PR-y and kind of light than you would expect to read in the regular paper? I still think it’s disappointing. There’s so much interesting reporting to be done on the industry and nobody does it.

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I hear what you’re saying but that’s pony measurement “lite”. Some of the stuff that goes on to get those minions to measure is horrifying. I recall one particular story that involved a rubber mallet. Wish I kidding.
Sadly, our sport has been “win at all costs” for over 20 years now, it’s just that social media has done a good job of add an additional spotlight to some of the more heinous examples.

Did you ever read “The Monday Horses”??? This has been since the beginning of horse contests

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She does it. As mentioned, she reported on the dethroning of GM and Jimmy Williams. The paper also covered the death of the pony Humble at Devon (different writer.)

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A LOT longer than that. At least 50 years. As mentioned above, see the books by Jean Slaughter Doty.

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