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RE: [RC] USEF, Tom Johnson & damaging speculation. - heidiAngie is on the right track. Our US riders can certainly
benefit from riding instruction, technical support, etc. But
where I get bent out of shape about the current FEI trend is that it is
contrary to the US's biggest strength--the strength of individuals.
There certainly IS a role for arena work at an international level in
this sport--cross-training in dressage is VERY beneficial, not just for
FEI, but for endurance at ANY level. Suggesting that endurance
riders should hit the arena is right on the mark. But do we need
a huge central facility? Heck, no! We are a far-flung
country, arenas abound, good instructors abound, and FEI would be far
better to put funds into continuing training for riders near where they
live, IMO.
Also, Steve is right on the mark with his comments about the
outrageous changes made last year in e-lyting and shoeing
protocols. For people strange to these individual horses to make
those sorts of sweeping changes is flat out WRONG, never mind
potentially disastrous for the horses. (Well, it just about
turned out that way.) We need leaders at the FEI level willing to
be consultants to our international riders but who STILL understand the
concept that each horse is an individual and must have a program
optimized for THAT HORSE, not for some preconceived notion that the
chef or the team vet might cook up.
The USA CAN be competitive, even in UAE-type rides. Our squad
in 1998 in Dubai came within 7 miles of finishing ALL SIX of the
selected squad, the one pull was a silly boo-boo, we had one rider in
the Top Ten, and we took home the team silver, very close behind the
team that took the gold. (In fact, without the one boo-boo
that caused our one and only pull, we WOULD have taken the gold.)
On a world level, that is darn respectable. And those riders
called their own shots, pretty much, with the coaching being more of a
support and consulting role, and an advising on ride day--for example,
one team member was struggling a bit, and an individual rider was
"coached" to ride with her, to help to ensure her finish (which indeed
happened). THAT is good coaching--making last-minute changes in
e-lyte protocols and shoeing is not.
Our individuality is our greatest strength. If we continue to
sell that out, we will continue to be second-class players at the world
level. There is a lot that USEF could do to help--and they do some
of it--riding lessons, seminars, shoeing tips BACK HOME during the
training process, advising riders on feed and e-lyte protocols based on
observation of the individual horses, etc. But this
one-size-fits-all approach will get us every time. It may work
for the French--but we are not the French, and we have to do what we do
well, instead of trying to do what someone else does well.
I'm all for young rider training, and any other support that FEI can
give to emerging potential team members--but no, we DON'T need a
UAE-style "endurance village" and we DON'T need to try to stuff
perfectly good square pegs into round holes.
Heidi
>Any rider could succeed > with a good
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