Oooof. Is there any chance something is up with Boyd? Has he fallen or anything lately…?
I don’t know Boyd personally, but I do know CC. I believe her if she said she didn’t school a horse. What an ugly mess. I really feel for her.
And… even more grateful for the farm I trucked into on Tuesday, because this made me realize I forgot to drop off the check. It’s still in my glovebox. 
If they raked me through social media like this I think I would cry.
Someone posted this and it’s certainly a good issue. Someone at this level having an epic meltdown on a long-term client over $80 says something is really wrong.
You know, I feel like if he can calm down, there is a way back here.
He could apologise to her for his unprofessional treatment via text and esp for the SM stuff. She, as a neighbour and long-term student/client could say, thanks and no harm. I know we all have bad days and, as I said, sorry if the venmo later in the day doesn’t work for you and I’m happy to pay by cheque going forward - or any way you prefer!
They could show by their open display of friendship and camaraderie and collegialism at Fair Hill that all’s well and grown ups can make mistakes, make amends, make up, and move forward with a stronger, clearer professional relationship.
ETA: they could even do a cute SM post arm-in-arm with a no harm/no foul message that they’ve worked through it and are back on track professionally and as friends - that friends and fellow competitors in this sport can have enormous stress, but can also work through things and come through better than ever. It would work to undo a lot of the harm to both.
And they could both delete all the previous SM posts about it and more forward.
You make a great point. If he wants to he can make this not right, but repaired.
If he’s that aggravated with his own business model, then close the gates and only permit prepaid entry. that’s a massive pita.
And no one made him have that scrumptious indoor built. No one.
Agreed.
The nature of the text exchange tells me that this didn’t come out of nowhere – on both sides. There is a back story here that we the public aren’t privy to – on both sides.
Has Boyd ever done anything like this before? If this is not characteristic of him, then there is something about this customer that is not like his others. We have no way of knowing what that is, without being into his personal business.
As for Courtney’s soft replies and assurances, that tells me nothing about her, either way. They might be true to her character (but if so how did she get so crosswise with Boyd). Nonetheless, there are people who can use such covert framing of the issue to try to slip by whatever it was they know they should have done, but didn’t. But I have no idea which is the truth with this lady.
Yes, it happens. Especially for a business with an ongoing relationship with visiting customers, on a continuous service or a frequent service basis. Such as a program of monthly activities, or ongoing visits from the same frequent customers, even bars, restaurants, and retail stores, not tolerating bad behavior or payment problems from repeat customers. It’s good if you’ve never heard of it, as it indicates that you’ve never needed to. 
A suspension is not the first step (in a well run business). It’s the next to last step before cutting ties altogether, if things don’t change. There have been prior communications about the issue that haven’t been fully successful in encouraging the customer to change (if done properly, no idea about the thread-subject situation).
A suspension can be a shock warning that the situation won’t be tolerated further, without bouncing the customer outright. It becomes the customer’s decision to comply, or not.
This may not have anything to do with the FB kerfuffle, don’t know – Sometimes a continuing customer is a bit gaslight-y when asked to make an important change to fully adhere to policy (whatever it is). They partially change, or they make the change some of the time, but basically they maneuver to continue whatever irregularity they were doing as much as possible.
The business becomes increasingly exasperated by constantly having to follow up corrective action, or lose the policy line they are trying to hold. The irregular customer can affect other frequent customers as well, as the others become aware of it (they will). The longer the irregular situation continues, the longer this customer starts to stand out to the business as an outlier. Because of the constant need to follow-up when the other customers are following the policy.
I know of a monthly activities business who gave this same warning to a two customers just a few weeks ago. Turned them away from an activity until a long-standing irregular situation was fully corrected. The customers did correct, now everyone is behaving well toward each other as if it never happened, and no problems since.
Obviously a suspension isn’t done lightly. It’s for businesses who have decided they do not want customers who aren’t in line with whatever policies the business holds most firm.
You offer a very good solution to an ugly and public squabble! Boyd could set a very good example of acting like an adult after his hasty rant that seems way over the top for the offense. Courtney could also be a good sport after being on the receiving end of a publicly embarrassing confrontation. Help us demonstrate how to have empathy and respect for each other vs doubling down.
If there was backstory that would show him in a better light after those messages then why isn’t he sharing them? Or explaining? Instead he’s dead quiet as his cult rips into someone with not a word of “please do not attack this person who I still have a working relationship with and will have on property after said ban” or anything of the like and yes. I’m calling his fan base what it has clearly turned into which is a cult. And he is doing nothing to discourage what I would consider abysmal behavior.
I admit I didn’t read all the comments, but I skimmed a lot and didn’t see many that weren’t supportive of him. I hope there are some like you describe. I didn’t have the most glowingly positive perception of him before this, but now… yeah, everyone gets stressed out sometimes, but like you I can’t imagine ever sending someone texts like that, let alone following them up with a SM blast. It’s hard not to see that as revealing of true colors.
@beowulf, I was also wondering about the cumulative impact of all the TBIs he’s had over the years.
Given that he regularly listens to Joe Rogan (according to a video of him) and personally experiencing the toxic male culture of some Australians, it doesn’t surprise me this ugly side of him came out.
Remember the whole debacle of him “defending” Plantation a few years ago by posting the Merriam Webster definition of a plantation on his Facebook page, then deleting it? He needs a better PR team if they’re allowing this to happen.
ETA: There are a TON of Boyd fangirls out there on Facebook who will defend him come hell or high water. The problem with having success and being a good-looking, charismatic guy means you’re also put on a pedestal. Those fangirls are so enchanted by him that they’re willing to crucify anyone who puts their admiration into doubt. You can see the sycophancy oozing out of some of the comments on his post.
Oof. That doesn’t sound great. What a shame. I can totally empathise with people wanting to find the couple good folks in various fields and leaning in when you think you’ve found one. Seeing the ugly side is such a let down. I was never a huge fan of his b/c I’m not a huge fan of any athlete. I just don’t follow any sport enough to form those opinions. But the way he thought it was okay to speak to that woman via text is shocking.
I had a local breeder straight up rip me off for thousands of euros. It was hell piecing it all together and getting to the right people to get him to come clean and pay me back. And I never took that tone even with him.
The incivility of his texts, that they actually increased in aggression while she attempted to appease and de-escalated with each response, and the frankly unhinged facebook drama AFTER getting to tantrum and get his money (honestly, it was 100% that crazy FL braider, Kate whatever level of inappropriate) is just 
I do, however, genuinely hope they can make up and set a great example for others in the sport and especially young riders who look up to him.
This.
The undercurrent of toxic male behavior is certainly troubling. This type of unhinged response from him (with a bunch of women jumping up and defending him despite his rude and callous behavior) is kind of par for the course for the world we live in today.
Put it this way, if a woman was the one writing these texts and then “banned” someone from her property over a misunderstanding, she’d be called emotional and crazy. But when a man does it… well, we see the result right here.
I did not know about those instances but I will be honest I’ve been questioning what type of person he could possibly be to still be so adamantly supportive of this country like it’s the best place on earth during this climate. I wanted to be a fan because he does cast a positive light on the sport to outsiders which we desperately need but certain things just struck me as off and to learn this makes him a very unsafe space in my books.
So in trying to find the post again after FB refreshed, I searched Windurra and the post that FB chose to show me right below the “apology” post was one from 2021 about people “forgetting” to pay XC schooling fees.
I don’t know if that one is pinned or something, if it’s a coincidence, or if FB just thought I’d be interested in it. With that plus all the signs I do think he and the facility have made it abundantly clear that payment is due before you leave, regardless of what Courtney thought was okay just because she’d been doing it. People do like to think that signs and rules apply to other people but not to them. Maybe this escalated in part because it felt like a final straw (and maybe he’d had a few beers—just conjecture). Again, to me this does NOT excuse the level of anger and unprofessionalism in those texts.
The schooling facility near me ended up installing a trail camera at the gate to help deter no-pays. It’s sad when it comes to that. (The owner did not, as far as I know, excoriate anyone on SM though.)
His FB posts (name checking, airing his professional grievances in a one-sided way on SM, going ballistic on PM) is text book Kate Shearer. And this board rightfully called her out on that crazy.
Boyd’s are the same. No difference at all.
I do note that most of the fawning ‘no need to apologise’ posts are from women.
FWIW, a couple of men have really handed his arse to him about those texts, along with several women.
I wonder what the deleted post above was? 
Also, if you’re spending more money and time doing maintenance work on a course that is CLEARLY become a huge burden, maybe lease it off to someone else and have them run it as a separate business. Him complaining about not being able to spend time with his kids because he’s spending dozens of hours a week working on it is proof.
Honestly I think that Boyd Martin is the one that is in the wrong here. This matter could have been handled with a general message on social media and a private conversation with the other professional. The fact that he calls someone out on social media and then backs it up with a half hearted apology is juvenile.
I found it super annoying that he brought his kids and the fact that he is in debt into the conversation. He doesn’t need to justify why they need to pay him.
“When people show you who they are…, believe them”
I’m glad Courtney stood up for herself.
His response was unhinged.
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