What happened to Ellen Whitaker?

Illusion100 said:
Suit yourself.
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It's not just a case of "suit yourself" - FA seems to have summed up what quite a lot of people thought upon reading your comment.

I have no problem with people criticising Ellen for drink driving as there is no excuse for it. But b!tchy comments about her appearance and calling her a tart (based on what, exactly??) are completely unnecessary. I have often felt that she comes in for a lot of criticism simply because she is a woman in a family business where everyone else is male, which I find very depressing. She got an awful lot of stick when she got engaged to Henry Cavill, as though it is suddenly a crime to have a good looking, famous man fall in love with you.
 
Interesting values here. I'm of the generation who were expected to be able to still drive responsibly AFTER a couple of drinks so I wouldn't castigate anyone who is now deemed to be a criminal for doing just that. The current law has altered the social lives of people living in rural areas out of all recognition - taxis are not really an option in remote areas, unless it is a really special occasion.
Most riders I know know how to party - blond highlights or not.
I am convinced you need more than good connections to get on a top horse and win.
Just my musings....
 
Some strong views here - I'm of the opinion that she's a silly girl for drink driving - I'm glad she got caught, it's dangerous and the possible outcomes are disasterous (I have witnessed the fall out many such accidents as a former police officer).
However the seemingly bitchy comments about her 'Barbie' appearance aren't fair. And with that you're tarring lots of women with the same brush (including me - dyed blonde hair here and a love of pink!).
As for her riding, she is obviously very capable, talented horses or not. Perhaps there is a degree of coat-tail riding in terms of the family name, but she wouldn't have got anywhere had she not been a brilliant rider. I've searched her riding on YouTube and she looks pretty good to me - better, I'm quite sure, than quite a few of us!
 
I'd hope that her family haven't disowned her for her drink driving, as stupid and dangerous as that is surely family are there for you come good and bad and I'd hope I wouldn't do that to my daughter no matter how annoyed and upset I was. Did she eventually marry Henry cavil? If she did that explains the absence you wouldn't see much of me if I'd married him either!!
 
It must be christmas and time for a bitch fest. They do make me laugh as most of the ones shouting couldnt get on any good horse and have a clue what buttons to press. Good horses dont make good riders and very good riders can be made to look fools by horses. Look at what Totilas has done for another not untalented rider.

I hope all those bitching have led blame free lives with nothing that they regret ,because at the end of the day Ellens only crime is being born into a position were she would always be in the spotlight .Maybe some of your pasts would not look so good on the front pages. I do hate threads that get picked up just to have a bitch under the cover of this forum It says a lot more about those commenting rather than the target.
 
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Whatever her personal life was I think that her disappearing from mainstream show jumping probably had something to do with the below:

"In 2010, Whitaker spoke to the press after refusing to jump for the British team due to a conflict with the British team manager, Rob Hoekstra. She told Horse & Hound: “I only have Ocolado at the moment and Rob wanted to interfere with the way I do everything.” Her father and manager Steven Whitaker added: "It’s not a matter of Ellen not wanting to jump for her country, but we won’t jump again until Rob Hoekstra is finished." But British Equestrian Federation World Class performance director Will Connell said: "The riders wanted stronger management and leadership and that’s what Rob is delivering." Hoekstra did not wish to comment, saying: “I do not think team issues are best resolved through the press.”

This was lifted from Wikipedia.

Was this decision by her camp the reason? Did they think they were bigger than British Show Jumping & could over rule Hoekstra's decisions & leadership?.................You decide.
 
Poor girl! I. Sure she's simply not around due to having her family. I expect she will be back one day. And I'd love to be as untalented as people on here think she is. I worked for a family that had a daughter they bought wonderful ponies and horses for, and hired increasingly posher instructors for to train. It did work, she did go a long way, but she put a lot of work in too. You don't get to top level without it.

Even the Olympic teams that look like they swan up, buy horses and ride put background work in. I found a great spot at Blenheim to watch the dressage and the Kuwait team were there with a trainer watching top riders and studying. (They were funny, they were followed everywhere by a beefy security guard who they kept tormenting by popping silly hats on as they went past stalls.)
 
Illusion100 said:
She disgraced her family and the prestige they offered. Dyed blond hair, body piercing, bling and getting on like a tart doesn't cut the mustard within such a disciplined, focused and horse orientated family.
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seriously? lol-what century are you from? She's a good rider and was a pretty girl with a high profile. Great for the sport imo and no more wild than anyone else of her age.
 
I have no strong views on her as a rider but certainly once you get up in the classes it requires more than just having access to good horse material. It does not follow that a top horse is an easy ride, I find talent and quirkiness often go hand in hand.

Driving under the influence is inexcusable as an action no matter who is behind the wheel, it does however have little to do with riding or whether you are a "good" or "bad" person.

Criticising someone for their appearance really belongs nowhere.
 
MargotC said:
I have no strong views on her as a rider but certainly once you get up in the classes it requires more than just having access to good horse material. It does not follow that a top horse is an easy ride, I find talent and quirkiness often go hand in hand.

Driving under the influence is inexcusable as an action no matter who is behind the wheel, it does however have little to do with riding or whether you are a "good" or "bad" person.

Criticising someone for their appearance really belongs nowhere.
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I agree with all of the above. No idea why the fact she is blonde and has piercings makes any difference to her riding ability or the way the public should perceive her.
 
baffled at the 'tart' comment - as if its anyones business what she does in her own time. I'm sure you could pick any of the top male riders and they would have been 'tartier' in their day!! what a judgemental post.
 
Gulp. I have dyed blond hair, pierced ears, wear makeup, like a bit of sparkle. Dear God, I am therefore officially a tart. And an aging one at that.

HHOers...that's a shameful backward and spiteful way of describing a woman, and it simply makes you sound bitter. Drink driving,.... Yes, big mistake and she got away with it (as in, didn't kill anyone), but...move on. She has paid for this. Got to the top purely because of being handed horses...really? You all know it doesn't work like that. Undoubtedly she had a massive head start with her family but you can't just sit on a competition horse like she had, as well you know.
 
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Sorry but anyone who thinks it's not a bad thing that she was caught drink driving needs to think how they would feel if someone they knew died because of someone who decided a taxi was too expensive.

I don't care about what she does in her private life but in the press and when on camera in a sport you are a role model for kids. If you think it's ok for a role model to be publicising that it's fine to get away with drink driving then that's your choice but like me sponsors don't like that and won't be associated with it. You have an image to protect and she lost it through the choice to not take a taxi or have someone else drive or maybe just don't drink. It has nothing to do with talent on a horse no but you are influencing kids to think its ok.

She can do what she wants in her private life but obey the law. It's not difficult.
 
Was talking about this the other day. Didn't even know about the drink driving! I'm shocked that Emily King managed to 'get away' with it.

If you gave me Valegro, I highly doubt I'd be able to ride him very well! Give me Argento, I still wouldn't be able to ride over GP tracks.

I think it's a shame that she's not about anymore, that's one less female rider at the top.
 
ester said:
She was at the hickstead derby meeting, though Locarno decided he didn't fancy it iirc.
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Yes, I knew I'd seen her there and hadn't imagined it! I thought it was odd she was riding him as he must be 19 now, and retired from competition for a good few years.
Did she retire in the end, or was it just a big faulting round? or was she eliminated?
I can't quite remember, but I always loved Locarno growing up.
 
Illusion100 said:
She disgraced her family and the prestige they offered. Dyed blond hair, body piercing, bling and getting on like a tart doesn't cut the mustard within such a disciplined, focused and horse orientated family.
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Dyed blonde hair and pierced ears is the least extreme you could get. Hardly 'tarty' or 'alternative.' Don't think I'd want to be part of their family either if they thought that of me.
 
Luci07 said:
HHOers...that's a shameful backward and spiteful way of describing a woman.
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Could not have put it better myself.

What she looks like matters not one jot, and as long as she does it responsibly and isn't hurting anyone, she can sleep with whomever she wants.

Drink driving is a horribly irresponsible, dangerous thing to do and she's lucky a fine and a ban is the worst that happened but she's paid for it. Is that not the basis of our justice system - you pay your debt to society and you move on? I can't help thinking nobody would give it as much attention if she was a man. Mike Tindall for example, has been caught doing it twice. Nobody goes on about it every time they mention his name.
 
sasquatch said:
Yes, I knew I'd seen her there and hadn't imagined it! I thought it was odd she was riding him as he must be 19 now, and retired from competition for a good few years.
Did she retire in the end, or was it just a big faulting round? or was she eliminated?
I can't quite remember, but I always loved Locarno growing up.
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He stopped somewhere and and she retired.
 
Sounds like ISIS has some recruiting to do from posters here. I'm not condoning drink driving, but I assume she's been punished for it.
Since when has hair dyeing, body piercing and being attractive been a crime? Oh, and even young women are allowed to have a sex life. It's not only men who do it you know!
And if not wanting to be controlled by Rob Hoekstra is an issue, I don't believe he is still in position.
 
Illusion100 said:
I feel she took being famous by Name, a 'Barbie Doll' appearance and socialite to be her trademark, to become popular, unbelike the footsteps of her Family.

She disgraced her family and the prestige they offered. Dyed blond hair, body piercing, bling and getting on like a tart doesn't cut the mustard within such a disciplined, focused and horse orientated family.
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How are you managing to access the internet from the past?
 
it just reminds me of a quote someone said to me - 'tho only people bothered by other peoples sex lives are those whose own isn't very interesting enough'
 
ester said:
He stopped somewhere and and she retired.
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Ahh, thank you!

I looked up her competition records, and Ellen has been competing throughout the past few years but it looks like she has done a lot of competing in Spain and Europe which may be why she has 'disappeared', she also seems to be sharing horses with her partner atm too. It would explain why Locarno was competed by Steven if the horses owners didn't let him go with her but wanted to keep him in the Whitaker family.
 
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