WEG Sabotage!!

[Over2You]

I couldn't believe what I heard when I watched the driving today. Dutch driver Ijsbrand Chardon's marathon carriage had its seats ripped and several other acts of vandalism committed against it.

What a terrible thing to happen and I hope there is a full investigation underway. Also hope the media don't get hold of this and use it to sour the public's opinion of equestrian sports. It's the last thing they need.

Does anyone know more details?

 

[TarrSteps]

I don't think we'll see any more details until there is something official. That amount of damage is classed as a 1st degree felony offence in Kentucky so State police are now involved. It seems pretty clear that they don't have security video of the exact area where the carriage was stored (outside the stable perimeter) so I guess it's a case of checking what surveillance footage they've got, interviewing people etc. Grunt work, unfortunately.

I guess the big problem is so many of the potential suspects are due to leave the county in the next couple of days.

The news reports are news is as it always is - Kentucky spokesmen and papers imply it must have been internal, WEG officials seem to want to push a "nutter theory" with some crazy coming in from outside. Chardon says he doesn't think it was anyone connected in any way with carriage driving but the carriage was out of sight, covered up, so hardly out where it would attract attention for a completely random attack.

COTH is doing it's usual hysterical take on the subject, posters implying someone in his camp did it to get the "advantage" of going last (even though the FEI originally said he would have to go in his place or forfeit, and only changed that stance after the other teams voted to let him go last so there was time for repairs), others suggesting security was involved . . .

 

[killikyle]

..........................The news reports are news is as it always is - Kentucky spokesmen and papers imply it must have been internal, WEG officials seem to want to push a "nutter theory" with some crazy coming in from outside. Chardon says he doesn't think it was anyone connected in any way with carriage driving but the carriage was out of sight, covered up, so hardly out where it would attract attention for a completely random attack.

COTH is doing it's usual hysterical take on the subject, posters implying someone in his camp did it to get the "advantage" of going last (even though the FEI originally said he would have to go in his place or forfeit, and only changed that stance after the other teams voted to let him go last so there was time for repairs), others suggesting security was involved . . .

A competition wouldn't be the same without at least ONE conspiracy theory - thought we'd got off lightly with WEG 2010, wrong again!

Horrific act of vandalism though - must have been awful to find it.

 

[OneInAMillion]

I only read about this in an article yesterday, some people are so awful