CDJ withdrawn from paris

I dont think its that complicated, people want to see her, probably for a variety of reasons, but whatever the reason lots of people want to see, and h+c are a streaming service who are streaming something people will want to see, I dont see how they wouldnt promote it, I'm sure if it was clip my horse or any other streaming service they'd have done the same.
 
Well, I've just watched the GP test up until the canter zigzag on YouTube. I didn't want to watch any more.

It got 73% and won the class.

In my opinion, there is so much still so wrong with competitive dressage - a year after the world was rocked by this very person's actions, and it appears NOTHING has changed for the better, from any angle of the situation.
 
Darcey69 said:
I believe she's been competing since July (might be August) - saw a list of her results the other day and was surprised there had been no publicity. This is her first International class.
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It was at Hunters at the end of July, and was reported in H&H.

www.horseandhound.co.uk

Charlotte Dujardin returns to competition after one-year suspension

Charlotte Dujardin has returned to competition after a year-long suspension. She marked her comeback with two wins on new ride Special Effect.
www.horseandhound.co.uk www.horseandhound.co.uk
 
Foxford said:
There was an article published in the Times last night. "CDJ winning in silence but she can't keep avoiding scrutiny". It mentions if she goes to London in December, she'll be obliged to participate in the press conference.
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Interestingly this year both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special are in the afternoon - there's no evening dressage slot, so possibly far less chance of it being shown live too. Two unlikely to be related granted, but must be the first year in ages that the GPS hasn't been in the evening?
 
I’m shocked at the amount of people welcoming her back with open arms on the FB H&H post. If i ever (I won’t) went to watch a competition she was riding at I would definitely make a protest during her test, even if it was standing with a t-shirt on saying ‘abuser’ I couldn’t just sit and watch.

I am more angry at her than any other previous person as she was soooo pro horse, pro ethical training, pro keeping them as horses, then she turned out to be the biggest hypocrite of them all
 
Identityincrisis said:
I’m shocked at the amount of people welcoming her back with open arms on the FB H&H post. If i ever (I won’t) went to watch a competition she was riding at I would definitely make a protest during her test, even if it was standing with a t-shirt on saying ‘abuser’ I couldn’t just sit and watch.

I am more angry at her than any other previous person as she was soooo pro horse, pro ethical training, pro keeping them as horses, then she turned out to be the biggest hypocrite of them all
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YES! If I was spectating, I would stand & turn my back. She claimed to be the advocate for the horses when that was nothing but a lie.
 
They were looking for writers at short notice yesterday. I was asked if I could do it, having written at previous CDIs. I was actually busy, but could probably have reorganised my day. I just didn't want to, knowing who was in the class I would have been writing for. I just didn't really want to have anything to do with it. :(
 
Identityincrisis said:
I’m shocked at the amount of people welcoming her back with open arms on the FB H&H post. If i ever (I won’t) went to watch a competition she was riding at I would definitely make a protest during her test, even if it was standing with a t-shirt on saying ‘abuser’ I couldn’t just sit and watch.

I am more angry at her than any other previous person as she was soooo pro horse, pro ethical training, pro keeping them as horses, then she turned out to be the biggest hypocrite of them all
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Wellington posted a video from the actual event and there are multiple of comments of Charlotte! or great to see CDJ back out again etc.
 
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millikins said:
There is no point in having a mechanism for punishment if that doesn't mean the wrong doer is then able to restart their life. What are people suggesting, that she must give up working with horses and retrain in horticulture?
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I think it's the turning multiple blind eyes that bothers me, like what she did doesn't matter, or was seen as minor, oh dear never mind, not the end of the world. Plus completely missing the various points about privilege of position, social license etc.
 
millikins said:
There is no point in having a mechanism for punishment if that doesn't mean the wrong doer is then able to restart their life. What are people suggesting, that she must give up working with horses and retrain in horticulture?
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This wasn't just a minor, one off mistake. If a teacher hit a child, or a nurse was caught on video abusing a patient, or even a policeman caught beating a dog, they'd lose their job over it. Nobody would be saying "Never mind, they've learnt from their mistake and should be allowed to just carry on as before".
In answer to your question, I think if she had an ounce of remorse, she'd have quietly found something else to do, or at the very least, said publicly that she was sorry (for the crime, not that she got caught).
 
If there was any hint that her training had softened, and she had spent the year focusing on really trying to tune in to how the horse feels to work towards a more positive partnership, then I would feel differently at this point.

She could have written weekly or monthly social media posts (with comments off) summing up what she had been doing and why, and what benefit it had for the horses under her training.

Instead, the first International test (can't comment on the others as I've not seen them) was beyond horrid to watch in my opinion. Horse clearly very tense, stressed and uncomfortable with incorrect footfalls at times, etc etc.

The year has clearly not been spent reflecting and trying to improve for the horse. And yet judges are STILL rewarding her 'product' over that of others.

WHY.
 
She’s done her time, I get that, but I don’t feel the same about watching her anymore.

If someone in dog showing was filmed beating a dog, and received a years ban and then went back out dog showing after the ban and started winning things again, I have a feeling people would feel more strongly about that. Personally I’d be outraged they were even allowed to own a dog.

Interestingly, it’s the equestrian community welcoming her back so warmly, not the general public.
I think sometimes horses are fair game to equestrians. We would be horrified at the thought of hitting a dog with a whip to get what we want out of them, but it’s ok with a horse in the right circumstances. Hmm.
 
I think it’s the fact that just because she an Olympian and looks the part she has to be forgiven.
Lets face it if that was a video of say a man from a certain community continuously hitting a horse with a whip everyone would want him to have a lifetime ban. Quite rightly. No one would say
“oh he’s had his wee ban, he should be allowed to go back to training horses as he most definitely must’ve changed his ways”
“It’s so nice to see him training horses again” etc etc.

It’s one rule for those at the top, another for low level abusers. I feel it should be the same punishment for all.
 
Peglo said:
I think it’s the fact that just because she an Olympian and looks the part she has to be forgiven.
Lets face it if that was a video of say a man from a certain community continuously hitting a horse with a whip everyone would want him to have a lifetime ban. Quite rightly. No one would say
“oh he’s had his wee ban, he should be allowed to go back to training horses as he most definitely must’ve changed his ways”
“It’s so nice to see him training horses again” etc etc.

It’s one rule for those at the top, another for low level abusers. I feel it should be the same punishment for all.
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Very good point. Shes white and pretty and has cute little babies and people WANT her to be decent and kind so much they are going to forcibly rewrite reality.
 
I reckon the UK selectors will turn out to be the same as the Danish ones who put Helgstrand in their team after his ban.

Whilst paying lip service to the social license discussion in regard to horses the selectors criteria main focus is on winning medals to retain their UK Sport (or whatever it's called now) funding.

Remember at the Olympics sports that don't do well lose their national funding....

Another factor is that a rider can go on, barring injury/illness, for decades whereas a horse's competition career is around 10 years (if they remain sound, drugged or otherwise, for that long). It's a case of keeping the rider happy and funded, don't worry about the horse as another one of those will be along directly.

I feel sorry now for any horse under her control/training whereas before this abuse issue I too loved watching her (and Carl - I do wonder how much abuse he turned a blind eye to). It's a shame that we don't have an 'undercover' groom at her stables to blow the whistle if necessary as some of the Helgstrand grooms did.
 
I'm still stuck between absolutely wanting her to do more (penance, educating etc), or to have been sanctioned more, and on the flip side that I truly believe she's a scapegoat. Sanctioning her just masks the systemic issues in horse sport and in so many ways it exposed the hypocrisy of so many participants in this world.

I won't be watching her test but then I haven't really watched competitive dressage in 22 years (Hickstead Euros where I camped there for the whole thing).
 
sbloom said:
I'm still stuck between absolutely wanting her to do more (penance, educating etc), or to have been sanctioned more, and on the flip side that I truly believe she's a scapegoat. Sanctioning her just masks the systemic issues in horse sport and in so many ways it exposed the hypocrisy of so many participants in this world.

I won't be watching her test but then I haven't really watched competitive dressage in 22 years (Hickstead Euros where I camped there for the whole thing).
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I feel the same. At some point the "oh you'll just never be happy no matter what she does" crowd are right tbh. I probably won't ever be happy as what she did should never have happened to any horse, but it will continue to happen forever, all over the place and at all levels, until horse sport in general is taken down to the foundations and rebuilt. Which it won't be, as there is too much money invested.
 
millikins said:
There is no point in having a mechanism for punishment if that doesn't mean the wrong doer is then able to restart their life. What are people suggesting, that she must give up working with horses and retrain in horticulture?
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Yes. If a teacher beat a student, I wouldn’t expect them to walk right back into it nor if a dog walker beat a dog.

But when it comes to horses, many think it’s okay.
 
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