Reed Kessler: I wish I could hate her but she's so darn nice! :D

[Lord_Helpus]

[QUOTE=vxf111;8202461]

Plenty of top showjumpers aren’t particularly nice. But they also don’t go around putting out press releases about the new farms they buy. If you don’t want people to think you’re entitled, don’t promote your new “business” by doing a glossy lifestyle piece about how pretty it is and how great you are. I can’t remember the last time any big showjumper did a sua sponte pictorial about a new property they bought (or that someone else bought for them).[/QUOTE]

Noooo, none of the other BNR’s put out puff pieces. Certainly not Beezie (because she is perfect). Noooooo she would never do that.

Oh wait!!! She and John DID do just that:
http://issuu.com/horseandstylemag/docs/issue21-febmar-issuu/52

And Kent Farrington would never invite people into his barn so they could video (for publication) all the lovely rooms and stalls and horses.

Oh wait!! He DID do that.
Part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU55bivdRLY
Part 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAe4vOZmbCY

And how about all the Behind the Barn Door pieces in COTH? (I am thinking of the ones that showed the whole farm, not the ones about a single horse)

McLean inherited his farm from his father, Barney. Barney also bought McLean’s horses when he was a junior/young professional. If you want to see the farm, just go to McLean’s web site.

Anyone who will never again appreciate Reed’s talent or accomplishments because of the way she walked out of a ring when she was 18… well, perhaps you are too busy polishing your halos to think about to how you comported yourselves when you were 18. Just sayin’.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=Darkwave;8202747]
I agree with your entire post, but wanted to highlight this section.

It’s hilarious to me the large (by which I mean non-zero and more than one or two) former junior riders who have ended up making a “career” out of running a “business” that is essentially figuring out how to spend their parents’ money on horses and trailers and fancy saddles.

They’re earning a small fortune in the horse business the old fashioned way, by starting with a large fortune

I do think RK has earned a bit of this criticism, simply by putting herself out there so publicly (exactly as vxf111 noted). When you have a puff piece that is basically LOOK AT MY NEW FARM THAT I BOUGHT FOR MY BUSINESS, people are of course going to respond that you didn’t really buy it with your own money, and that you’re not really running a business.

I do wonder if some of the young WEF trust fund crowd understand that most people DON’T have trust funds.[/QUOTE]

I might add that siphoning money into kiddo’s money-losing business is an excellent way to transfer wealth… particularly if you’ll have more than $5.3M to dispose of.

[Blinky]

I’m pretty sure most of the folks on here have no idea what sort of business arrangement Reed and her parents have. Or what are the details of the business plan. I know I don’t.

[vxf111]

LH, you’re strawmanning me and took that quote out of context. And that’s kind of unfair. There’s a difference between arranging your own fawning press to publicize your new business venture, independence, and fancy new farm and a lifestyle magazine that profiles barns/riders wanting to come profile a barn/rider. Announcing a press conference because mom bought you a new toy looks/feels different to the public than someone who has been around for decades drawing back the curtain to let the public have a behind the scenes peek.

My point is that if Reed is in control of her public image and if she doesn’t want to come off a certain way, she ought to think about the things she says/does in her PR pieces. For example, if she doesn’t want to come off as spoiled/self-indulgent she might want to play down all the emphasis on the things her parents have bought for her. That pieces comes off as dismissive of riders based in the USA and frankly kind of dismissive of her prior coaches. That reflects on her.

I never said no BNTs ever did any tours/interviews about their barns. Of course they do. COTH regularly features them. But those BNTs are careful to manage the image they project. None of the articles about other BNTS linked on this thread have included waffling on about parent-financed endeavors. Or backhanded comments about prior trainers. Or frankly dissing American shows. My point is that Reed is in control of her own image and if she doesn’t want to come off a certain way-- she should think about what she says/does in the public. In other words-- people who are worried about seeming entitled might not want to do press about all the nice things their parents buy them. That’s all.

[Darkwave]

[QUOTE=Lord Helpus;8202971]
Anyone who will never again appreciate Reed’s talent or accomplishments because of the way she walked out of a ring when she was 18… well, perhaps you are too busy polishing your halos to think about to how you comported yourselves when you were 18. Just sayin’.[/QUOTE]

Let me be clear - I believe that Reed Kessler has both more money and more talent than I do. Vastly more on both accounts (plus better hair). And the way she performed so coolly under pressure at the trials for London was really really impressive.

But at the same time, I think some more work could be done on how she presents herself. Including, perhaps, less presentation.

[ybiaw]

I think that Reed could take 2 steps to improve her public image to those who dislike her, myself included.

1. Receive some media relations/public relations training. She may just not know that she comes across how she does in interviews and she probably lacks the training to come across in a better way. This is a skill that is learned, it is not inherent.

2. STFU. Stop talking. Just stop. Stop talking about your program, your horses, how riding and showing in Europe is SOOOO much better than riding and showing in North America, and how North American shows are basically (garbage) compared to shows in Europe and how she’s so above North American competitions and trainers anymore. Just no more talky. Focus on riding and getting up in those rankings, and THEN come back when you’re back in the top 30 and talk about how going to Europe and the European system really helped you. Not after you’ve fallen to 96. From 29. In a year.

As Elvis Presley once said, “A little less conversation, a little more action.”

[sixteenhands]

@SnicklefritzG;8202088

I have no interest in following Reed’s career after the way she handled the situation with Mika in that one show.

but you never miss an opportunity to post on a thread with her name in the title!

[NCRider]

[QUOTE=ybiaw;8203033]
I think that Reed could take 2 steps to improve her public image to those who dislike her, myself included.

1. Receive some media relations/public relations training. She may just not know that she comes across how she does in interviews and she probably lacks the training to come across in a better way. This is a skill that is learned, it is not inherent.

2. STFU. Stop talking. Just stop. Stop talking about your program, your horses, how riding and showing in Europe is SOOOO much better than riding and showing in North America, and how North American shows are basically (garbage) compared to shows in Europe and how she’s so above North American competitions and trainers anymore. Just no more talky. Focus on riding and getting up in those rankings, and THEN come back when you’re back in the top 30 and talk about how going to Europe and the European system really helped you. Not after you’ve fallen to 96. From 29. In a year.

As Elvis Presley once said, “A little less conversation, a little more action.”[/QUOTE]

While I agree she can come across as a bit unaware in interviews, I don’t think this one was that bad. The two things she pointed out as better over in Europe-1-better lifestyle for horse and rider with less time on the road and 2-less dependence on trainers-both reflect criticisms that many people have of the US hunter/jumper industry. Too much time in the ring, too much time on the road, trainer dependence, lack of horsemanship, etc, too much focus on the ribbons, etc.

[ybiaw]

[QUOTE=NCRider;8203046]
While I agree she can come across as a bit unaware in interviews, I don’t think this one was that bad. The two things she pointed out as better over in Europe-1-better lifestyle for horse and rider with less time on the road and 2-less dependence on trainers-both reflect criticisms that many people have of the US hunter/jumper industry. Too much time in the ring, too much time on the road, trainer dependence, lack of horsemanship, etc, too much focus on the ribbons, etc.[/QUOTE]

It’s easy not to come across as terrible in a written article on your pr persons blog. I am speaking more specifically to some recent on-camera interviews.

[Denzel]

While I agree that maybe she doesn’t always come across the best she could in interviews, I think it is important to remember that in many of the interviews, she is ASKED to explain WHY she chose to base herself in Europe vs North America, which is why it seems like she may be “putting down” the North American shows when she is talking about what advantages led to her choosing a European base vs a North American base.

And let’s also remember that MANY international riders are not actually based in the country they are riding for!

[spacytracy]

Anyone have the link to the post where her mom showed up?

I’m having a bad night and in need of some shameless, gossipy distraction.

[ybiaw]

[QUOTE=spacytracy;8203070]
Anyone have the link to the post where her mom showed up?

I’m having a bad night and in need of some shameless, gossipy distraction.[/QUOTE]

You can find a variety of them if you just search for her username and click on recent posts. Her username is simply her name, however like he who shall not be named, I fear to speak or type it, lest she show up and start yelling at all of us “haters.”

[Capall]

I had no idea Reed was so polarizing :lol:

[Bristol_Bay]

[QUOTE=spacytracy;8203070]
Anyone have the link to the post where her mom showed up?

I’m having a bad night and in need of some shameless, gossipy distraction.[/QUOTE]

This is my personal fave, started by yours truly under my previous screen name. It’s hilarious now but at the time, I was feeling chased by a torch mob.

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?347787-A-boring-thread-in-which-OP-wonders-why-COTH-doesn-t-mention-parents-Happy-now&highlight=Boring+thread

Here’s the classic:

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?434338-Old-Reed-vs-New-Reed-when-you-change-programs&highlight=reed

[sixteenhands]

@SnicklefritzG

I have no interest in following Reed’s career after the way she handled the situation with Mika in that one show.

I know I already quoted you but this is funny, since you do have interest. You started this thread after the Mika incident. You can’t get enough of her.

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?434338-Old-Reed-vs-New-Reed-when-you-change-programs&highlight=reed

[SnicklefritzG]

[QUOTE=sixteenhands;8203137]
I know I already quoted you but this is funny, since you do have interest. You started this thread after the Mika incident. You can’t get enough of her.

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?434338-Old-Reed-vs-New-Reed-when-you-change-programs&highlight=reed[/QUOTE]

That was over a year ago, [edit]

If you have to dig up very old threads to get your jollies, I feel sorry for you. The rest of us are going to go ride and be productive. :lol:

[Miss_Motivation]

Here’s something to consider about Reed Kessler:

She’s young, she’s successful in competitions, and she is the face of the new social media equestrian star.

Reed’s had more exposure than most of her peers who are decades, or generations, older.

She is beautiful, talented, has backing, and is very savvy about new media. The pros and cons of new media (her every move known to tens of thousands of followers, even the moves she might regret) make her a riding star of a type different than her predecessors. Thought she may be a lightning rod within the sport, she’s a potential beacon to those who have a casual interest in equestrian sports as a participant or sponsor.

It will be interesting to watch how her career continues, and what marketing decisions she and her team continue to make to market the brand called Reed Kessler. Her dad is rather a marketing genius… so it’s probably not an accident that Ms. Kessler has garnered more media attention than just about anyone else in the game right now, at least on the social media side of things.

And perhaps, this is a good thing, in terms of potential for equestrian sports athletes to start to have the Q power to draw new fans, new sponsorships, TV time, and new prize money to what is a rather mature, closed sport.

Regardless of recent performance, the young, handsome Tiger Woods revolutionized golf and brought millions of new converts to the sport, at least in part.

Would larger than life personalities necessarily be all bad for equestrian sports? Is a beautiful young sports star who inspires both admiration and jealousy necessarily a bad thing?

Jilly Cooper comes to mind… but the world will likely not fall in love with a 40-something horsewoman who has spent her life in the saddle, outdoors in the sun, who can talk chapter and verse about horses but is rarely seen in a fashion layout in a mainstream magazine. That’s not Reed… she has a lot of positives herself, and potentially for the sport too. Let’s just hope she can continue to develop her skills with a minimum of scandal, because as her star rises… perhaps those of the other young, beautiful, jet-set riders will too. And her rising tide may help lift all boats.

[vxf111]

Break the internet!!! Go on now!!!

Seriously one of the funniest tone deaf posts in the history of COTH!!! I love it!

[QUOTE=Miss Motivation;8203180]
Here’s something to consider about Reed Kessler:

She’s young, she’s successful in competitions, and she is the face of the new social media equestrian star.

Reed’s had more exposure than most of her peers who are decades, or generations, older.

She is beautiful, talented, has backing, and is very savvy about new media. The pros and cons of new media (her every move known to tens of thousands of followers, even the moves she might regret) make her a riding star of a type different than her predecessors. Thought she may be a lightning rod within the sport, she’s a potential beacon to those who have a casual interest in equestrian sports as a participant or sponsor.

It will be interesting to watch how her career continues, and what marketing decisions she and her team continue to make to market the brand called Reed Kessler. Her dad is rather a marketing genius… so it’s probably not an accident that Ms. Kessler has garnered more media attention than just about anyone else in the game right now, at least on the social media side of things.

And perhaps, this is a good thing, in terms of potential for equestrian sports athletes to start to have the Q power to draw new fans, new sponsorships, TV time, and new prize money to what is a rather mature, closed sport.

Regardless of recent performance, the young, handsome Tiger Woods revolutionized golf and brought millions of new converts to the sport, at least in part.

Would larger than life personalities necessarily be all bad for equestrian sports? Is a beautiful young sports star who inspires both admiration and jealousy necessarily a bad thing?

Jilly Cooper comes to mind… but the world will likely not fall in love with a 40-something horsewoman who has spent her life in the saddle, outdoors in the sun, who can talk chapter and verse about horses but is rarely seen in a fashion layout in a mainstream magazine. That’s not Reed… she has a lot of positives herself, and potentially for the sport too. Let’s just hope she can continue to develop her skills with a minimum of scandal, because as her star rises… perhaps those of the other young, beautiful, jet-set riders will too. And her rising tide may help lift all boats.[/QUOTE]

[mvp]

[QUOTE=NCRider;8203046]
While I agree she can come across as a bit unaware in interviews, I don’t think this one was that bad. The two things she pointed out as better over in Europe-1-better lifestyle for horse and rider with less time on the road and 2-less dependence on trainers-both reflect criticisms that many people have of the US hunter/jumper industry. Too much time in the ring, too much time on the road, trainer dependence, lack of horsemanship, etc, too much focus on the ribbons, etc.[/QUOTE]

FWIW, Kessler isn’t the only person–or American-- to point out these aspects of showing in Europe. In fact, isn’t there a thread going on now in which someone describes showing in Britain somewhat this way? Not all of it looks like Germany, of course, but that COTHer did bring up some contrasts with the US scene.

[Bristol_Bay]

[QUOTE=vxf111;8203182]
Break the internet!!! Go on now!!!

Seriously one of the funniest tone deaf posts in the history of COTH!!! I love it![/QUOTE]

Especially the part about the “marketing genius” dad. Selling Newports in the inner-city…lots of cross over there.