http://www.usahsa.org/Bracelets-No-Reinstatement.htm
I have tried to stay away from this thread, because it seems to me that what the “No Reinstatement” faction really is about is to discredit the “A” Circuit competitors and unilaterally assuming that anyone who competes on the "A: level of showing condones killing horses for insurance money.
You couldn’t be more wrong saddlebag. We are against those who who committed offenses against your community of A Circuit people and yet you seem to tolerate PV’s lack of remorse by stretching the rules to accomodate his needs as more important than our value as a “sport”. These are convicted self confessed felons who admit they killed horses to pacify the ego of either the trainer or the client without regard for what was good for the horse.
Do you seriously believe that convicted felons should be a welcome part of our horse community? Whether it is a convicted sexual offender; or a confessed murderer of a client like Helen Brach; or theives who steal horses from rightful owners without fair compensation these are felons and they have no plavce in the world of sports.
So now, you are seeking to piggy-back your cause onto the upcoming Animal Planet series on the Maclay Finals by implying that the kids who are the stars of this series, and who have expended the work and dedication that goes into preparing for this national championship, are the budding young horse killers of the future. I’m sorry, but I find this type of “Yellow Journalism” extremely distasteful and yes, harmful to the sport.
No we are saying that these children deserve a better horse world for all their efforts. They deserve the opportunity to accept the Olympic challenge based on how good they are and not ho they know. They deserve to find a place in this horse world where they can win fairly with rules equally enforced. Saddlebag are you not embarrassed that the Court has ruled that these felons can be eliminated from our sport and should be for their transgressions.
Are you not ashamed that we have existing rules that say that PV violated the spirit of his parole? Are you not incensed that in your favorite environment you rub elbows with the man who publicly admitted he killed Helen Brach, with the people who admitted they killed horses for the insurance money and they fraudulently killed healthy horses? With other trainers who may have cheated you of prizes by having drugged horses? By knowing that rightful owners have been penalized with financial loss from conmen who are as I write Members in good standing of the Federation?
I know of no-one who supports the actions of Messrs Lindeman, Ward, Valliere, et al that occured ten years ago. I certainly am apalled by what they did to those horses. But, I am also outraged when I read the vicious verbiage that this mob visits upon anyone who says, "Hey, I have faith that the USEF Hearing Committee will listen to the reinstatement arguments fairly and dispassionately, and will come to a just decision as to when or whether the miscreants may be reinstated as members of our Federation.
Why would anyone have faith in a Hearing Committee that is accountable to no one? A self contained revolving circle which has the final decision and does not feel impelled to make sure that all the rules are equally enforced on all levels of competition. There is no accountability and no responsibility as the punishment is dealt out to be a less painful as possible on those VIP and as strict as possible on the “nobodies”.
And,by the way, the whole notion of the petition flies in the face of a fair judicial procedure. Juries in criminal trials are often sequestered so that they can’t be tainted by public emotions and swayed by lynch mob histrionics. Your actions, despite what you say, amounts to an attempt at “jury tampering”, and last time I heard, that is against the law!
It is not because because we don’t expect a fair hearing on this issue. No one is attempting jury tampering we are preparing a case to present to higher authority.
As someone mentioned earlier, “Get Over It!” And, by the way, the letter that was sent to Animal Planet stated ( as fact) that the USEF was “one by one reinstating” those who had been found guilty of insurance fraud". That just isn’t true…the USEF is beginning to conduct hearings on reinstatement…which is not the same thing as granting reinstatement. Please…when you set out to ruin a sport that others have worked very hard to develop…at least, get your facts straight!
Are you sayng that you don’t know of the current re-instatement of two already that were convicted and are felons. Do you agree with us that PV should not be re-instated? I submitted a request to the CEO that Joe Plemmons after his public confession that he shot Helen Brach in the head twice should be suspended and have a Hearing. I never received the courtesy of an answer.
But doing coke is nowhere near as horrific as sentencing a horse to an awful death because it’s not performing up to your standards. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>