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Truman wrote:
> Drugs corrupt any sport.
That's like saying "money is the root of all evil".  People corrupt
sport.  Drugs just sit there until somebody uses them...

> Drugs in endurance
> corrupts our sport and to some extend all that participate.
I remember a lengthy thread on RC some time ago about professionalism
corrupting the sport. And there was one on the evils of FEI
participation.  And I think there have been a few others, all blaming
corruption in the sport on different things.  At the end of the day, if
people are corrupt, the sport will become corrupt.

The answer is to make sure that those who corrupt the sport are rooted
out and kept out.  IME (and maybe I'm just a cynic), that doesn't
happen, for a number of reasons.  So you can make as many rules as you
like, but you'll find that they seldom work at preventing the corruption
of the sport, because rules rely on people for their enforcement.

The horsey world is a relatively small one, and what makes it different
to many other sports (other than dog sports) is the "horse factor".
What I've found is that people are often afraid to do what's right
because the person that we're seeking to punish is someone they might
one day want to buy a horse from / sell a horse to / breed a horse to /
take lessons from / just generally be associated with.  

So people get away with doing bad things because, in order for them to
be punished, somebody has to report the bad thing, someone has to
investigate the bad thing, somebody has to then adjudicate over the bad
person and somebody has to punish the bad person.  IME, somewhere in
that mix is a someone who will put the kibosh on "morality" out of
self-interest.

Yes, I am cynical, but I've so often seen "horse people" bitch about
somebody one day and be in bed with them the next.

Is there an answer?  Doubt it - unless you can find a way to prevent
people from being biased, or self-interested, or selfish, or amoral.  If
you can, let me know and I'll quickly find a new career as I'll be out
of a job.

All we can do, as concerned horse owners, is try to lead by example and
to try to do what's best by our horses.  I tried to do more, by sitting
on our local Horse Society's disciplinary committee.  I lasted two
sessions and gave them two fingers because I was rendered impotent by
being outvoted on each occasion when I advocated suspension, because the
"offender" was on the team about to take place in a big competition!!

It's a shitty situation but it's been around since Adam and it'll be
around long after you and I are gone.  I can only hope that, when people
remember me, they remember that I tried to live, and compete, as cleanly
and fairly as I could.

Tracey



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