RE: Re: $$$$$

["Maryanne Stroud Gabbani" <gabbani@starnet.com.eg>]

The "culture", Susan, is simply too much money, no training in delay of
gratification, and an assumption that cash can buy anything. Feisal Seddiq
came to Egypt to lay on a party for his boss...even tho' theoretically he
came in his FEI persona. He ignored the requests of our antiquities
authorities, which we were prepared to honor, and basically did whatever he
thought Maktoum would like. To be fair, maybe Mohamed Maktoum is a very nice
man. I don't know. I know it didn't bother him at all to wash down his
horses in mineral water in front of people who weren't even given some to
drink until I kicked up an unholy ruckus. I also know that his crew began
dismantling the course before our last riders were even in, that the awards
ceremony was held before our last riders were in..or even out for the last
loop, and that he left right after the awards ceremony. Great manners. I
also know that Mr. Seddiq had local intermediaries call me to tell me to
shut up about my criticism of Maktoum himself for wearing spurs throughout
the competition (it's on videotape). I told the intermediaries to basically
blow it out their ear. He FLEW IN a group of untrained UAE people to be
course stewards, although I had a group of locals to do the job and insisted
that they be allowed to do it. The things my local folk saw out on the trail
were very interesting and highly questionable....but essentially, Mr. Seddiq
al Mutawa (a current member of the FEI endurance group) felt that because
they were paying money for the event and Maktoum donated his prize money to
the Egyptian finishers, we should all shut up and be grateful.

I personally wouldn't sell them my worst enemy, let alone my best horse.
They have stables I wish I could live in, brilliant vets, and all the
goodies in the world. When Maktoum finished the race, he jumped off his
horse and walked away. If you don't even pay attention to one that wins, how
much attention will one that doesn't get?

Maryanne Stroud Gabbani
Cairo, Egypt
gabbani@starnet.com.eg

-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Garlinghouse [mailto:suendavid@worldnet.att.net]
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2000 3:58 AM
To: Tivers@aol.com; renegade12@juno.com; ridecamp@endurance.net;
hikryrdg
Cc: Enduranceriders@onelist.com
Subject: RC: Re: $$$$$


Does anyone (Tom?) know what the average performance life expectancy of the
horses are that are sent to the Middle East?  Or what happens to them when
they're finished?

I've heard some rumors from some folks that were there, and it wasn't
pretty.  I know it's an entirely different culture, with a different feeling
about their horses and what they expect of them.

OTOH, maybe sometimes not so different from some US riders I've seen.

susan g
----- Original Message -----
From: hikryrdg <hikryrdg@evansville.net>
To: <Tivers@aol.com>; <renegade12@juno.com>; <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Cc: <Enduranceriders@onelist.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2000 6:57 PM
Subject: RC: $$$$$


At 02:16 PM 8/27/00 -0400, Tivers@aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 8/27/00 8:59:03 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
>renegade12@juno.com writes:
>
><< What I see is a trend being set whereby certain countries with unlimited
> amounts of disposable income are not only influencing the World Endurance
> Community, but may be buying control of that community."
>
> Although that November article was very controversial, and disputed by
> some, it appears that it may have been eerily accurate in forecasting the
> future of the World Endurance Community.
>
> Randy Eiland
> >>
>
>
>Actually, the joke is on them. All they reap is a huge influx of severe
>competition. The one thing they cannot do is build endurance horses from
the
>ground up.
>
>ti
> That is because they don't breed, raise, train, and live with them day in
and
day out. This is a sport that requires
a deep felt relationship between the rider and the horse. Without it you are
lost.  I just hate to see such good material
(our horses) going over there and are waisted on vanity.  Jerry


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