This discussion relating to the USET efforts in international
competition, has nothing to do with AERC and its rules. AERC does not
select, train, or field the international team. It is completely
unfair to imply that either AERC rules, or the actions of the 90% of AERC
members who never will or in most cases even aspire to international
competition has anything to do with the teams fielded by the USET, which is
a completely separate organization.
As an independent organization,
sanctioning and keeping records for Endurance and LD rides in North
America, our job is to run a program that meets the needs of our
voting members, not international competition. If, as I
suspect, the majority of AERC members want a program considerably different
than the USET, or the majority of European endurance competitors, we do
not have to appologise. We must just run our program as it suits
us.
The NAtional Show Horse
organization (since they are not a breed but a half breed) ed off of the Arabian
horse Registry of America as well as IAHA for years, and now claim autonomy;
seems strange that they still hog up a good portion of ad space etc in the
"breed" mags for Arabians....at any rate, AHRA supported the burgeoning NSH in a
way that they should not have, and it did suck from the AHRA. In this case, AERC
not only has no obligation to serve any needs for FEI or any other organization,
but actually has an obligation to stay CLEAR of that sort of relationship for
the good of its dues-paying and VOTING membership. Its obligations and its
dispersal of funds etc are for the benefit of AERC members and those
who support its events. Just because a % of its membership ALSO
participates in National or international level events does not mean it has any
reason to lend its support or structure to that organization. Good post,
Ed.
