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I have felt this way for a long time, but it is not a popular opinion, so I 
just don't push it.  The farther the international events go towards 
"racing", their kind of racing, the more opposed I become to AERC being 
involved.  But I have been reviled by at least one FEI person for being 
stubborn and non-cooperative.  If that's what it's called, then so be it.  I 
much prefer AERC's way of endurance riding.  A huge percentage of AERC 
members do not care whether they ride internationally, but they would care 
if the animal rights groups managed to get the sport banned.  And don't 
think it couldn't happen!!!

AERC has proven itself to be educational, cautious, pro-care of the horses, 
and yet we still have fun.  I'd hate to see it all spoiled by some disaster 
perpetrated by the kind of racing that is being done abroad.

We AERC riders care too much for our horses to place them in jeopardy for 
the sake of "winning" such a race, so likely we will never be "winners." 
There was one notable exception, Valerie Kanavy's win, but since then we've 
been running well behind...primarily, I believe, because we cannot bear to 
risk our horses' welfare.  So the "winners" can brag and strut and feel 
important at the risk of their horses.  Or...if the horses are not in risk, 
then it's because they have been scientifically developed to an extreme 
extent to prove it can be done.  I personally don't want my horse to be 
turned into a scientific experiment.

I guess I'm just too old-fashioned to want to go that direction.

When international riding started, I thought it was such a lovely 
thing...all these people from around the world riding together.  I was so 
naive...  It rapidly turned into politics and power-plays.  Politics can be 
so nasty sometimes.

Barbara

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Truman Prevatt" <tprevatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Steph Teeter" <stephteeter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "Maryanne Gabbani" <msgabbani@xxxxxxxxx>; <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 6:20 AM
Subject: Re: [RC] [RC] FEI World Forum on Endurance


> I think it's called the Golden Rule - he who has the gold makes the rule. 
> The worst thing that could happen to we recreational endurance riders is 
> endurance to become an Olympic sport. Even at our Pan Am's we have have had 
> horses die - it just doesn't happen in Dubai. Even at our Pan Am's we can 
> see horses in the "treatment barn" hooked up - it just doesn't happen in 
> Dubai.
>
> You think a staggering horse coming off the eventing course in the '92 
> Spain Olympics cased a furor - wait till a WEC style treatment barn is 
> shown on the world wide media with multiple horses hooked up. The incident 
> in the '92 Olympics caused a fundamental change in eventing in order for 
> it to stay in the Olympics. I can just hear Brian Gumbo talking about a 
> dead horse. Let Brian Gumbo wonder aloud why on 10% of the field finishes 
> an endurance course and why so many have to be hooked up to IV's because 
> of the event as the camera pans the treatment barn. What to turn a hundred 
> million people against endurance - all endurance in a heartbeat - this 
> would be a sure fire way to do it.
>
> We in the AERC are not noticed much now - not many really know or care 
> what we do. Many that hear about it have a first reaction of "isn't that 
> hard on the horse?" However, you can explain to them what precautions are 
> taken and they are satisfied. Let the general public see a scene from the 
> treatment barn broad cast on international TV and I suspect our sport will 
> come under a hell of a lot of pressure. For my money the best thing that 
> could happen to both international endurance and AERC endurance is a total 
> separation. Let the USEF/FEI go it's own way without interference from the 
> AERC and we "namby-pamby armature endurance riders" and let the AERC 
> distance itself from a form endurance racing and promote the sport of 
> endurance riding. AERCI has done it's job. International endurance is 
> firmly entrenched in the US as a recognized discipline of the USEF. It's 
> time to sunset AERCI and for USEF go its own way in producing a winning 
> team and for the AERC to go it's own way promoting the armature sport of 
> endurance riding in the US.
>
> Truman
>
> Steph Teeter wrote:
> > One can't deny that Dubai is fueling (funding) the growth of FEI 
> > Endurance.
> > But there are a lot of us (riders, Federations) that hope the sport can 
> > grow
> > Internationally without changing it's nature. The UAE races are unlike 
> > races
> > anywhere else in the world If we (riders. Federations, FEI) can just
> > recognize this, and allow the sport to grow to accomodate the various 
> > types
> > of Endurance -  UAE racing (fast/flat), and Tevis racing (slow/technical)
> > and Malaysia racing (slow/hot) - where the terrain and conditions 
> > determine
> > the nature of the competion - then we can stay healthy as a sport. Why 
> > not
> > have divisions or classes of competitions. why must all of FEI endurance 
> > be
> > seen through the same lens (the one which is fueling/funding the sport). 
> > ?
> >
> > Steph
>
>
> --
>
> “Since when have we Americans been expected to bow submissively to 
> authority and speak with awe and reverence to those who represent us?” 
> Justice William O. Douglas
>
>
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