Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Ok John - you've definitely put me on the spot and I'll respond to your
questions.
(Maryben - you can tell another Shultz story)

> >
 Steph,
 The "camel jockey" issue is directly related to endurance riding and
should be allowed to be discussed on Ridecamp.
> >
It is only marginally related to Endurance riding, but it IS related to
politics and commerce between UAE and other countries (one of which is the
US). It was discussed on Ridecamp, to the point where no new ideas were
being put forward, only repeated accusations and me-too's. Until now I never
asked to stop the discussion, but after watching the Members list turn into
an unwinnable argument between a half dozen people, I figured it was an
issue that was talked out, and didn't want to see it start up fresh here.
Please go read the archives, you'll see the same posts over and over.

> >  The same people involved in the Emirates International Endurance
Village,
platium sponsers of the Tevis Cup and sponsers of the Arabian Nights ride
hosted by you, are the same people involved in camel racing in the UAE.>>

We don't know this. The HBO show specifically mentioned one stable in Dubai.
Others (websites, individuals) have said that 'all of the Sheikhs do it'.
Possible, but unlikely. You should be aware that the Emirates in UAE are
different and distinct, socially, politically and economically.  Abu Dhabi
and Dubai are two of the most prominent, and have oil - some of the other
Emirates still have fishing and agriculture as their main industries. These
Emirates were allocated to different tribal factions when the country was
established 30 years ago - there are deeply cultivated differences.

> > It is no secret that you have cultivated relationships with the
endurance
community in the UAE which understandably puts you in somewhat of a
precarious position. After all you are the owner of Ridecamp which enables
us to discuss this issue. I believe out of deserved respect for you there
isn't more discussion. I also can see why you would want it to go away.>>

Not fair John. I wanted to stop the discussion now becuase it has run it's
course. And Howard's post and Heidi's responses were the 10th iteration of
the same thing.
My relationship with UAE: I went to Dubai in '98 as a groom for my Belgian
friend Leonard. I went to Dubai in 2000 with my horse becuase we were
invited to participate in the World Cup (purely based on the horse's record
and performance). I 'met' the host, (Sh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum), at
a party that was given. I have never spoken with him or any of his staff
other than to thank them for the invitation.
I went to Abu Dhabi in 2004 as a groom for Leonard at the President's Cup,
held at the Emirates International Endurance Village (EIEV). I did not meet
the host (Sh Mansour bin Rashid al Nahyan)or any of his staff.
This spring USET received inquiry from EIEV regarding sponsoring a few rides
in the US. They did not contact any ride managers intitially, but went to
USET, and USET gave them the names of the organizers of the three FEI rides
that were currently sanctioned in the US. Biltmore, Fort Howes, and Arabian
Nights were approached by EIEV regarding sponsorship. Because of timing
issues, and whatever other factors were involved in their decision, they
offered sponsorship to Arabian Nights. (I suspect the name was attractive -
dumb luck).
Until this point I had NO relationship with anybody in the UAE. And now I
have met two people representing EIEV face to face - one of them a Texan
(Ted Lewis) who is helping with marketing and PR, the other HE Mohamed al
Sayed - chair of the Emirates International Endurance Committee (Abu Dhabi).
Mohamed lives in Indiana, with his American wife. I liked both of these men,
and Mohamed's wife Kathy very much, and the entire sponsorship experience
was good - there was absolutely no pressure on us regarding the ride. It was
very professional and cordial.

> >
 Steph, you could be real helpful on giving us some insight. What is your
opinion of all of this? Were you aware of the "camel jockey" issue before it
surfaced just a few weeks ago? Was it a surprise to you as it was many of
us? Do you think that UAE meeting the requirements that "camel jockeys" be
15 years old and weigh 100 pound is unreasonable?>>

I was not aware of the camel jocky issue before this, though I do recall
while in UAE hearing reference to 'small children riding the camels'. And
that the children were mostly from India or Pakistan. (all of the workers in
UAE come from elsewhere). I also have an image (and hundreds of pictures) of
smiling laughing children and men on camels as we drove past the camel
souks, and excersize strings. A fun 'touristy' impression.
Yes, the exposure of child trafficking and slavery was a surprise. Gives a
different perspective to my intitial 'fun/touristy' impression.
I don't think the law (15 years or older) is unreasonble, of course not!!
Even more reasonable is the concept of having 'robots' as jockeys. The camel
race is more like a greyhound race than a horse race. I've never seen a
camel race myself but have heard that they run around the track until
forceably stopped. There is no steering or jockeying involved.

> > You, whether you know it or not, could be instumental with your friendship
with the UAE endurance community in trying to convince your friends that the
situation as it stands now is unacceptable to many people in the United
States. >>

Although I think you greatly over-rate my 'friendship and influence' with
the UAE endurance community, I do realize that I now have a voice (very
small) that can be heard by some. Primarily because of Ted Lewis - who as an
American understands the importance of PR and perceptions, and is respected
by his Emirati employers. And yes, I have made inquiries, sent posts and
context, and have suggested that the bad PR should/could be corrected. The
ONLY reason EIEV sponsored the rides in the US is to build positive PR and
expose other nations to the EIEV - which Abu Dhabi hopes will rival the
Dubai Endurance Village in prestige and grandeur. You can be certain that
the issue will be discussed at the top level, the HBO show was a very
powerful expose. And I'm predicting that they will either try to clear their
name (if they are innocent), or will move more aggressively toward stopping
the illegal trafficking (if they are guilty). This is a big embarassment to
a modern and progressive Arab nation. And in most cases when an entire
Nation is embarassed or shamed, not every member is guilty of the crime, but
every member feels the shame.

Steph



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