This was on a Group from Yahoo Called ParelliNaturally

From:  Kate Riordan <irishkate@p...>
Date:  Mon Feb 3, 2003  1:04 pm
Subject:  PARELLI AT EQUINE AFFAIRE


 

Dear group,

There have been several e-mails describing what happened Thursday evening,
January 30 at Equine Affaire in Pomona, California. Most of them are fairly
factual. Since I'm the public relations person for Parelli Natural
Horsemanship, I feel it incumbent upon me to let you all know what happened
and how Pat, Linda, PNH President Mark Weiler and I are responding to it.

In essence, last year in Ohio the management of Equine Affaire asked us to
not jump picnic tables in our demonstration, and to cease having drawings at
our booth. We had several meetings with them and proceeded with our typical
demonstrations. We met again in Kentucky to discuss our headlining the three
Equine Affaire events this year. Equine Affaire asked what it would take for
us to appear at their venues, and we essentially replied, "Just let us do
what we do."

At Pomona, it is unclear to me if indeed any of the Equine Affaire
management talked to any Parelli personnel (those who could actually take
action) before the performance on Thursday evening.

During the Savvy Team presentation, Linda did indeed jump her athletic
Warmblood, Remmer, over a picnic table. After the Savvy Team exited and Pat
was playing with his stallion Liberty in the arena, the two women who manage
the show were up in the announcer booth. I watched as they gave the
announcer a typewritten script to read. They exited the booth and the
announcer terminated Pat's audio source and read the script to the audience.
It was a two-page typewritten script, so I won't reprint the entire thing.
But here is what I can give you verbatim that sums their script:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I regret that I must inform you that the management
of Equine Affaire has decided to interrupt Mr. Parelli's presentation this
evening because Mr. Parelli has decided to engage in activities that we
believe do not represent responsible and safe horsemanship and we do not
want to condone or promote such activities."

They went on to make a statement about how they select clinicians with
utmost care, and "therefore, we reserve the right to ensure that the actions
and activities, as well as the verbal messages, of clinicians are always
appropriate, safe and educational."

It goes on to state, "...Mr. Parelli has chosen to engage in activities this
evening that we believe demonstrate, and therefore promote, inappropriate
and unsafe horsemanship."

It ends with, "We hope you will understand and support our position and our
decision to terminate this session."

Pat was then asked to leave the arena and the audience was told that the
evening's session was ended and they were also asked to leave the arena.

You could have heard a pin drop. Many people thought it was a joke. Others
simply sat there in silence, literally not knowing what to do. Pat continued
to play with Liberty, saying (without a microphone) "I'll leave just as soon
as I can catch my horse."

Some people started chanting "REFUND, REFUND." Another woman came down from
the stands and said in a very stentorian voice to the assembled mass of
about 2,000 people, "How many people are only here because of Pat Parelli?"

The audience became vocal in their support of having Pat continue with the
show, chanting, clapping and stomping their feet ("WE WANT PAT, WE WANT
PAT"). Several angry people marched up to the announcer's booth, demanding
that Pat's microphone be turned back on.

After a few minutes, apparently the Equine Affaire management ladies
determined that it would be in the best interest for all involved to turn
Pat's mike back on, which they did.

Pat continued with his presentation with great dignity and sportsmanlike
behavior. He was a true gentleman about the entire situation. As Pat says,
his job is inspiration, and our job is perspiration. The evening ended with
Honza, Gaston and Cookie (his new horse) giving a sterling performance; the
crowd awarded him with a standing ovation.

The next day, I asked management for a printed copy of the speech, which I
finally obtained. A number of people wrote letters of complaint which were
delivered to the show office. Others e-mailed their messages of indignation
to Equine Affaire. One man came to the Parelli Collection booth just to buy
a shirt with a logo on it so he could march into the Equine Affaire office
and show his allegiance.		  

On Friday afternoon Equine Affaire management chose to write a two-page
"explanation of what happened during Pat Parelli's session on Thursday night
at Equine Affaire" and made it available to anyone who asked for it. In
essence it stated the same philosophy about safe horsemanship, their concern
about education, and about asking Pat and Linda to not jump a picnic table.
They only expressed concern about that one thing --- not about helmets or
anything else. They ended the document with "In order to stop an activity
which we believe was unsafe and inappropriate, we interrupted the session."
It said nothing about trying to shut it down.

On Friday, a caveat was verbally announced by Equine Affaire management
before the Parelli presentations. It simply said that management did not
agree with everything presented by the Parellis. Pat and Linda were pleased
with that, and thought it should be read before each of their performances.
On a personal note (I can't help myself), I would add that perhaps they
should have read the same caveat before the performance wherein a clinician
sacked out a green horse, bucked him out, didn't tighten the cinch properly,
and the horse caught a hind leg in the stirrup as he was bucking. Or perhaps
they should have read the same caveat before a clinician's performance who
prided himself in getting a totally green two-year-old bridled, saddled and
ridden in 18 minutes flat.

As you all know, Parelli Natural Horsemanship is about prior and proper
preparation. We're about achieving dreams and goals ---- THROUGH EDUCATION,
KNOWLEDGE, TOOLS, TIMING, ATTITUDE, IMAGINATION, TECHNIQUES and SAVVY. We
have a system that teaches people, step by step, about how to achieve those
goals --- safely.

I've been asked what is appropriate action for people to voice their
concerns to Equine Affaire management about this event on Thursday evening.
That choice is up to you. If you choose, you may e-mail them at
info@equineaffaire.com, or you can do nothing. We honor whatever decision
you make.

Please know that Pat, Linda, and all of us at PNH were heartened by the
audience's response. We are making a difference, and along with your
dedication and voice, the world for horses will become a NATURAL one,
because we all have hearts that care.


Thanks for taking the time to read this. And remember, Keep It Natural!

Kate Riordan