Why is the Ellen Whitaker case kept quiet in the media?

cptrayes said:
No, the problem is the same as all the other thousands of drink drivers in Court in the same year as Ellen. People like drinking and they take a chance driving. She's had a fine which is laid down by law and directly related to her income, and been banned for at least 12 months, just like everyone else in the same boat.



It can't, so why have you done it? You made the comparison.



Fighting is a problem associated with football matches, and players cannot be seen to indulge in the same behaviour themselves as is being discouraged in fans at matches. It is directly related, but Ellen's behaviour was completely UNrelated to showjumping.Do you think Sheryl Cole should have been banned from making a living singing for a while because she assaulted a nightclub cloakroom attendant?

ps I'd love to hear your friend's valid excuse for deliberately selling a five year old as a seven year old. A five year old can change quickly in behaviour, where a seven year old is usually a much more settled proposition. Your friend could have been responsible for someone unknowingly taking on a horse that was too novice for them and hurting themselves badly. In addition, it ended up as a court case, so she presumably refused to take the horse back when the buyer found out? Or maybe someone sued her because they DID get hurt? She has no-one to blame but herself if the BSJA saw a report in the paper saying "Local showjumper prosecuted by Trading Standards" has she?
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Cheryl Cole had to make a public apology for her actions. All I have seen from Ellen Whitaker was a silly excuse stating she knew she was over the limit and decided to DRIVE back! Pathetic.

With regards to my friend and her horse, nobody got hurt..She was not provided with a the horses paperwork when she purchased the horse, and therefore went on the age she believed the horse to be. It wasn't until the new owner did some research into it's history and the documents were sent that they realised and she did not believe she was wrong and therefore let it go to small claims court. She was not prosecuted by Trading Standards, I think you have just made that bit up ;)
 
Cheryl Cole beat up a nightclub toilet attendant in an attack with racist overtones and went on to become the nation's sweetheart thanks to a very slick PR campaign.
I can't stand her, think she is deeply untalented, and think she is a bit of a chavvy nightmare but hey, she is rolling in it and everyone loves her. Life's unfair, but there you go. Not going to start a thread railing against the pure injustice of it all....
 
Take it up with the Home Office, insist that everyone who is prosecuted for drink driving is also banned from their career - you wouldn't want them treated differently from Ellen after all :rolleyes:
 
I honestly don't know what the OP is up in arms about. This has to be the daftest thread I've seen on a forum for a while. :D

Amymay, I wondered about the "friend" too. ;)
 
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You are missing the point. I am not saying she should get banned from Showjumping. I am not even saying she should have a fine, but what I am saying is why should one person get the fine and someone that does something much worse i.e become a potential killer on the road get away with just a driving ban! I do not think selling a 5 yr old as a 7 yr old is enough to warrant a fine from the BSJA. Most people would be pleased that the horse is 2 yrs younger
 
She was disqualified from driving for 18 months, fined £150 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
She spent time in police cells.
She has been in the dock in a criminal court.
She has been splashed all over the tabloids.
She is being subjected to borderline harsh language and a good dose of bitchin' and hatin' from randomers on an internet forum.
Oh the humanity.
 
engab said:
You are missing the point. I am not saying she should get banned from Showjumping. I am not even saying she should have a fine, but what I am saying is why should one person get the fine and someone that does something much worse i.e become a potential killer on the road get away with just a driving ban! I do not think selling a 5 yr old as a 7 yr old is enough to warrant a fine from the BSJA. Most people would be pleased that the horse is 2 yrs younger
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Because what your friend did was directly equine related.
 
engab said:
You are missing the point. I am not saying she should get banned from Showjumping. I am not even saying she should have a fine, but what I am saying is why should one person get the fine and someone that does something much worse i.e become a potential killer on the road get away with just a driving ban! I do not think selling a 5 yr old as a 7 yr old is enough to warrant a fine from the BSJA. Most people would be pleased that the horse is 2 yrs younger
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Your friend forced the buyers of the horse to take her to the small claims court to get their money back. I assume she lost, since the BSJA fined her for it too? I think your friend got what she deserved. She should have returned the purchasers money as soon as she was shown how easily they discovered the horse's age. If she had, the BSJA would not have fined her. Her fine was for not behaving in an acceptable manner in a horse deal, not for the age mistake. having said that, a five year old sports horse is NOT often a suitable purchase for an inexperienced or nervous owner. Your friend could have been responsible for an accident just as bad as Ellen could have caused.

Lets thank goodness neither happened, eh?



ps most 5 year olds are VERY easily distinguished from 7 year olds by their teeth. It would be a rare 5 year old who could mistakenly be aged as 7. I suspect your friend bought it when it was 4, when it would have been even more obvious that it was not 6.
 
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But was nothing to do with the BSJA? If it was a BSJA reg horse I could understand but it wasn't - So it is like saying the BHS, BE and BD should also give her a fine too as she was a member of all these? Anyway guys, no worries I just wanted to see who else shares the same opinion but clearly nobody does. Hey ho
 
cptrayes said:
Your friend forced the buyers of the horse to take her to the small claims court to get their money back. I assume she lost, since the BSJA fined her for it too? I think your friend got what she deserved. She should have returned the purchasers money as soon as she was shown how easily they discovered the horse's age. If she had, the BSJA would not have fined her. Her fine was for not behaving in an acceptable manner in a horse deal, not for the age mistake. having said that, a five year old sports horse is NOT often a suitable purchase for an inexperienced or nervous owner. Your friend could have been responsible for an accident just as bad as Ellen could have caused.

Lets thank goodness neither happened, eh?
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LOL! Is this the story maker again? How can you say that she got what she deserved when you do not even know the full story!! Also how can you describe the horse sold as an inexperienced 5 yr old horse that was sold to a nervous owner? The horse was experienced for it's age and had done an awful lot of local level events and was extremely well schooled with many BD points that was sold to an experienced dressage rider! The only reason it was sold was because it was not scopey enough for BSJA. The complaint was raised 3 months after purchase after the new owner had looked into the paperwork. The horse was not dangerous and could not have been responsible for any accident.
 
Honestly, if you pop over to that other thread there are a lot of other people who would like to see her flogged and dragged through the streets wearing a sandwich board with 'I'm a drink driver' emblazoned on it, too :) you'll prolly get more people who agree with you.
 
Engab, horses that are sold by "name" riders fetch more money than the same horse would if it was sold by a nobody. If your friend was known locally, at all, as a BSJA showjumper with any success, then that will automatically have added £ to the value of the horse, and that's why the BSJA thought that she deserved a fine for failing to return the buyer's money when requested after proving that she had mis-sold the horse. A deal of this kind by a BSJA member DOES bring it into disrepute.
 
engab said:
LOL! Is this the story maker again? How can you say that she got what she deserved when you do not even know the full story!! Also how can you describe the horse sold as an inexperienced 5 yr old horse that was sold to a nervous owner? The horse was experienced for it's age and had done an awful lot of local level events and was extremely well schooled with many BD points that was sold to an experienced dressage rider! The only reason it was sold was because it was not scopey enough for BSJA. The complaint was raised 3 months after purchase after the new owner had looked into the paperwork. The horse was not dangerous and could not have been responsible for any accident.
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So give us the story then!

Why did the buyers want to return it? As you say, lots of people would have been happy it was two years younger. Was it because they felt that at 5 it had done so much, so young that it was already half crocked? Or because it was not as far on in its schooling as they thought, thinking they had bought a 7 year old? Or what?

Why did your friend have to be taken to court by them to make her do the right thing?

Tell us, we need to know!
 
Story appeared on H&H online. It could be that the news instincts of the online team are sharper than those at the mag. Ellen Whitaker is one of the few equine stars who would appeal to the print media. Sad but true.
 
engab said:
My gosh cptrayes you are so knowledgeable :D I wish I knew as much as you. By looking at your threads you like a good debate and enter into heated discussions. Maybe that's what happens when you get old? Now go and get off the computer, make a fuss of your hubby and go have a good old shag! That's providing you have a hubby? I'm guessing maybe not given you are so bitter :rolleyes:
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Well you just showed your true colours :)

I am missing some knowledge that I need:

Why did the buyers want to return it? As you say, lots of people would have been happy it was two years younger. Was it because they felt that at 5 it had done so much, so young that it was already half crocked? Or because it was not as far on in its schooling as they thought, thinking they had bought a 7 year old? Or what?

Why did your friend have to be taken to court by them to make her do the right thing?

Please do tell, I am consumed with curiosity.
 
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Now I don't often agree with CPTrayes but she is aware of how the law works.
Just because you don't OP, does not mean you have to get abusive when she calls you out :)
And if you want to call someone bitter, go back and read your posts as if someone else had written them. At least I can admit mine make me look like a lunatic with too much time on their hands......
 
CP Trayes is a knowledgeable person who is good enough to offer advise that is helpful to others. Please be nicer to her.
 
If I were said friend of yours egnab, I'd be horrified to hear about you dragging it all back up via this thread.

I'm rather sorry I replied to your op earlier now you've shown how vile you can be to Cptrayes:(
 
CaveCanem said:
Now I don't often agree with CPTrayes but she is aware of how the law works.
Just because you don't OP, does not mean you have to get abusive when she calls you out :)
And if you want to call someone bitter, go back and read your posts as if someone else had written them. At least I can admit mine make me look like a lunatic with too much time on their hands......
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I only came on the forum tonight to help a friend without a PC look for her loan horse that was sold today in the sales and thought I would put my view across on the Ellen story as I was thinking about it after reading my h and h. You don't agree with that, it's cool, as by tomorrow I would of forgotten all about this post and your views which mean naff all to be to be perfectly honest. We are talking about a horse that was sold 10 yrs ago and a silly young woman who wont have a licence for the next 18 months. Clearly you wont have forgotten as by tomorrow you will still be sitting on your laptop at 11.55pm on a friday night writing about crap that is completely irrelavant. :)
 
Hmm, you seem to be here at 11.55pm too talking about irrelevant stuff on an irrelevant thread that you posted :p
Thanks for your concern, but by this time tomorrow night, I'll not be on my *netbook* I'll be pissed, eating pizza and watching films with friends (I rent them out a couple of times a week) with any luck.
But yes, I will remember this thread, it's been a giggle :D
 
CaveCanem said:
Hmm, you seem to be here at 11.55pm too talking about irrelevant stuff on an irrelevant thread that you posted :p
Thanks for your concern, but by this time tomorrow night, I'll not be on my *netbook* I'll be pissed, eating pizza and watching films with friends (I rent them out a couple of times a week) with any luck.
But yes, I will remember this thread, it's been a giggle :D[/QUOT

ahhh you know how to treat yourself, pizza and watching films with friends! Whoopy, well jel. You know how to push the boat out! Good for you:D
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All I am going to say is that I know of people who have been at that limit with no history, not breaking the limit and recieved a far harsher penalty. ;) It is not something I agree with in any form but this does make one wonder.
 
There was a piece in the media a day or two ago about how many mere mortals have also received no ban because it would be detrimental to their jobs.

Ellen's punishment is what most would receive - apart from the 1460 I think the figure was who got off without a driving ban.
 
Perhaps the media are composed of a more balanced cross section of people than the glut of HHO posters whose main aim seems to criticise as much as possible any young female rider? And personally, I'm thankful that the tabloid press haven't picked up on this and made it one of their scandals. She has been sentenced and dealt with by the law, as have many others. Her ban is actually rather long for a first time offender, and many in similar circumstances have got off. I find all this gleeful rubbing of hands that she has got her comeuppance for daring to be attractive, wealthy and successful at sport quite distasteful.
 
Mithras said:
Perhaps the media are composed of a more balanced cross section of people than the glut of HHO posters whose main aim seems to criticise as much as possible any young female rider? And personally, I'm thankful that the tabloid press haven't picked up on this and made it one of their scandals. She has been sentenced and dealt with by the law, as have many others. Her ban is actually rather long for a first time offender, and many in similar circumstances have got off. I find all this gleeful rubbing of hands that she has got her comeuppance for daring to be attractive, wealthy and successful at sport quite distasteful.
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You are right there....

A european friend observed something true about us brits....

We like nowt better than to build someone up, then the minute they get there, we knock 'em back down into the gutter, because we feel like it...don't like any success, oh no, god forbid....
 
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