Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

One thought for your consideration:

It seems to me that there are 3 separate (but related) players here--AERC, 
FEI, and UAE--and we have a tendency to lump 2 out of the 3 together at 
different times during these discussions.

FEI's "job" is to identify the horse(s) that are the "best in the world" at 
any given particular event--the horse that can jump the highest, perform 
the best dressage test, or go 100 miles the fastest.  They have no mandate 
or interest in 'historical' mileage, any more than they do in recruiting 
riders, education, or trail preservation.  These are AERC's "jobs".  AERC 
seeks to represent ALL endurance riders in America--regardless of distance, 
age, or goals--and going at any distance the fastest is only one of the 
goals we acknowledge.

Endurance is really a very 'new' FEI discipline.  We all 'grew up' under 
AERC, are committed to its philosophy, and most of us do not aspire to 
"winning races" (at least as our primary goal--we have others).  The 
biggest adjustment "we" have had to make to FEI (those that compete at this 
level), is accepting the rigid constraints of rules/dress 
codes/stabling--and the total lack of interest in career longevity of the 
horses, since this is an AERC "thing" and not an FEI "thing".  (Note that 
in pretty much all other equestrian disciplines, it is EXPECTED that the 
horses will be trained to 'peak' for one or two events, and will have a 
short (5-6 year) competitive career.  Most of them only go to one 
Olympics...they retire before the next one).

UAE, on the other hand, is newer to endurance than FEI.  They "grew up" 
under FEI, where the total focus is on 'winning the one-day 100'.  They 
have no background of 'a bunch of buddies meeting in a field somewhere to 
go for a ride'.  They may, someday, become interested in 'historical 
mileage'--when they have a long enough history to record some!  The day may 
also come (perhaps it already has) when they become interested in expanding 
the sport in UAE to include shorter distances and 'the common man'.  But 
for now, their sole exposure has been to the high profile 100-mile 
race--and they have certainly perfected their approach to it.

terre

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If you treat an Arab like a Thoroughbred, it will behave like a Quarter
horse. 
~  Libby Llop

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