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[RC] [RC] Uzes - Young Horses Finals - - cecily westervelt
Very well put, Kim.
Cecily Westervelt
----- Original Message -----
From: FXLivestock@xxxxxxx
To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2007 11:34 AM
Subject: Re: [RC] [RC] Uzes - Young Horses Finals -
Truman Prevatt
So what is stopping those in the US to develop a
program to identify
=
"young" horses with potential? Really how much money
would have to be
=
invested for those in USEF to have a program that
would overlay what is
=
in existence right now. A program would not have to
be identical to =
those in other countries but could take some of the
best ideas that
work =
and adapt them to what is in existence here. The
basic problem I see
=
here in the US (besides government funding) is that
the pool of =
horses/riders are coming from a philosophy and a
program that is based
=
on amateur competition. Then at the International
level we expect =
those riders/horses to be able to be "competitive" in
a field where =
other national programs are set up to groom all
potential horses for =
international level competition from the time those
horses are started.
=
My guess is only the best or most competitive horses
are allowed to =
compete in the longer distances because they had to
qualify to get to =
the next distance. These horses and riders have to
"prove themselves"
=
to move up. It isn't like here where tomorrow I can
enter my unproven
=
horse in a 75 mile ride.
Now do not get me wrong, I do NOT want to change
AERC. I just
feel =
that when we are talking "racing" the French system of
qualification to
=
move up in distance is superior for choosing the best
athletes for an =
international event. At the longest distances you
only have the cream
=
of the crop competing against each other. This is
pretty obvious when
=
you look at completion times and when you look at how
close in time the
=
first 20+ horses finish at some of the French races.
The spread in =
races between the first and last place horse with
more than 70 =
completers is sometimes less then what we commonly see
between our 1st
=
place and 10-th place horse.
I am repeating, I do not want AERC to change.
But, what I do not
=
see is USEF or those interested in US international
endurance racing =
taking an interest in grooming young horses (not their
own) and =
potential riders for endurance racing. Even if there
is not a formal
=
program like what is funded in France there are not
even published =
guidelines in this country to help riders prepare
their horses for this
=
type of competition. All that is given are
"qualifications" to
nominate =
for high profile events which can change from event to
event. It is =
expected that riders get their horses up to the 100
mile level and =
nomination qualifications on their own and any way
they can through
AERC =
and AERC philosophy (which does not promote "racing")
and then it is =
expected that riders take advice, be team players, and
turn over
control =
to whomever happens to be in charge when it comes time
for a big =
competition. I remember reading in one of Steph's
posts on the =
Eurpean Championships which quoted a USEF official
stating something to
=
the effect that US riders need to realize that they
don't know =
everything and need to listen to advice more. (Don't
quote me but =
something like that) Why should they be more open
when they have been
=
doing it on their own to get to the nomination
process. Where were =
guidlines or a program from USEF when they started
their 4 or 5 year =
olds? Where is the trust developed between the rider
and the =
organization?
At least if there was more investment of TIME
and money in =
developing potential horses here in the US for
endurance racing there =
might be some improvement. For me, there is such a
distinct differnce
=
between International Endurance racing and AERC
Endurance riding that
it =
makes absolutely no sense to expect horses and riders
to prepare for a
=
WEC with no real input until the horse is ready to
nominate. It would
=
be one thing if AERC was an organization that was set
up to groom
horses =
towards high level competition and racing but it is
not and it should =
not be. There is a gap that is not being filled
either by USEF or by =
AERC I and I think that is part of the problem.
Kim Fuess
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