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Re: [RC] [RC] Bahrain....Lorraine - Maryanne GabbaniMaryanne is simply sick of the FEI as an organisation because it is (as about any organisational manager would predict) taking more care of itself than it is working for the benefit of the creatures that it says it helps. The FEI is much more interested in seeing plenty of money flowing into its coffers and therefore is encouraging any amount of spending in terms of prize money on behalf of the guys in the Gulf who are looking for ways of investing/spending money. Every time there is a big cash prize, the FEI's balance sheet looks better. If you are any sort of business, that is a Good Thing and they are a business. Their representatives in this part of the world are, for the most part, on the payrolls of the moneyspenders....tiny little conflict of interest that all too often comes down squarely AGAINST the welfare of the horses.I've seen what that has meant for endurance in Egypt where the local FEI is the primary arbiter on any kind of important endurance event and even some pretty unimportant events. The board of directors of our almost moribund Egyptian Endurance Riders Association ended up being hauled off to court by them over a proposed event. When the generous Gulf folks offer to "support" new endurance initiatives, they are really offering more ways for the FEI to make money, since local endurance like you all have in the US isn't going to get anywhere near the same press time. I'm totally unthrilled with the industry of endurance racing and the FEI is squarely in support of it, as can be predicted, since that's how they make their money. I like things that are done for fun. There simply is too damn little of that stuff in the world today. I agree that riding with people all over the world is great. I love it when I have people from other parts of the world come and ride here, even for as little as an hour and a half. But I can guarantee that they wouldn't like participation in one of our local FEI rides. They really are NOT fun unless you are totally blind to the completely arbitrary and dishonest vetting, and can ignore the complete lack of sportsmanship on the part of many of the riders who are viewing the competitons as a means of making money (all's fair in work and war?). I think that industrial endurance racing and endurance riding are two different things. One is a professional sport best done by people with deep pockets and adjustable consciences and the other can be done by pretty ordinary folk. I was drawn to it because it was something that one of my neighbours could do with one of his carthorses if he really wanted to and was taking good care of the horse. Highly democratic sport in the amateur form...not so in the industrial form. People who want to go screaming around flat tracks or any other form of track in search of big bucks can do so...but I sure would hate to see the amateur hour go out the window for lack of support or because organisations get too strong to allow the variety, which is pretty much the case here. Maryanne On Thu, Mar 13, 2008 at 2:06 AM, Steph Teeter <stephteeter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: Tom and Lorraine - I have 2 comments: -- Maryanne Stroud Gabbani msgabbani@xxxxxxxxx Egypt Face to Face www.alsorat.com Weblogs: Living In Egypt miloflamingo.blogspot.com Cairo/Giza Daily Photo cairogizadailyphoto.blogspot.com Turn Right At The Sarcophagus haramlik.blogspot.com Da Moose Is Loose (a blog for kids) mstroud.blogspot.com Photos of Egypt: http://www.flickr.com/photos/livinginegypt/
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