People Attempting to Undermine Safe Sport

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

They are very vague, and don’t specify on their website or on Facebook exactly who it is that is teaching lessons at Wulf Crest…

They’ve also updated the River Chase website, and there is no longer a section devoted to naming their trainers and detailing their bios…

Which should officially be considered a new “red flag” for parents and clients seeking coaching to take note of. When a lesson program or commercial farm won’t publicize the professionals involved in the operation by name on social media or on their own website… take note of that. This very well might mean that a simple Google search of the “professional” by name will reveal something of basic concern…

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

That’s interesting about him living on site at Wulf Crest. The business is definitely registered under the River Chase barn manager’s (Luis) name.

Other things I’ve noticed from a distance…

River Chase now has a sponsored Facebook ad that keeps on popping up in my feed. I think it’s somehow linked to a few local horse groups that I happen to be a part of. Many local folks in these groups are well aware of Tom’s ban, and the horsemanship concerns at River Chase. But don’t actively call them out online. But one person did comment on the sponsored post, “Who are the instructors? I can’t find any names when I click on instructors!”

Sarah Wilson actually responded to the person’s comment by winking…

The commenter then directly asked her if she was still an instructor at River Chase… and there was no response by Sarah to that.

[skydy]

One just has to hope that any parent who would even consider having a child taught at River Chase Farm or at The Stables at Wulf Creek will do their due diligence and take note if it is difficult to find the names of those associated with either farm.

USEF members also need to know who they are associating with.

[skydy]

I would expect that any parent, in this day and age, would run background checks on any and every one that works at a barn where they will be leaving their kids after school or at any other times leaving them unattended by a parent.

It is easy to research peoples records, much easier than it used to be in the days before the internet. There’s no excuse not to. It is a small amount to spend where your children’s welfare is concerned.

[Jenerationx]

It’s disgusting that the community lets him continue being near children. I don’t care when a rapist or molester screwed up a child’s life. Whether it was yesterday or a decade or 1/2 century ago, that’s not something that EVER leaves that child. They should not ever be around children again. They tend to never stop if given the opportunity either, so those that think it was one time are sorely mistaken.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

Agreed.

He’s a case study in SafeSport’s limitations at the grassroots level, when someone is operating a lesson program in a densely populated area, where there is high demand for riding lessons (and any number of other youth sport participation opportunities), and there’s a steady supply of relatively wealthy suburbanite parents & clients close by - people who don’t have a significant background in horses, but want to learn.

If you took the same guy, with the SafeSport ban, and he tried to make a go of his particular lesson business model in a different area… I don’t think he would be able to make a go of it.

[Jenerationx]

He has clients that know, and don’t care about his past.

[skydy]

That may be true, but it doesn’t mean that most parents won’t care.

[Jenerationx]

That’s true. I can hope that parents will do their research and stay away from the predators. It’s hard to stay positive sometimes when you see kids still going through these things.

It’s just beyond belief that people like kadamson and 12penandink exist and think we should support pedophiles in our sport. I can’t fathom anyone who wouldn’t want pedophiles kicked out and kept from children for the remainder of their lives.

[Milocalwinnings]

@Virginia_Horse_Mom

That’s interesting about him living on site at Wulf Crest. The business is definitely registered under the River Chase barn manager’s (Luis) name.

Other things I’ve noticed from a distance…

River Chase now has a sponsored Facebook ad that keeps on popping up in my feed. I think it’s somehow linked to a few local horse groups that I happen to be a part of. Many local folks in these groups are well aware of Tom’s ban, and the horsemanship concerns at River Chase. But don’t actively call them out online. But one person did comment on the sponsored post, “Who are the instructors? I can’t find any names when I click on instructors!”

Sarah Wilson actually responded to the person’s comment by winking…

The commenter then directly asked her if she was still an instructor at River Chase… and there was no response by Sarah to that.

Soooo… it’s business as usual for these people. The SafeSport ban does indeed exist. But these folks want to make a buck running a lesson program for minors… and they will continue to operate in plain sight and rely upon clients and parents who don’t do adequate homework about their kid’s instructors, and the background of these “professionals.”

@Virginia_Horse_Mom I saw someone did call him out but River Chase deleted her comment after a few hours.

[LexInVA]

Parents usually just assume that their child is safe because other parents have their kids at the same place or because some individual has been around for ages and nobody ever said anything. I have never ever seen any proactive stance on children’s safety in activities or daily goings on, other than parents trying to ensure that “stranger danger” doesn’t happen and usually, it’s in the context of a non-White individual lurking around. That being said, we have the usual “always surprising” instances of someone that people trusted around kids turning out to be a predator or abuser and there’s never any reflections beyond “Well, I had no idea and never would have thought!”, despite clear signs of “something isn’t right here” being present, usually the crossing of boundaries in a way that parents will often dismiss entirely.

[skydy]

Hopefully someone local will research the employees of both farms properly and if there are issues , besides Tom Navarro who is a known issue, will alert parents in the area.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

Thanks for noting that. I’m admittedly ignorant of the many ways businesses can manipulate FB in order to ensure they only have carefully selected responses to their posts visible to the general public, and 5 star reviews on their business page.

But it’s crystal clear that the River Chase folks are carefully managing their online presence.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

@LexInVA detailed SW’s arrest record awhile back on this thread… it was quite a read. Something parents of students riding with her MIGHT want to take note of.

She was Tom’s assistant coach at River Chase over the summer, and maybe is still working for him (?).

Lots of people in the industry have a less than perfect personal history, and I am all for people turning their lives around. But when the whole “She has really turned her life around, and is just trying to make a go of it coaching” argument involves her working as a coach at a lesson barn run by a guy who sexually abused a minor, is banned for life by SafeSport… and she not only coaches on his property, but also helps take the minor students out to local shows… thus helping find a “grey area” loophole for the SafeSport ban issue at River Chase… well… call me a cynical jerk if you want… but that all makes we question the whole “she’s a really sweet person who has cleaned up her life” narrative.

[ChestnutMare1]

Sara Wilson very much still teaches lessons at River Chase and now also instructs at Wulf Crest. She is complicit.

[Knights_Mom]

The average non horsey parent wouldn’t find anything unless there were names to check. If people aren’t listed, there’s no way to check on them.

[skydy]

@Knights_Mom

The average non horsey parent wouldn’t find anything unless there were names to check. If people aren’t listed, there’s no way to check on them.

The more reason for horsey people in the area to make a noise.

If one parent listens, that is one child (or more) that will potentially be put in a lesson program with competent horsemen and horsewomen, those who don’t have criminal records of fraud, and who don’t associate with individuals that have been banned by Safe Sport and USEF for criminal sexual assault of minors.

[endlessclimb]

Would the local media be interested in this? That might be a good way to get the word out in the area.

[LexInVA]

Only if there is an arrest for child abuse or some other heinous crime. Otherwise, the local media just doesn’t care and they have no interest in running anything that puts them in the crosshairs of a lawyer, one of which Tom seems to have working for free.

[skydy]

If the NYT wanted to do another expose’ (sorry there is no choice of the proper accent on my computer) of the horse world, they have the lawyers.