Spilling the tea as us elders called it- gossip.
To those who say his personal life shouldn’t matter when it comes to a Horseman of the Year award, I agree with you almost 100%.
There are articles in COTH about how we aren’t teaching riders to be complete horsemen and horsewomen. There are gaps in the education, training and instruction, both on the ground and when riding. For the most part, barn management, equine management, people skills, and business skills aren’t being widely taught, although they’re all a vital part of being a successful horseman (the articles don’t mention success in competition as a criteria for a good horseman). Each one of those requires a measure of civil behavior, at the barn and at a show, regardless of personal issues. And each one carries extra importance, because the care of horses is involved.
Example: BNT’s, who may be thought of as good horsemen because they’re friendly, ride well and win, are suspended by USEF for drugging clients’ horses.
Are they still good horsemen ? For me, no.
Forget about the Russell shooting for a moment. It’s not relevant to the Horseman of the Year award.
My point is he was given the honor despite his well known reputation for less than honorable behavior,
in the horse industry. Behavior that has been mentioned by those who know him in this thread.
I understand that the award criteria is set by CSHHF and it’s their prerogative. Circling back to teaching riders to be good all around horsemen, does the Horseman of the Year award (or any similar award for that matter) match the attributes we say we want from a good horseman ? Isn’t there more to being a good horseman than being a good rider and showing at the top the sport ?
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Yep
Depends on how you view positive impact. 
I agree with you though.
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Two people in my parents’ circle of psychiatrist friends were murdered. One was found next to his car in the parking lit of a drug rehab clinic (*) where he worked. Nothing was taken—he had a decent amount of cash, a nice watch, and gold jewelry. The other was a psychiatrist’s wife that my mom became good friends with as both were into horses. Her ranch handyman was convicted if the crime but it was unsolved for awhile. Both were on the west side of L.A.
(*) That’s what I was told but linked article refers to a psychiatric hospital.
Edited to add links and above note.
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Wow.
Those both sound wacky.
Especially the first one, if he was not robbed. How terrible.
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I get it, too.
The thing is - what people “knew” about them was that the family appeared to have tempers and often were argumentative (to each other). That’s not very substantive nor does anyone bring forward much “evidence” just a feeling.
As I mentioned above, my own father was well like by the community. Volunteering, investing, supportive to ALL around him. Just not his blood family - quite the opposite: manipulative, delusional, abusive, blah blah blah.
Sure, folks could say my Dad was "often very involved in things outside of the family and appeared like he took advantage of his wife’s (my mom’s) high powered, high income corporate job to be able to be this “angel investor” and gave off a slightly narcissistic vibe that flowed between visionary and delusions of grandeur.
But, that would be their presumption - they didn’t KNOW it was true, not until we (remaining blood family) didn’t hold any semblance of a funeral, had him cremated in a cardboard box, sold his remaining physical assets / belongings privately for a dollar, and literally pretend he never existed.
It is VERY hard to not give awards to folks who fit the bill of the scope of the award, but may give people an “odd feeling”.
That ranges into discriminatory as then one could give all sorts “vibe” reasons as to why someone may not be a recipient. History tells us folks were not awarded accolades because they appeared gay or too ethnic or too outspoken or too something.
Again - I don’t know the family. Did they have any serious records of DV/ abuse / police calls… someone mentioned a CPS report but was that the West Coast Russells?
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Addicts don’t always make the best criminals, it could have been intended as a robbery and then scared off the perpetrator after it escalated to murder.
(ETA never mind, no way in hell was that a robbery gone wrong!)
I have no idea why they gave him that award. I think he’s a good rider, especially with a tough or challenging ride, but if you include horse care in the definition, it’s not a shining example. Not abusive, but there are plenty who are better. But sometimes these type of awards start out with good intentions and end up being a bit of a cross between a popularity contest and “who’s next on the list”.
I assume the poster who is worrying this like a dog with a bone has no experience with these awards (and trying to get club membership to offer up worthy candidates) but iykyk.
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Story in NYT
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In case you missed it. And it’s damn hard if every single witness and the victim get up and say “I dint see nuthin’”
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Interesting that the New York Times, which is not a horse publication, managed to find out the name of the horse and his job description just by asking somebody. And the article was not even written by their resident horse person.
It looks like he was owned in part and ridden by Lincoln Russell, and has shown quite a bit this year in the 1.30/1.35 jumpers and some smaller Grand Prix classes.
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How many people have we counted on this thread saying “Yeah, not surprised”?
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ik.
These awards usually start out because someone truly deserved recognition, but local horse worlds are small. I prefer they not be required to be awarded every year but if they are, well, eventually you get to the bottom of the barrel. Quicker in some places than others.
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I think the conversation often ends up something like:
How about giving the award to X?
I don’t know, I mean what about [insert flaws, faults, concerns]?
Yeah, I know, but [insert all the really good qualities and accomplishments]. Don’t you think that kind of makes up for [flaws, faults, concerns]?
Mmmm… It’s true that X has done some great things for the industry and we would like to reward those actions. OK, all in favor say “Aye.”
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If we awarded trophies based on how decent a human being was in the horse world, the pool would be small and filled with Susie has a horse. Not that that is bad, but let’s be honest, the top of the top are rarely good people inside and out.
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Very true. While it is no excuse for his actions, I’m also wondering if CTE might’ve been a factor here.
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Anyone who has been regularly horse showing in the south east over the last 30 years knows the legend of the Russel family. It’s not tea or gossip, it’s a well deserved bad reputation.
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You’re getting clucked at, but who can deny the appeal? It’s very Southern Gothic….the dynasties, the horses, the elite sport juxtaposed with the seedy behavior, the large personalities, the violence against the prodigal son, the horrific but poetic vision of a horse shot from beneath you.
I grew up in a holler, the kind of place you can hear your neighbors a mile away talking at night on the porch. One neighbor was such a type, fourth generation on the land, big man in local politics. He would come dig holes for our horses when they passed for free and spend a quiet moment before covering them up.
But if you made an enemy of him, he’d burn your barn down. With the stock inside. At least 3 barns burned in my childhood years.
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Oh?
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Do I really need to do a who’s who of equestrians that get trophies medals and arenas named after them who turned out to be complete garbage?
It would be amazing if the winners of these things were good people many of whom who are famous but not in the lime light anymore. But guess what? That’s not reality. Most of the time.
Yes we have our great wholesome horseman, but the list is SHORT.
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