Re: Biltmore Blues

[Jim Holland <lanconn@tds.net>]

Howard4567@aol.com wrote:
> 
> 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.
> 
> 
> 
> 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.


This FEI "event" was not at all what I expected.  I thought that it
would be a "normal" ride, except that the FEI riders would have
different requirements because of their rules.  I expected them to have
an armband or different number or something to identify them.  After
all, if you count the 50 milers, the majority of us were NOT riding
FEI.  I was looking forward to observing the procedure, asking
questions, and thinking maybe I would try this someday.  I thought they
would be invisible to the rest of us from a riders perspective.

Instead, FEI "took over" the ride.  Special rules were imposed that
applied to all of us, I fell "harassed" at times, and generally didn't
like the atmosphere.  The needs of ALL riders took second place to what
the FEI people wanted. This wasn't the Biltmore ride I know and love. 
The relaxed atmosphere and jovial camaraderie between riders seemed
strained. Granted that it was a big "event" and 120 riders was the most
I have ever started with. I guess more than anything else, I was just
disappointed.

Jim and Sun of Dimanche