RE: AERC & International & FEI

["Alison Farrin" <alison@innovativepension.com>]

I've been trying to get enough work done to go riding - then I was riding -
so I haven't posted anything to date about the flack over AERC/International
& FEI.  I'm going to preface this by noting that I also belong to the
Eventer's list (as do some others on this list) and I think that you would
simply get blank looks of amazement if you took this debate and translated
it into "Eventerese".  Such like............. Those Beginner Novice people,
well do you believe they think they are Eventers?  They're not even riding
at a sanctioned level. And they're only jumping 2'6".  They're simply Not
Real Eventers.  Or, from the other side of the coin.....  Well, can you
believe David and Karen O'Connor are both going to the Olympics! I mean,
really, shouldn't they just stay in the United States and do the advanced
events we have here.  Why do they need to test themselves against the best
the rest of the world has to offer?  It's not like people actually come from
other countries to do events here or anything...................

In the two years I have been on the Eventers List, not one opinion such as
the above has EVER been expressed or even alluded to. And yet, the levels
and the disciplines of USCTA and AERC bear a remarkable similarity to one
another.  They have everyone from backyard horses who are learning how to
trot their first crossrail to four star competitors.  I'm not saying they
don't have their downside.  But on the upside, they certainly seem to make
room for everybody.

How about we change our name to the American Distance Riders Conference.
Then we have three divisions.  Limited Distance; Endurance and
International.

Limited Distance can be whatever you need it to be.  Just like Bruce
Davidson can ride his new green 5 year old in Beginner Novice, I can take my
new 4 year old to a limited distance event.  Alternatively, if I want to
ride Limited Distance for the rest of my days, 'cause I'm too tired or too
old or too slow or just don't have the time it takes to condition for a 50,
I can do that too.  When I'm ready to move up, there's........

Endurance.  50, 60, 75, 80 & 100 mile rides.  The backbone of the sport.
Some of us are going to ride to complete, happy that we survived 50 miles.
Some of us are going to be aiming at top ten to answer the question, "Is my
horse good enough to go fast enough to be the first one done today?"  Others
are going to ask a different question.  They want to know if their horse is
the best conditioned of those going fast.  They want that BC award.  Some of
us will always be content right here.  But for those of us who are playing
with the big boys and winning often enough to wonder if they are the best of
the best, there's.......

International.  Rides that are co-sanctioned here in the US under AERC and
FEI rules become qualifying rides for international competition.  AERC's
International Committee is the liasion to AHSA to FEI.  It works ok over in
the eventing world.  They have their association, the USCTA (about to change
its name), which runs most all of the competions, albeit in their case they
actually run under rules in the AHSA rulebook. (Whoops, so are we, when it
all gets organized - something the Interational Committee is working on.)
When you get up to the highest levels, they run according to FEI rules.
Here's the FEI code of Conduct.  Would any of us argue with any of the
tenents?

1. In all equestrian sports the horse must be considered paramount.
2. The well-being of the horse shall be above the demands of breeders,
trainers, riders, owners, dealers, organisers, sponsors or officials.
3. All handling and veterinary treatment must ensure the health and welfare
of the horse.
4. The highest standards of nutrition, health, sanitation and safety shall
be encouraged and maintained at all times.
5. Adequate provision must be made for ventilation, feeding, watering and
maintaining a healthy environment during transportation.
6. Emphasis should be placed on increasing education in training and
equestrian practices and on promoting scientific studies in equine health.
7. In the interests of the horse, the fitness and competence of the rider
shall be regarded as essential.
8. All riding and training methods must take account of the horse as a
living entity and must not include any technique considered by the FEI to be
abusive.
9. National Federations should establish adequate controls in order that all
persons and bodies under their jurisdiction respect the welfare of the
horse.
10 The national and international Rules and Regulations in equestrian sport
regarding the health and welfare of the horse must be adhered to not only
during national and international events, but also in training. Competition
Rules and Regulations shall be continually reviewed to ensure such welfare.

In reading the rules, I have a suspicion that part of the reason for the
higher pull rate at the WEC is that FEI has a higher standard for lameness
than AERC.  Anything that looks remotely off, is out.  Not a bad standard to
emulate, and certainly not one to complain about!
Barney, I couldn't find a rule anywhere that said the veterinarian could not
talk to the rider.  Care to point it out to me?

In short (too late) I'm still trying to figure out what the argument is
about.  FEI does not control AERC, in the same way that it does not control
USCTA.  It just expects you to play by FEI rules when competing at FEI
levels.  AHSA members serve on the AERC Internatonal committee as advisors
and liasion, just as they do for USCTA.  The point being, it works just fine
for USCTA, why are we expecting that it won't work for AERC?

I also looked at the list of members of the committee.  (I'm sorry at this
point that I deleted several of the posts, because I am going to be
paraphrasing from memory and hereby apologize in advance if what I remember
is way off base from what was actually said.)  The committe looks like a
cross section of international level riders, ride managers and experienced
AERC veterinarians.  I personally know a couple of the folks on the
committee and am sure that those two, at least, have the best interests of
the horses, the riders and AERC and AERC International - in THAT order- at
heart.  So what are the grounds for complaining that AERCI is not doing its
job?  The fact that we were beaten badly at the WEC?  Let us note for the
record, that while 10 years ago, the USA was state of the art for endurance
racing, the rest of the world has not been sleeping.  Take Ridecamp's own
Leonard from Belgium as a prime example.  Here is a gentleman that has taken
advantage of every word of wisdom spoken on ridecamp.  He trains using Tom
Ivers' techniques.  He feeds using Susan's research.  He listens and learns
from the best people in the business, most of them still in the United
States to be sure.  He finished 8th.  Not first, but darned competitive.
Ten years ago, neither he nor anyone else in Europe had access to this
information.  They do now.  They have good horses - don't forget, if you go
back far enough, all of our arabs came from theirs.  And only in dire
straits did they sell off the best of the best to America, even then <G>.
Get real.  The rest of the world has caught up and become as seriously
competitive (in the utilizing good horsemanship to get the best out of the
horse on a given day sense of the word) as the Americans have been for
years.  It means we can't rest on our laurels.  It means that when we fly
our horses to Europe, we are at a disadvantage because of the travel time
and the travel itself and the change in conditions and we no longer are so
much better that the disadvantage disappears when the race starts.

I think there are still issues about the selection process - which will
always be difficult given the size of the country.  However, I think one of
the least helpful things we can do is continue to change the process so
often that no one can get used to the procedure.  Just as the AERC National
Championship ride needs a few years to settle in and figure itself out to
become successful, so does the International selection process.  If the
criteria for 2000 is meet A, B and C, don't change the criteria for next
year to D, E & F.  Riders that are thinking and planning ahead (the kind we
want!) will be blindsided and potentially knocked out of the selection
process.  Let the committee learn from its mistakes and make haste slowly.

Frankly, I doubt that I will ever compete internationally.  But this thread
has raised my awareness of the time, talent and dedication it takes to be
competitive at that level.  So, when I renew my membership this year, I will
also join AERC International.  My $0.02, where hopefully, it will count for
something.


Alison Farrin
Innovative Pension Strategy & Design
alison@innovativepension.com
858-451-9594 x 107