Re: RC: FEI Stuff

[BMcCrary27@aol.com]

In a message dated 01/08/2001 12:21:31 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
guest@endurance.net writes:

<< Fortunately, I have absolutely no desire or interest in riding FEI 
 endurance.  Here's to hoping that the AERC is not equally as moronic as 
 to follow in their footsteps.  >>

Neither do I, primarily because I haven't a horse good enough to compete on 
that level, partly because I really don't want to subject myself and my horse 
to the stress involved with such an effort.  However, I think if you could 
have followed the progress of the FEI in that past 15 years, you might 
discover that rather than AERC following FEI, the converse is true.  FEI has 
modified its rules from 16 years ago (when I first became involved by riding 
in an FEI championship ride in Austria and subsequently managing the first 
FEI ride in the western hemisphere), lessening the severity of its rules and 
bringing them more into line with AERC's.  I was very opposed to FEI at 
first, believing that its intention was to incorporate AERC into its fold, 
but once I assured myself that the two could co-exist, side by side, without 
either overwhelming the other, I began to relax.  The FEI only controls those 
equestrian events that are on a worldwide level, not the local national 
organized rides, such as our AERC rides.  If I find myself wrong about this, 
I'll fight with my last breath to keep AERC independent of any takeover by 
any other organization.  But I don't think I'm going to have to.  Believe me, 
it took quite awhile for me to come to this understanding, so it would pay 
others to look closely at the structure of the FEI control.  I think all who 
do will come to the same understanding I have finally come to.

Barbara