[Limerick]

Scott Stewart is one of the top hunter riders in the country. Sadly, he was caught twice this year for drug infractions and had some time off. I know he was set down for either June or July but don't know what other time he was made to take off away from USEF sanctioned shows,

[fair judy]

i have already retained counsel. if every single person here posts on Amber Hill, an OPEN page will she sue the entire world?

[PonyPenny]

Who is Scott Stewart? His name is mentioned on here repeatedly, usually with nothing other than 'Scott Stewart' in the post.

So please explain, for those of us who don't speak the shorthand of the h/j scene.

If you keep up with the comings and goings in hunter land, you definitely know who Scott Stewart is.

[Ghazzu]

I will ask again-is there a valid reason to pack liquid magnesium in your show trunk??

There's not even a valid reason for a "trainer" to possess the injectable forms of magnesium *off* the show grounds.

[lauriep]

In all my years in horses, it wasn't until it became the drug du jour that I ever saw the stuff.

[JER]

If you keep up with the comings and goings in hunter land, you definitely know who Scott Stewart is.

Well, I don't. That's why I was asking.

I assume the general consensus is that his drug violations are a symptom of a chronic condition?

[Jumper221]

Who is Scott Stewart? His name is mentioned on here repeatedly, usually with nothing other than 'Scott Stewart' in the post.

So please explain, for those of us who don't speak the shorthand of the h/j scene.

Scott is one of the most successful hunter riders and trainers in the country. He was suspended for a month within the past year for a medication violation, I believe involving using bute and other NSAIDS in amounts over the allowed limits. He's also apparently on the cover of this month's In Stride (USHJA) magazine, which is leaving bad taste in people's mouth given the recent infractions.

[mroades]

seriously, go to the Amber Hill Farm facebook page and say what you feel on her wall. i did, i am sarah hochschwender. also look on elizabeth's personal page. first thing you see are names of people i respect and consider friends in most cases. why are Robin Greenwood, Bill Schaub, Anna Jane White-Mullin, Cynthia Williams, Jimmy Lee, Missy Roads, Ron Danta, and Don Stewart acting as de facto endorsers of this lunatic ? WHY not just quietly delete your name from her list? this crazy woman has already proven that she relies heavily on facebook and other internet connections to gain clients. she will point to her position vby showing these REAL BNT names as proof of her legitimacy. this is not about that poor child and being NICE to her. we have a cancer in this business, and it is time to excise it.

I am so honored to be considered a real BNT! But you could have at least spelled my name correctly.

I am not trying to make light of what is a very real problem, however I think EM is a red herring.

As far as unfriending her, I just havent gotten around to it, and frankly, I have never even met the lady, as I suspect many of the BNT's on her SOCIAL MEDIA page also have not.

[War Admiral]

If you keep up with the comings and goings in hunter land, you definitely know who Scott Stewart is.

No need to be snotty to JER, he's an eventer.

[saratoga]

Were these shows where you stabled 5 or 6 days at a time? Or shows that were multiple weeks and the horses lived on the show grounds for 3 weeks without leaving?

Most shows I've done are weekend deals but I've also done ones of consecutive weeks where they were stabled for 10 nights or so on the grounds and also trips for endurance rides (including 100s and multi-days) that lasted several weeks, with the horses tied to the trailer the whole time. It didnt make me want to start injecting anything. In my world, colic is a rare experience and if it does occur, I'd call the vet if it doesnt resolve itself quickly. Or wonder whats wrong with my management that I have so many colics and problems that *need* the constant medication.

[Summit Springs Farm]

..... and here you have it folks. if you even POST to Amber Hill's wall you get the attention of tammy tucker, attorney to the lunatic. what a piece of work she must be....... " Ms. Hochschwender,
Thank you for contacting my client, Elizabeth Mandarino. I understand that you post on the Chronicle Forums as “fair judy.” In June of this year, you posted that Kristen Williams, the woman who filed the protest regarding Humble, had “counsel for the protest.” You also have posted other comments that indicate a working knowledge of facts that are currently being litigated in a case pending in New Jersey. I would like to schedule a time to interview you by telephone regarding these facts. Depending on our discussion, I will be able to determine if we will ultimately need to issue a subpoena for your testimony.
Please let me know a convenient day and time after January 1 to talk.
Thank you, Tammy Tucker
tamara.tucker@nelsontucker.com, 434-979-0049"

That is simply over the top ridiculous! What a world we live in!

[Darkwave]

I don't know if Mrs. Williams would agree.....she lost her money to file a protest and now is becoming embroiled in a lawsuit.

On that point - is anyone aware of a legal defense fund or similar for Mrs. Williams? I'd happily contribute.

[JER]

So Scott Stewart does only hunters? That would mean he never rides under FEI rules, and has no incentive to even experiment with a no-drugs regimen.

[Pennywell Bay]

..... and here you have it folks. if you even POST to Amber Hill's wall you get the attention of tammy tucker, attorney to the lunatic. what a piece of work she must be....... " Ms. Hochschwender,
Thank you for contacting my client, Elizabeth Mandarino. I understand that you post on the Chronicle Forums as “fair judy.” In June of this year, you posted that Kristen Williams, the woman who filed the protest regarding Humble, had “counsel for the protest.” You also have posted other comments that indicate a working knowledge of facts that are currently being litigated in a case pending in New Jersey. I would like to schedule a time to interview you by telephone regarding these facts. Depending on our discussion, I will be able to determine if we will ultimately need to issue a subpoena for your testimony.
Please let me know a convenient day and time after January 1 to talk.
Thank you, Tammy Tucker
tamara.tucker@nelsontucker.com, 434-979-0049"

Every see a cartoon with the little birds flying about going "cukoo cukoo"?

[SnicklefritzG]

What does EM think she is going to end up with after all this? More clients who will flock to her farm? She's doing nothing but continuing to damage her reputation even further.

[poltroon]

I don't think $2,000 for the first infraction is enough. I think it needs to hurt, as in at least $15,000 for each person; owner, rider and trainer, and suspension for a year. Then make it progressively more if there are successive incidents. That way people will think twice before violating the rules. And they will take a lot more responsibility for the horses they ride, train, and own.

The USEF needs to be an organization that is standing up for the horses and the fairness of competition. Right now they are just an "ol' boys club."

Part of the problem in setting appropriate fines is that there's no single level that has equal pain, because it depends on your income and financial resources. I prefer nice long suspensions. I don't see how a large fine benefits me as a fellow competitor.

[englishivy]

So Scott Stewart does only hunters? That would mean he never rides under FEI rules, and has no incentive to even experiment with a no-drugs regimen.

That's an interesting point.

If you won't ever be in a situation in which you cannot use drugs (meaning certain drugs at certain limits are always allowed), where is the motivation to develop your program so that you don't need them?

Maybe there in lies the real crux of the problem.

[poltroon]

Yes, indeedy. The USEF has been a force in the FEI to move away from zero tolerance. I don't consider that a benefit. As to your last question, the answer is "Yes". If the FEI penalty applied, maybe more riders, trainers and owners would be less willing to inject.

I agree that hunters isn't an FEI discipline, so FEI penalties wouldn't apply there. But we're still talking horses and riders and horse welfare; and why should hunters be less protected than reiners and show jumpers and eventers and dressage horses? Or, as the USEF has done, reduce the protection for the other disciplines to match that of hunters?

I think there is a case to be made either way on FEI zero tolerance. One of the issues has been that different labs around the world have different capabilities, so setting a threshold seems appropriate to equalize results across different labs. I also think there's a difference in what's appropriate medication for a horse competing at the Olympic games versus a horse that is taking a child to his first walk-trot class. That said, if we have to give up bute for the beginner horses in order to clean up the rest, then IMHO so be it.

However, there is honest disagreement about whether the FEI zero tolerance is actually in the best interest for the horses all the time. The problem truly is that there are too many people in this sport who don't enjoy their horses as individuals and who don't enjoy having a good time being with their horses at a horse show if they don't win.

And we come back to the fact that magnesium isn't going to test.

I like moving to a plan where the trainer, rider, and owner are all held responsible and suspended.

I like a plan that says that a horse can't have an injection within 12 hours of competition, or that if it is it has to be given by a vet with a D&M report filed. I recognize that it wouldn't be enforceable off the show grounds, but having that rule in place sure would have been handy for this particular case.

[poltroon]

Earlier I made a comment speculating that that list of regular drugs in combination could potentially contribute to the lung disease they saw.

It occurs to me this morning that if you were a veterinary researcher wanted to test the long term health effects of all those drugs stacked, you probably couldn't get it past your university ethics committee.

[Hattie]

The problem truly is that there are too many people in this sport who don't enjoy their horses as individuals and who don't enjoy having a good time being with their horses at a horse show if they don't win.

This is the one of the biggest issues we now have in the show world. So I agree that the owners bear the biggest responsibility and should share the consequences of harsher penalties.