RE: Anna & Lenny - and supporting our riders?!

[Rachel1]

After having stopping for a second and actually reading all the posts on the 'Anna & Leibling' news posted below I am so shocked at some attitudes and comments on there!!
We should be supporting the top riders in this country, especially those like Anna who have gotten to the top through sheer hard work. For CultyCob to suggest that Anna claiming to train Lenny was a PR spin?!!! Please! And her scores this year have been regularly around the 70% mark, it's a bit unfair to focus on one lower score, horses aren't machines and are not always guaranteed to give their best in any situation. Unfortunately there will be a lot of people on here who don’t know her and it's slander to write these things on a public forum! Freedom of speech is great but I think it would just be decent to remember that trying to stir up trouble and damage someone's reputation - particularly when they're clearly not having the easiest time of it - is not a nice way to behave. I don't think for one second you will ever hear Anna slating DM, she's one of the most professional and down to earth people I know.
I think BD would have a much better image if everyone got behind our top riders and supported them.

 

[BBH]

Previous thread now deleted and news article changed. Obviously we're not allowed to have views on this story and as no-one has come forward to state the real case we'll have to guess the real story.

 

[lucretia]

indeed

 

[Halfstep]

I think the problem was that some of the "opinions" on the previous thread were questionable.

I still stand by the fact that no matter what the ins and outs are, Anna trained that horse to GP herself and deserved more than being dumped from the ride like that.

 

[BBH]

Its so ridiculous to change the news article though because it now gives even more support to Anna, to think that someone in DM camp was upset over bad comments he was getting and felt obliged to change it and portray him in a better light.

Anna is very popular and people don't like to think of her being
'shafted' like that. If the true story is different it should have been stated clearly and decided between both parties.

 

[Tanta]

While none of us know the ins and outs, and it is obviously vert sad for the rider in this case, I do think it is unfair to immediately blame the owner - who after all has financed the horse to date, which will have cost huge amounts. In an ideal world there is a contract between rider and owner so the rider gets a % when the horse is sold - but the horse is the property of the owner to sell when they want to - and not many people can afford to turn down large amounts for a horse (which we all know can go lame tomorrow). After all, Carl Hester sold Escapado at his peak, despite obviously being very fond of him, but he has to make a living and was realistic about it. Having said that, I would personally never sell any of my horses, but not everyone can afford to be sentimental about it, especially with top competition horses.

 

[Angua2]

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/3499753/an/0/page/0#3499753

My comments are here.

But Like all things in life nothing is ever as simple and there is usually a lot more going on behind the scenes than will ever be told, and that is how it should be and how it should stay, with those parties involved and the "general" public staying out of it

The thing is that changing that article does put all the posts now totally out of context, and from where I stood it was the way it was reported that the rider didn't get chance to say good bye made me sad.

From what I understand these moves happen all the time.... look at WFP for example, he took the horse to the olympics and it was then moved, that had a lot going on behind the scenes too.

At the end of the day good luck to all involved and we hope to see all parties moving on to bigger and better things in the future

 

[HHO admin]

Dear forum users

The previous thread on this topic was removed due to the defamatory comments it included. You are welcome to discuss this matter as long as you remain within the forum terms and conditions. We are hoping to publishing a further update on this story on the website shortly.

HHO Admin

 

[TarrSteps]

Why do so many people assume the story was changed because of "censorship"? A far more likely explanation is that the original information was not totally correct and/or more came to light. So the strory changed. This is the danger with the electronic age - we demand our news so quickly there is little or no margin for error. Add to that the internet at large, where people can present their opinions as facts instantly and anonymously and all sorts of information goes out incorrect/incomplete/unproven. And the information stays out there, regardless of it's truth. At least you could argue in this case H&H has tried to amend the record.

As to the thread, a great many of the posts expressed concern over the horse being removed apparently without discussion or warning. Now it seems that might not have been the case . . . which makes many of those posts no longer pertinent.

Also, there is a big difference between "opinions" and libel. Inferring someone's motivation or behaviour and then denouncing it - regardless of whether or not you know it to be true - is actually against the law. As Mark Twain said, "Your right to swing your fist stops where my nose begins." It is also not the same to say something in private and to publish it on the internet for all to see. Forums are actually private property - the owners have a perfect right to control which "opinions" are presented on them, especially if they can't be proven.

I don't think it's fair to automatically assume the thread disappeared because of some plot to deny people a voice.

Maybe it was just wrong?

 

[Rachel1]

Exactly - some of the previous comments were actually defamatory and slanderous! Very unprofessional and downright unkind!

 

[BBs]

Unfortunately Rachel some obviously have an axe to grind. Instead of just reading the thread as shocking news as it was intended, some took it upon themselves to use it to have a pop.

 

[lucretia]

as i said on the thread shortly before its removal, you always seem to get a few peeps who are brand new to the forum joining thses discussions and stirring them up. None of us know the whole story and as Tarr said Horse and Hound probably had to change their story because they had jumped the gun wit the first one before they had confirmed their facts.
some of the things people think they can say on here and then justify it as In my Opinion are truly disgusting.

 

[cultycob]

What I wrote was not slander although i guess you would want to protect your trainer we all would so fair cop.

Anna has had a few scores over 70% in 2008. Her lowest was in Warsaw, a 62% and then from Munich, with the exception of one score in a kur her scores went down to the 64%. So not exactly a one off score. If you do not believe this is fact then check out the BD website!

eta not being quirky but dont like being told am being slanderous when in fact teliing fact.

 

[JM07]

QR..

As at least 65% of those replies were just one person with several usernames "argueing" with themself, i'd take most of that thread with a large pinch of salt, TBH...

 

[S_N]

[ QUOTE ]
QR..

As at least 65% of those replies were just one person with several usernames "argueing" with themself, i'd take most of that thread with a large pinch of salt, TBH...

[/ QUOTE ]

So I'm not going mad then!

 

[BBs]

Snigger.

 

[lucretia]

PMSL! you put it so much better than I did!!

 

[scotsmare]

So we now have HHO's with split personalities...... brilliant

 

[lucretia]

isnt there already someone called sybil on here?

 

[JM07]

[ QUOTE ]
So we now have HHO's with split personalities...... brilliant

[/ QUOTE ]

not sure the person in question has a personality to speak of, TBH..

 

[lucretia]

one supposes that if you split a personality there is less of it to go round

 

[Rachel1]

[ QUOTE ]
What I wrote was not slander although i guess you would want to protect your trainer we all would so fair cop.

Anna has had a few scores over 70% in 2008. Her lowest was in Warsaw, a 62% and then from Munich, with the exception of one score in a kur her scores went down to the 64%. So not exactly a one off score. If you do not believe this is fact then check out the BD website!

eta not being quirky but dont like being told am being slanderous when in fact teliing fact.

[/ QUOTE ]

The slanderous part was suggesting that her training the horse was a PR spin but I don't think there's any need to dwell on that! Any professional who feels the need to slate a fellow professional on an open forum says more about their own creditibility than the person in question but I don't want to get into anything personal. The whole point of the post is to encourage a better team spirit and support.

 

[BBs]

Well now as it happens the ride has gone to Carl, and not to be sold by him.
At least he will be competed by Team GB

 

[eahotson]

HH reported a story about a horse being taken from a rider.I didn't even have time to sat Goodbye.etc. and invited comments. What did they expect?? That everyone would write in and say what a nice man D.McTaggert is???He isn't probably.Just a rich man with a lot of money to buy competition horses.

 

[cultycob]

Fair enough Rachel - but i am not a proffessional just wanted to say my thoughts thats all.

 

[HampshireRider]

I really disagree with the horse being taken from Anna Ross-Davies and given to Carl Hester in the manner that it happened. Anna not only rides the owner's horse but she works for him by running Patchetts EC. She was given a couple of hours to get the horse ready before he was sent to Carl. Anna and the horse have an 8 year partnership during which she has taken him to International GP - it's not as though she was making a bad job of things! We all know the hours of schooling that she would have put in, and the amount of personal time and effort she would have invested. Anna was due to do a Grand Prix demo of the Pas de Deux with Katharine Lewis at the BD National Champs on 20th and 21st Sept, and she wasn't even allowed to uphold this commitment. I think it reflects badly on the sport, and the integrity of the owner. It seems as though there was no contract in place to stop this from happening, which often seems to be the case and leaves riders vulnerable. I am sure that Anna will have good horses sent her way - good luck to her in the future.