Biltmore Blues

[Howard4567@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/6/01 8:36:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time, lanconn@tds.net 
writes:

> Thanks to the Kanavy's and the Fruth's for helping to sanction the
>  National Championship Ride as FEI.  Can we retract it?  Were it not the
>  National Championship, I would not go....nor will I attend ANY other FEI
>  ride if there are other rides available. At this ride, I felt like a
>  "second class citizen". There were too many "officials", too much
>  confusion, too much incompetence, too little communication and too much
>  favoritism toward "FEI". If this is where Endurance is going, I'll
>  switch to some other discipline. 

Don't you dare switch Jim.  We can't afford to lose riders like you.  Like 
I've said before, screw FEI and their silly rules.  We don't need them and 
don't want them.  If a ride has to be FEI, make it FEI only.  And when you 
do, I doubt if your ride will have a waiting list.

Jim, you just confirmed what I was pretty sure I'd witness if I ever did an 
FEI ride (I won't).  Too many rules, too many people telling you their 
version of those rules, and too much confusion.  Add to that the parking 
segregation (that one would really piss me off) and I'm outta here.  Parking 
should always be based on first come, first parked.

Like Lisa said we've already got enough problems with how the LD riders are 
treated (at some rides, not all) and with the generator people verses the 
non-generator ones.  But Jim's description of this year's Biltmore ride kind 
of shows segregation of riders, based on FEI or non FEI, in a country where 
this kind of thing should be unacceptable.

Things are getting out of control.  Gas and diesel prices will go over 2 
bucks a gallon this summer.  Ride fees have gone up substantially.  Make a 
ride an FEI one and expect those ride costs to double.  Do what they made 
those poor folks in Egypt do (pay fees for rides you didn't attend), and the 
entire sport starts looking like one that belongs in the "Show" ring.  Am I 
the only one upset about all this?

Don't leave the sport, Jim.  I know we can work this thing out; especially 
with voices like yours.

cya,
Howard