Re: RC: New FEI standards

[DebiG54@aol.com]

Dear Teddy and all:

When I read the article which follows these comments I was dumbstruck.  The 
changes described by M. Satyanarayan to the sport of international endurance 
racing should make the powers that be in the US sit up and take notice.  
These changes will enhance the elitist nature of our sport internationally 
more than ever.  Horses have quite clearly become a cash crop.  Horses are 
bought, sold and borrowed worldwide now, with narrow goals in mind.  Win now, 
win money, win now, who cares about the future?  Who cares about the horses 
who will never be the same after today's race?

My God, the results of this mentality are so obvious already.  Look at what 
happened in today's world championship.  Out of 142 starters, only 32 
finished.  That's a 22-23 per cent completion rate.  Who among the FEI and 
the other countries' federations thinks these results will go over well when 
lobbying for Olympic participation? This doesn't make sense to me. 

These kind of results in our sport might get airtime from networks covering 
extreme sports, race car driving, and Evil Kneivel type stunt spectaculars.  
People tune in to watch the crashes, the disasters, the blood and guts.  I 
wasn't there, but today's race sounds like it was a disaster for most 
participants.  We must start asking ourselves WHY?  Is it the drive for 
success, the drive for fame, the drive for money that is blinding too many 
participants to the welfare of the horses?  What else could it be?  I know 
bad luck can be blamed for some pulls, but not this many.  The completion 
rates in the elite, international races are becoming shocking.  I don't 
remember the exact rate of completion in last year's Pan American 
Championship, but I know it was well under 50 percent.

Please, don't anyone think that I'm pointing fingers at any of our 
participants from the US in today's race.  I know many of these people 
personally.  Money and fame is not the guiding force for most.  I am 
sincerely sorry for the tough day that our US squad experienced.  But money 
and fame is what drives far too many others in this sport, including those at 
the very top who make the rules and now reward the money.  It's very scary. 

When I competed in the World Equestrian Games in 1994, this sport was a 
softer, more innocent sport.  Money and fame--who doesn't want both--too bad 
they corrupt everything they touch.  Perspective is lost.  Innocence is lost. 
 I have no answers, no solutions, and the FEI ball is rolling and hard to 
stop at this point.  

I don't know when the phrase, "To finish is to win" became the motto for the 
sport of endurance in this country.  I'm guessing it was late 70s to early 
80s.  Doesn't that seem like a long time ago today?

Debi Gordon

 << 
 > FEI imposes strict rules
 >
 > From M. Satyanarayan
 > Compiegne, France - The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the
 > governing body of equestrian activities worldwide has decided to use the
 > carrot and stick policy for countries, including the United States, in its 
bid
 > to make endurance an Olympic discipline.
 >
 > Addressing a press conference here on the eve of the 8th World
 > Endurance Championship, Endurance chief at the FEI Michael Stone said
 > that one of the biggest obstacles in the path of endurance becoming an
 > Olympic sport was the apathy towards FEI-organised rides from
 > countries like USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
 >
 > "These countries organise rides under their own national federation rules
 > which affect the rides organised under the FEI umbrella. To start with,
 > from the next world championship we will not accept the US riders unless
 > they have qualified through FEI-organised rides. So far we have been
 > accepting their entries but this will be the last time they will be 
allowed,"
 > Stone said.
 >
 > This means that the US riders, who have won all the world championships
 > will have to toe the FEI-line or miss the world event.
 >
 > The carrot comes in the form of an increase in the prize money for the FEI
 > Emirates Worldwide Endurance Ranking announced by Faisal Seddiq Al
 > Mutawa, FEI member and General Secretary of the UAE Equestrian and
 > Racing Federation .
 >
 > The ranking which was introduced by the UAE and FEI in 1999 had
 > offered US $25,000, $15,000, $10,000 for the top three ranked riders. It
 > has now been increased to $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000.
 >
 > 'We hope the increase in prize money will attract riders from US,
 > Australia and Canada to organise rides under the FEI umbrella and help
 > their riders take a shot at the world rankings," Faisal Seddiq said.
 >
 > Commenting on the success of the ranking system which was conceived
 > by the UAE, Faisal Seddiq said it had created a lot of enthusiasm among
 > riders worldwide who now felt pride in being placed in the ranking.
 >
 > "The ranking for horses has also helped on the economic front with horses
 > that were earlier fetching around $10,000 now being sold at $40,000.
 > The owners, breeders and riders have all benefited by the ranking system
 > with the increase in numbers being a pointer towards its success," Faisal
 > Seddiq added.
 >
 > Commending UAE's role in promoting endurance worldwide, Michael
 > Stone said the FEI was working closely with the UAE in this
 > direction."Some of the major hurdles have been removed to enable
 > smaller national federation to organise FEI rides," he said.
 >
 > A reduction in the official FEI fees, change in rules to enable lesser
 > number of officials to supervise the rides and also changes to facilitate
 > foreign delegates at such rides were some of the steps taken by the FEI to
 > promote endurance rides.
 >
 --
 Teddy Lancaster