It must be difficult to face the fact that someone you have admired for your entire life is a child abuser.
Reading this makes me hope that she gets some professional help in dealing with her feelings and that it will eventually lead her to understand who the real victims are.
I am really surprised by the level of denial. It’s sad and it’s not healthy.
When people show you who they are, believe them.
I don’t know if you are responding to my post, but if you are, George Morris has shown us who he is, that’s for sure.
If Katie is breaking down in tears over the loss of her heroes, while she is teaching children’s lessons, then IMHO she needs to see a professional.
The letter (apparently) was written by Katie. Not Melanie.
If Katie is teaching her students for 40 yrs, what George taught her about horsemanship & riding, she’s passing on the useful knowledge he gave her that will benefit others, without the actual man himself, having to be around kids. He needed to retire, anyway. I’m sure Katie teaches in a much better way then George ever did. She shouldn’t be to worried about what the hose world is missing without George. All seems to be going great without him. Actually, better.
I’m sorry. I meant Katie. :o I’ll correct.
No, and yes, both George and Katie have shown us who they are.
Wow. Thanks for sharing the letter.
I find it interesting that she posted her “open” letter in the ISWG Facebook Group. Which is a CLOSED group.
Ugly ugly stuff.
Does anyone know if SafeSport or the USEF can punish Katie in
some way for this? I thought you couldn’t discuss details about a case. Something needs to be done, IMO.
Actually she didn’t post it. Richard Cyr did
He started the ISWG group, what matters is Katie wrote it as an ‘open letter’, meant for the public, IMO.
I think the ISWG group and others should watch Surviving R.Kelly, Leaving Neverland or listen to the podcasts, Chasing Cosby, Believed, Catch and Kill. Then maybe they will have a better understanding of what abuse does to the victims. They might just see some similarities too.
I don’t think they fail to understand, I think they don’t care. At all. I think there are people who will never, ever have the awakening or epiphany we think they will or should, because there is something wrong with them. And they should be shunned.
And it’s different because horses and this has always been acceptable in the industry or some such nonsense.
“The Tale” starring Laura Dern is a true story of the rape of a horse child by her pedophile trainers.
It took me a few days to get through that one scene by scene, but it spoke volumes about what some survivors have been through.
Katie’s letter was appalling. The victim blaming and justifying of rape was jaw dropping. If that’s how she truly feels… then there should be no place for her in this sport either. She’d rather defend her idols than protect children.
Crying about someone being banned from the sport for raping children WHILE you’re teaching children that could have been victims if they were being trained by him. It’s mind boggling.
I can understand the feelings of loss and even grief when someone who was so influential in your life and in the sport itself has fallen but I do NOT understand the denial. So many people saying it never happened to me (most of whom are women) so I don’t believe it happened to you. You can still love the man and what he means to you without victim blaming. If George never looks at another horse the rest of his life, his influence will live on for generations. He has done enough and needs to fade into oblivion now.
It is possible that she is on the denial bandwagon because she herself had played a part in providing George with young riders to abuse and wants to use her Glory Days clout and long-time association with George to dissuade the masses of the notion that George (and by extension, herself) had any sort of untoward interactions with anyone who was exploited and abused by him. Sort of an “I would never let such a thing happen, so I’m not a piece of ****, so George isn’t!” position, I suppose.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
