CDJ withdrawn from paris

[SkylarkAscending]

Because, like it or not, it's what happens in all sports and has done for decades. Sponsors only really care about whether the person they sponsor gives them wide public exposure. It's why they will pay millions over the years to successful athletes and big occasions. They will only drop someone if the hits the fan, and sometimes not even then. But dropping athletes is just a PR stunt. Truth is they probably don't really care despite their "oh isn't it awful" statements that get released.

A quick Google will bring up a number of high profile athletes who got dropped when found out in wrong doing only for the old sponser to come creeping back or new sponsors take over after time has moved on a bit and the furor has died down. For example:

Tiger Woods:
Had an affair, all but one sponsor (Nike) dropped him like a hot potato. Now has just as many sponsors as before.

Maria Sharipova
Took drugs - suspended for 2 years.
Dropped by three sponsors, two stuck by her, a few more came on board once she started competing again.

Michael Vick
Ran a dogfighting ring.
Lost all his sponsors was suspended from sport and went to jail.
Upon leaving jail he resumed his sports career and the sponsors quickly returned.

Adrian Peterson
Child abuse. Sponsors all dropped him. Upon his return he quickly found sponsorship again.

Wayne Rooney
had an affair but was only dropped by his main sponsor after a rant. Other sponsors stuck by him.

I could go on ...

There are dozens, probably hundreds of such instances across the world of sport where things a 'mild' as having a roving eye to full on abuse and even murder leads to sponsors first of all running, then coming back once the dust has settled. In CDJs case it will depend on what sentence the FEI hands down. I personally don't think she'll get anything like what EL received for electrocuting his horses.

​

Some interesting comparators - while it might be morally reprehensible to have an affair, or use drugs personally, it’s hardly the same as abuse.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

My guess would be this will all blow over in a few weeks, and nothing will change. Remember the gordon elliott video came out, where he was literally sitting on a dead horse. People were horrified for a few days and then everyone seemed to forget and nothing changed.

But in the great scheme of things that was just tasteless, not important for horse welfare

 

[webble]

@Nonjumper off topic slightly but an mma podcast I listen too recently said one of their sponsors had asked if they would be willing to work with Michael Vick and they said no so the sponsor said no too (just wanted to share a positive outcome)

I'm not sure having an affair is really quite the same as abusing an animal especially when the animal is part of the sport

 

[Janique]

After watching the vidéo again, i can't believe she has the courage to say that's a one off....

An erreur of judgement.... Surely....

It's really taking people for idiots..... And to add insults to injuries, she also clearly say, this is so shit at hitting them hard.....

No more comments are needed, as for the person laughing stupidly, well..... She is not much better tbh.

 

[wills_91]

I have put my headphones in and turned the volume up as far as I can to try and hear better (rip my eardrums, that whip cracking has done them in!)
From what I heard, and I may be very wrong, it was

CDJ "This is so s*it at hitting 'em hard"
Rider "something something hurt him" is what I heard. Perhaps does it hurt him?
The CDJ "it cracks so you don't have to whip 'em" which is a strange thing to say when you've just complained in the previous breath that the tool you're using to inflict harm on an animal isn't doing it well enough

I also after many watches/listen thought the rider asked something about hurt - and also that the rider sounded a little paniced/unsure. I hope this is correct atleast one person there had a thought for the poor animal.

It probably would have been better if she hadn't made a statement at all or hadn't included the token "it's not like me" bullshit. When I read it I was expecting the video to see some sort of misbehaviour or high pressured situation where - although not acceptable - it might be more believable that it was a one off. Nothing about this, from the casualness in which she inflicts this to the comments she makes suggest this was a spur of the moment error in judgement.

 

[scats]

I have been astounded by some of the comments on FB today. People not seeing what the fuss is about, they’ve seen worse at shows and on yards etc etc. It just makes me really sad. What the hell are we doing to animals that we are all meant to love??

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Cracking a whip near a horse - if one really felt the need to do such a thing - doesn’t need to be so close to the horse that contact is made.

I just understand the logic of any of this. It isn’t computing for me. I’m not sure what she was trying to succeed.

 

[Nancykitt]

I have been astounded by some of the comments on FB today. People not seeing what the fuss is about, they’ve seen worse at shows and on yards etc etc. It just makes me really sad. What the hell are we doing to animals that we are all meant to love??

Exactly this - see my previous post on one of the FB posts.
There are those trying to excuse her by saying it's not that bad, it won't hurt the horse, etc.
But they seem to be neglecting the fact that CDJ herself has apologised, so either she agrees it was unacceptable behaviour or she's being deliberately dishonest.
They can't have it both ways.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

My point is that I just don’t agree that major trolling and criticism on social media is ever justified. By all means this should be covered by the press, scrutinised by the FEI and reputational damage is deserved. But in my mind no one ever deserves trial by social media, it’s inescapable.

It's actually easily escapable, you just don't look at SM.

 

[Apercrumbie]

It's actually easily escapable, you just don't look at SM.

Quite. If I were her & her family, I would switch off all social media, news etc for at least a couple of months. Let the whole situation play out. The equestrian community needs to have some frank & important conversations, and she will not be playing a part in that.

 

[Zoeypxo]

one fb comment said ‘im glad people cant see my videos from my pivo ’ vile!

 

[Barklands]

It's actually easily escapable, you just don't look at SM.

I disagree, even if you have the extreme level of self control to be able to not look in circumstances such as these, it has often been noted by those in the public eye that their well meaning friends and associates have sent them links/screenshots.

I would also bet good money that she will receive death threats to her yard, having unhinged people turning up etc. as a result of the frenzy. No one deserves that. People have quickly forgotten what happened to Caroline Flack.

I think the video is deplorable however, people in general and particularly in the horse world love to see the downfall of a big player. To that I say, everyone better thank their lucky stars that cameras haven’t been rolling at times when you made mistakes.

 

[PapaverFollis]

There's a Dutch Beach Volleyball player heading to the Olympics despite being convicted of raping a child. I wonder if he is sponsored. Just as an addition to the "other transgressions in sport" and sponsorship discussion.

 

[ramsaybailey]

"Looking at the video it is not as shocking as I expected. There is a battle of wills between Charlotte and the horse and she cracks the whip to make him lift his legs higher in canter than he wants to, hence him kicking out. But what she is doing is not hurting him; horses are huge strong animals and it takes a lot to hurt them."

Seriously, I'm beyond horrified that anyone would post that 'it takes a lot to hurt' horses.

Comment goes on:
"She is pressurising him but not abusing him. The rider clearly goes along with it otherwise she would have left the arena. A person behind the video is chuckling so they are clearly not appalled by what they are seeing. Athletes, whether human or equine have to work harder and do better if they are going to win medals. If they can’t take the pressure they have to step down. Some horses can do the movements more easily than others and those are the ones that win. But be assured, they wouldn’t comply if they didn’t want to. A horse can always run away, bolt, rear and buck off even the best rider if it wants to."

Lots of people are agreeing with these comments. One says that they could 'easily have done twice as bad' to their horse. And then the OP says something about those who disagree with her - 'A lot of do-gooders who don’t know anything about horses.'

It's stuff like this that really does sicken me.

Is it possible to share where these posts are? I just cannot get my head around this attitude

 

[SO1]

My vet has been posting very strongly on this and that what she has done is wrong. He also says as elephants are mentioned in the article that it is wrong to hit elephants in this way as well.

 

[exracehorse]

After watching the vidéo again, i can't believe she has the courage to say that's a one off....

An erreur of judgement.... Surely....

It's really taking people for idiots..... And to add insults to injuries, she also clearly say, this is so shit at hitting them hard.....

No more comments are needed, as for the person laughing stupidly, well..... She is not much better tbh.

Surely her career is over ?

 

[Bellaboo18]

Just read a post on Facebook:
"Looking at the video it is not as shocking as I expected. There is a battle of wills between Charlotte and the horse and she cracks the whip to make him lift his legs higher in canter than he wants to, hence him kicking out. But what she is doing is not hurting him; horses are huge strong animals and it takes a lot to hurt them."

Seriously, I'm beyond horrified that anyone would post that 'it takes a lot to hurt' horses.

Comment goes on:
"She is pressurising him but not abusing him. The rider clearly goes along with it otherwise she would have left the arena. A person behind the video is chuckling so they are clearly not appalled by what they are seeing. Athletes, whether human or equine have to work harder and do better if they are going to win medals. If they can’t take the pressure they have to step down. Some horses can do the movements more easily than others and those are the ones that win. But be assured, they wouldn’t comply if they didn’t want to. A horse can always run away, bolt, rear and buck off even the best rider if it wants to."

Lots of people are agreeing with these comments. One says that they could 'easily have done twice as bad' to their horse. And then the OP says something about those who disagree with her - 'A lot of do-gooders who don’t know anything about horses.'

It's stuff like this that really does sicken me.

And yet no one has disagreed with the poster!
We all need to speak up

 

[JFTDWS]

The “holier than thou” won’t somebody thing of the mental health attitude that events like these bring out of the woodwork is grating.

If people choose to profit from a high profile life, they have a responsibility to behave in accordance with that status. And if they screw up and get a bit of a backlash, that’s their lookout.

 

[PapaverFollis]

I'm usually quite quick to defend the indefensible when it comes to online videos of people acting badly with horses. Especially when it come to trial and execution by social media. People are human amd have bad days and horses can be quite robust and forgiving when it comes to a one off loss of temper/fear reaction, which is often what they look like to me... But this video of CDJ has made my blood run cold.

She thinks she's training something. She's calm and methodical. She's not making a mistake or lashing out.

Hitting a horse being ridden by a minor with a lunge whip.

Just no.

I hope she has good support and a solid plan B because she deserves her equestrian career to be over.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I disagree, even if you have the extreme level of self control to be able to not look in circumstances such as these, it has often been noted by those in the public eye that their well meaning friends and associates have sent them links/screenshots.

I would also bet good money that she will receive death threats to her yard, having unhinged people turning up etc. as a result of the frenzy. No one deserves that. People have quickly forgotten what happened to Caroline Flack.

I think the video is deplorable however, people in general and particularly in the horse world love to see the downfall of a big player. To that I say, everyone better thank their lucky stars that cameras haven’t been rolling at times when you made mistakes.

Anybody who wants to is more than welcome to film me with my horses, the riding isn't of CJD's standard but my behaviour is of a much higher standard.
I use a schooling whip to keep a clear space between the horse and traffic and as a physical barrier when leading a horse that wants to rush. I have certainly never chased a horse with a lunge whip and have no intention of doing so. My mistakes, which will have been many over the years have always been accidental, never to deliberately intimidate the horse. My aim is always to build the horse's confidence, not scare it to death. CJD didn't make a mistake, what was filmed was a deliberate act - repeated several.times.

 

[U.N.Owen]

The “holier than thou” won’t somebody thing of the mental health attitude that events like these bring out of the woodwork is grating.

If people choose to profit from a high profile life, they have a responsibility to behave in accordance with that status. And if they screw up and get a bit of a backlash, that’s their lookout.

Especially coming from certain quarters who don't mind bullying people/ doing the same thing themselves to others who they think have done wrong .

 

[meleeka]

And if they screw up and get a bit of a backlash, that’s their lookout.

Ive read people wishing death on her, that's hardly a bit of backlash! I think losing her career and reputation is probably enough of a punishment.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I certainly don't advocate death threats online or elsewhere, or people threatening her in RL but discussions on all kinds of media are only to be expected and imho necessary on a number of levels to improve equine welfare.

 

[AmyMay]

A name is starting to circulate on FB as the person who videod the incident.

 

[Upthecreek]

I disagree, even if you have the extreme level of self control to be able to not look in circumstances such as these, it has often been noted by those in the public eye that their well meaning friends and associates have sent them links/screenshots.

I would also bet good money that she will receive death threats to her yard, having unhinged people turning up etc. as a result of the frenzy. No one deserves that. People have quickly forgotten what happened to Caroline Flack.

I think the video is deplorable however, people in general and particularly in the horse world love to see the downfall of a big player. To that I say, everyone better thank their lucky stars that cameras haven’t been rolling at times when you made mistakes.

I don’t know what you get up to that you wouldn’t want caught on camera, but I can hand on heart say that I have never made a ‘mistake’ that involved abusing anyone (animal or human). We’ll have to agree to disagree that this should be described as a mistake. I agree that she does not deserve death threats and anyone making them is totally out of order. She does deserve to face the consequences of her actions though; this has most likely ruined her career and her reputation. I’m not sure how she could possibly continue after this.

 

[scats]

I think the video is deplorable however, people in general and particularly in the horse world love to see the downfall of a big player.

I wouldn’t say this is true in this case. In fact, from what I can see from the majority of posts on here and on social media, most people are so utterly disappointed in this because they genuinely thought CDJ was one of the good ones. She’s been a rider that a lot of people have followed closely and supported. A rider we’ve all got behind, and who we hoped was championing for a new way of life for top level dressage horses- where turnout and hacking was normal, and horses were allowed to be horses.

I don’t think anyone feels good about this situation. We are watching her career implode right infront of us. I’m certainly not enjoying any part of her downfall. I’m also not enjoying the sad reality that we have all been duped and lied to and that more horses have been abused for the sake of sport.

 

[scats]

NAF have dropped her.

 

[FieldOrnaments]

Well. In two minds about this.
On the one hand yes.
On the other - well it really matters if it truly was a one off she genuinely regretted or a regular practice employed in her coaching, which we will likely never know.

 

[Bellaboo18]

Just read a post on Facebook:
"Looking at the video it is not as shocking as I expected. There is a battle of wills between Charlotte and the horse and she cracks the whip to make him lift his legs higher in canter than he wants to, hence him kicking out. But what she is doing is not hurting him; horses are huge strong animals and it takes a lot to hurt them."

Seriously, I'm beyond horrified that anyone would post that 'it takes a lot to hurt' horses.

Comment goes on:
"She is pressurising him but not abusing him. The rider clearly goes along with it otherwise she would have left the arena. A person behind the video is chuckling so they are clearly not appalled by what they are seeing. Athletes, whether human or equine have to work harder and do better if they are going to win medals. If they can’t take the pressure they have to step down. Some horses can do the movements more easily than others and those are the ones that win. But be assured, they wouldn’t comply if they didn’t want to. A horse can always run away, bolt, rear and buck off even the best rider if it wants to."

Lots of people are agreeing with these comments. One says that they could 'easily have done twice as bad' to their horse. And then the OP says something about those who disagree with her - 'A lot of do-gooders who don’t know anything about horses.'

It's stuff like this that really does sicken me.

She went on to say...

'all top athletes work through pain. Have you heard the phrase ‘no gain without pain’? Think of Simone Bale. The best ever gymnast 10s galore but mental breakdown .. but she is back for Paris. What about the pain suffered by Andy Murray? Yes, horses don’t choose to compete themselves but I think it is idealistic to think you can win gold medals without a lot of high pressure training. The ambitious riders only want the best horses who can handle the physical and mental strain of grand prix at Olympic level and I guess most of them if not all of them have used similar methods'....

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Out of interest, if you were a YO and had a livery that was very outwardly posting on social media in support of CDJ along the lines of ‘she’s still the queen of dressage and I support her’ ‘do any of you condemning her consider yourself riders truly when you couldn’t even get round an intro’ - would that be enough of a reason to be given notice to leave the yard, in your opinion?