Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

For those of you who may not have read the letters written by Mr. Priesz, I 
cut out a section to encourage you to do so.  I really do believe what 
happens in FEI Endurance eventually has an affect on all of us back home; 
even those who only compete once or twice a year at their local rides.

I applaud the stand they're taking here.  I'm not going to be coy and say 
something like, "it's about time," because I'm sure efforts have been made 
in the past similar to this one.

For me, the bottom line is when we lose a horse during competition that has 
the word "endurance" attached to it, no matter where it happens, it affects 
all of us.  We all fall under that label of endurance riders; International, 
American, European, Austrailian, African, South American, Middle EAstern, 
etc.  The welfare of the horse should be the top priority for all of us.

I'm really hoping the numbers change this year.  The awareness of the 
problem has certainly been brought to light within AERC and other 
organizations around the world.  Maybe, just getting the word out was all we 
really needed to do in the first place.  I don't know.  I only know I hope 
those numbers from the previous two years change and go down drastically.  
It would be a good indicator to show that what we are doing now is working.

cya,
Howard (there's always "hope")


This excerpt was written by Mr. Priesz to Mr. Ian Williams, Head of 
Endurance Department
FEDERATION EQUESTRE INTERNATIONALE  (I didn't see a date but believe it to 
be a recent letter; btw, if you click onto the site and get a pop up that 
says you have to download a program for translation, hit "cancel." You don't 
need it)



It is clear parties who recognized the draft rule left the issue subject to 
distortion or misinterpretation, but clearly recognized what was intended. 
They raised these questions as "questions". All that needed to be done was 
to have the FEI Endurance Committee insert the simple language necessary to 
correct the problem. Your letter leaves it unclear whether they were 
consulted. Having attended the 2003 Paris Endurance Forum (and prior 
Toulouse Group meeting beforehand with the USA contingent) and having 
moderated the 2002 Jerez Endurance Forum at Mr. Stone's request, the USA is 
strongly opposed to this twisted interpretation. It is only more frustrating 
having also reviewed your prior December 2003 letter to the Australians 
advising the true intent of the rule would be enforced, requiring CoCs be 
earned in one-day 160km events.

Ian, horses died in Jerez because, in part, of this particular gap in the 
rules. The FEI must stand up for the Horse. There is no explanation which 
will absolve you, or any of us, from that responsibility.

Do the right thing. A smaller WEC is not a failure. A WEC with a majority of 
compromised horses, a dead horse, and/or riders or horses who have never 
succeeded at that distance and time and cause themselves and their silent 
partners pain or worse IS.

Thank you for the FEI's continuing consideration.

Respectfully,

Arthur W. Priesz, Jr., Esq.
USEF Vice President of Endurance


> Reply-To: <steph@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [RC]   FEI Issues Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 10:47:00 -0600
>
> US National Federation and FEI Correspondence:
>
> FEI Certificate of Capability, Qualifications, World Rankings, Welfare of
> the Horse
>
> Some of the recent posts, in context and chronological order -
>
> http://www.enduranceworld.net/countries/us/feitalk.html
>
>
>
> ============================================================

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