05.30.08
Bloggers: The New Cavalry
It looks like the walls of no see no tell are starting to crumble. Thousands if not tens of thousands of entries in reference to the horses and riders injured in horse sports these last few weeks are being posted on blogs and other media pages through out the Internet. The voices of riders, horse people, and the public are being heard.
The article below just appeared in John Lyons’ The Perfect Horse. This is the first major Horse publication to do an article of this nature, even though cautiously referring to the New York Times article (links below).
It is obvious the USEA and Horse Racng went too far and its mistakes and misjudgments are public. Now there is no turning back. I’m cautiously optimistic but it appears that although both organizations could hold their advertising as a weapon to the normal venues and publications, there was no stopping the Blogs, Youtube and MySpace. The Sport Horse Industry’s secrets are coming out to a public outcry they never anticipated– and it will not be business as usual.
We all know our sport and pastime is dangerous. There is no such thing as a casual ride but there also is no reason for making things more dangerous or training and breeding irresponsibly.
Someday the bloggers and posters who opposed and got out the word “that was not to be spoken” will be seen as the cavalry that protected the horses when the sports of kings became ruled by fools.
E-news ARTICLE from John Lyons’ PERFECT HORSE website, myHorse.com–
The New York Times reported last week about a lawsuit the parents of a California girl who was killed after a fall at the Galway Downs Event in Temecula, Calif. in November 2006 filed against the United States Equestrian Federation, the U.S. Eventing Association, her trainer and others.
The suit claims Mia Ericksson’s death was caused in part by the governing body’s desire to up the ante on the sport for spectators—to make it more thrilling—while increasing the dangerous elements of eventing.
The New York Times has been taking more and more notice of equestrian sports. In April the newspaper ran a multi-page story about the sport of eventing after Darren Chiacchia was seriously injured at the Red Hills Horse Trials. Last Sunday the newspaper ran happier news, on the tail of Big Brown’s Preakness win, about thoroughbred rescue organizations.
Both Chiacchia, and Laine Ashker, who was seriously injured at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event at the end of April, which was also reported on in the Times, are recovering from their injuries.
