He certainly knows that hiring a proxy is against the rules. Sure it doesn’t say exactly that he can’t send an employee instead of him but everyone knows what it means
I don’t think anyone can state with certainty that Paul is not abiding by the rules. There are very detailed rules as to what someone can and cannot do under these circumstances, and there is no reason to suspect that someone in such circumstances would not follow them when they are very specifically laid out. In any case, they are so specific; there’s certainly no way for anyone not privy to the exact details to be able to judge for sure one way or the other.
I will say that, as a competitor, I have no issue with the way Paul currently conducts his business.
I’ll add the rest of the passage from the rulebook, as all that seems to have been quoted is the very vague beginning.
GR70 © USEF November 2005
VIOLATIONS and PENALTIES
Any person who assumes the responsibility for the care, custody or control of an unsuspended horse completely or in part owned, leased, trained by or coached by a suspended person, must not:
a. Be paid a salary directly or indirectly by or on behalf of the suspended person; or
b. Receive a bonus or any other form of compensation in cash, property or other remuneration or consideration such as to make up for any such lost salary; or
c. Make any payments of any kind, or give any remuneration or other compensation or consideration, to the suspended person, his/her spouse or companion, any corporation,
partnership or other entity owned or controlled by said suspended person or to any other person for transfer to any of said individuals or entities for the right to ride, exhibit,
coach or train for the suspended person or any of the suspended person’s customers
during Federation Licensed Competitions;
d. Use the farm or individual name of the suspended person.
5. An individual who takes over the horses of a suspended trainer or coach must:
a. Bill customers directly on his/her own bill forms for any services rendered at or in connection with any Federation Licensed Competitions
b. Maintain a personal checking account totally separate from and independent of that of the suspended person for purposes of paying all expenses of and depositing all income from customers;
c. Pay all his/her employees working at Federation competitions, none of whom may be employees, directly or indirectly, of the suspended person;
d. Keep checks, books, employee records and make withholding of taxes and other regular deductions from his/her employees’ paychecks;
e. Pay all feed bills, motel, van bills, travel expenses, etc. from his/her separate and independent checking account and preserve, for six months after the date that said suspension is terminated, invoices for said bills;
f. If such individual makes use of any equipment of a suspended trainer, the use of said equipment must be enumerated in detail in a written lease, the form and substance of which must be satisfactory to counsel for the Federation and shall be at the fair rental value for said equipment and said price must be included in said agreement;
g. File such federal and state tax returns as will reflect as his or her income the income from said training or coaching responsibilities at Federation Licensed Competitions;
h. Not borrow funds from a suspended trainer or coach, his/her spouse or companion, their families, corporations, partnerships or any other entities owned or controlled by said suspended trainer or to any other person for the purpose of going into business for
himself or herself at Federation Licensed Competitions during the period of said suspension, nor will he/she allow any of the above-named parties or entities to sign or guarantee any notes or any type of loans to enable him or her to go into business as
described above.
6. Suspended trainers and coaches, and individuals taking over the horses or customers of a suspended trainer or coach may be requested to make their books, canceled checks, invoices, tax returns and other evidence available to Federation representatives to verify and affirm the details of any relationship between them and suspended trainer or coach.
You sure would catch the judges eye!
As others have observed, s/he is doing a far better job keeping this thread on page 1 than any of us could possibly hope for (I foresee a dazzling future for you with Phelps Media, BD).