Ridecamp: RE: [RC] King of What?

 Yes, there is a difference between flat track endurance racing and endurance as done at Tevis or OD or even the last Pan Ams, and maybe there will eventually be two separate sports. After all a hunter/jumper show and the Grand National are not the same sport, are they?  As long as the UAE are having fun and willing to put up the cash for "their" endurance racing, it's going to be around as FEI endurance. At some point, everyone will decide what they want to do....whether flat track or trail; high visibility or low...and get on with it. If someone from the trail crowd wants to give flat track a run (pun intended) for the experience or the cash, okay. Cool. There's no problem with having two different sports and many different governing bodies, but everyone just needs to know what they are looking at and doing, and with whom.

 

As Howard noted, except for people who do trail endurance, actually the rest of the world is pretty much unaware of the sport. If you ask me, that's fine. I like the idea of a sport that people can't "participate" in from a sofa. If flat track really takes off and gets into the Olympics (which I seriously doubt unless the IOC is even more messed up than everyone thinks it is), then AERC and the Australians and some of the more conservative Europeans will need to do some PR to point out that this is a different sport.

 

Meanwhile, in the land of We Wish We Had An AERC, most of the riders have voted with their feet. Races here are ridden by grooms (essentially jockeys) for the cash, and the horses are considered disposable. The serious riders just don't want to play, thank you. The breeders aren't willing to trash horses, people like me with a few horses aren't willing to watch others trash them.

 

Maryanne Stroud Gabbani
Cairo, Egypt
maryanne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.ratbusters.net

 
Yes! There is a difference between flat track racing and Endurance as it
still is ridden in this country. Vive la diferance (oh, my French is AWFUL
but Long live the difference). AERC is strong with integrity still intact.
In my book, the question is not about how many horses die running FEI or
AERC rides (or races). It is how the ride/race is run and the ultimate goals
of participation. And thank you, whomever you are, I don't need your cup of
coffee. I will take a swallow of goo as I ride down the trail on a happy,
sound, non-stressed horse who may never earn a penny in the game of
endurance but who will be running and playing this game for many years to
come.
Pat Super



----- Original Message -----
From: "Ridecamp Guest" <guest@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, May 17, 2002 10:31 PM
Subject: [RC] King of What???


> horsesofcourses horsesofcourses@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> AERC Is still King and will be for a long time??? The sport of endurance
RACING is what is heading to the olympics, and AERC has done everything it
can to make it clear it doesn't want to join.  And that is fine, I think
AERC should remain in place to serve the riders who want to continue to keep
the pasttime of endurance riding small and more of a backyard fun weekend.
Make no mistake about it,  AERC has lost its position in the USA and the
world for the top riders, it is just a matter of time before another
"entity" emerges in the USA to take over as the controlling organization of
the sport of endurance racing.  And it ain't gonna be AERC I can promise you
that!  Watch, and you shall see, one and then another top events will go
forward without AERC sanctioning.  How many horses died at FEI events last
year?  How many at AERC rides?  Collect the facts and you will see that your
fear that RACING will destroy the sport is quite the opposite, it has
actually brought  more fit horses to the trail, you can listen to the rumors
all you want about how fast they go, but go in person and see that these
horses are lookin' good at the finish, better than alot of the USA horses at
endurance "rides" I've been to. I think FEI is getting tired of the battle
with the narrow focus of AERC, so I'll buy everyone a cup of coffee this
time next year if we don't see the FEI go to another group to handle the FEI
endurance races and AERC will be left out, but apparently that is what all
ya'll want  right, for those "racers" to leave us alone?  Well, good
buddies, that is exactly what they are planning to do I am sure, but they
aren't going to leave the sport alone, just AERC.
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