Duel Sanctioning

["jsalas" <jsalas@tampabay.rr.com>]

In regards to rides2far post about the question asked at the Biltmore meeting. If you are disqualified from FEI sanctioning, can you continue under AERC rules? What a great question! This is something that will need to be addressed by all sanctioning parties, especially if FEI rides with duel sanctioning become the norm. In the FEI Rules for Endurance Riding, under article 821.4 Elimination it states "The Disqualification, the withdrawal or elimination from one of the phases of the competition entails disqualification, withdrawal or elimination from the general classification." This needs to be clarified. What is the "general classification"? What is the difference between the "general classification" and a "phase of competition"? Competition would be the ride itself but would classification be the FEI sanctioning? Could you be eliminated from the ride if your horse is in the 2 strike zone according to FEI and then go to AERC instead? Would that be fair? What if you can't even start because you are not dressed appropriately? Can you switch to AERC then?  Yeah, I know, a lawyer could have a heyday with this. But that is not the point. The point is, that duel sanctioning is not addressed anywhere in the rules. Nothing about, who's sanctioning has priority or if a rider can change in the middle of the game from one sanctioning body to the other. From what I can tell, neither does the AERC rule book. The rules are open to interpertaion. It only takes one person to contest the rules (and don't think that can't happen) and there you go.  So really, the rules are not the same. Sounds like a summer job for the rules, and sanctioning committees. Lisa Salas, The Odd farm