Re: UAE & the sport of endurance riding/racing

["ckellerfarm" <ckellerfarm@stellarnet.com>]

I only being a local newbie rider agree 100 percent with your statement.
They have a right to be proud! And to be alittle arrogant about winning with
their horses. Maybe it's time to send them invitations to Tevis? Let them
compete with our top horses and riders , and see how they do here. I willing
to bet they will come!  And many maybe surprised at how well they do! And it
could be the joining of hands.
 ( a newbie)


From: <guest@endurance.net>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2001 1:30 AM
Subject: RC: UAE & the sport of endurance riding/racing


> Donna Snyder-Smith rightrider@cs.com
> The Arabian is a special breed whose history goes back hundreds
> (thousands?) of years, much of it in the countries of the UAE.
>  They have the right to feel as though this breed is a horse of
> their making (picture verbal pedigrees passed from generation to
> generation and mares being such a prized possession that they
> were kept in the tents with the family).  Now picture this tough,
> intelligent, beautiful horse being imported into other countries
> of the world and while many people think quite highly of them
> (evidenced the prices paid for some of the finer animals), the
> competitive (think FEI) horse world virtually ignored them.  They
> weren't suitable for jumping, eventing, or dressage (although
> they can certainly do all of those things).  Then here comes a
> discipline called endurance riding.  It starts in the US and
> gradually makes its way into the hearts and minds of people all
> over the world AND it is looked upon so favorably by the world
> equestrain governing body (FEI) that it is taken under its
> umbrella, AND guess what, the ARABIAN is the premiere horse of
> choice for this new FEI discipline!  I can see where the Arab's
> sense of history and perhaps a generous measure of pride (not
> unfounded in my opinion) would cause them to want to play a
> MAJOR role in this emerging world class sport.  Why not and
> wouldn't you if your great, great grandfather had spent his life
> developing the breed?
>      Ever since the UAE has shown an interest in endurance, their
> plans seemed relatively clear, they want to dominate the sport
> riding the descendents of the horse(s) their ancestors are
> responsible for creating and they want the world to come and play
> with them because its no fun to play alone.  With the recent event in
Dubai,it seems they have succeeded in accomplishing a
> big step toward their goals.  It was a race and perhaps that is/will be
all they (UAE) will ever be interested in, but I think
> not.  If not, what will be the next step?
> In thoroughbred racing there is
> something known as the triple crown and to achieve it, is the
> highest honor a race horse (and owner and trainer and jockey) can
> attain.  100 miles over flat dessert sand is only one "type" of
> track.  It may be, like racing on turf, some will never want to
> enter their endurance horse on any other type of course.  But
> the cream of the crop of competitive riders will rise to the
> challenge IF we (the sport of endurance) can unite and provide
> that challenge.  What would it be?  Why to own/train/ride the
> endurance triple crown winner; the horse who can win on a flat
> track and also win on a mountainous course (the calibar of Tevis
> and/or the Old Dominion).  What would the course for the "third
> leg" of this triple crown challenge be?  Who knows?  We have
> flat sand, we have rocky mountains, what about water? Marshes with heat?
My point is this, if the riders from the UAE only
> play on a single type of course (their own) no matter how good
> they get, they will not be recognized by the rest of the world
> as superior horsemen, rather only as jockeys capable of winning
> under very limited circumstances and call me crazy, I just don't
> think they'll want to be that limited. So let's think "out of the box" on
this one.  Let's recognize what the FEI saw about this
> sport when it included it under its umbrella, that we have one
> hell of a showcase for the horse, with roots which go all the
> way back thru time and human history.  Disney couldn't ask for
> better material and I truly wish everyone who participates in
> this discipline could put aside their differences and "hop
> aboard" as the train leaves the station, because folks, it is
> going to go with you or without you.  Let's bring the world
> back to our table because we set a banquet no one can resist. DSS
>
>
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>
>
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