Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

The confusion...and explanation...

It all comes down to communication. A week later and several  
conversations later, the events of the day are a little clearer. Just  
lack of communication, lack of understanding. Apparently the  
invitation to the event came from Sheikh Hazza (Al Warsan)- an  
invitation to come and watch (and perhaps - just maybe - if possible  
- to ride). The two riders from Brazil understood this, I can't speak  
for Adib and the Czech girls.  And Shk Hazza extended the invitation  
because some foreigners had asked if they could come - or bring  
riders. Of course he would want to say yes.

So when the kids showed up at the venue the day before the ride, they  
came wearing their riding clothes thinking they might get to ride and  
wanted to be prepared just in case. When the Warsan stable manager  
arrived towards the end of the day, he noticed that they were wearing  
their riding clothes. He had not arranged horses for them, believing  
they were just there to observe, but when he saw them dressed to ride  
he was concerned that he had misunderstood and that they were  
supposed to have horses! He didn't have any Warsan horses for them,  
so he aked Bou Thib if they had any horses - all of this was after  
vetting closed for the day... and so the story goes. The hosts didn't  
want to let down their guests, the guests didn't realize that horses  
hadn't been prepared for them and didn't want to be unprepared just  
in case.

And the ride organizers and officials didn't know all of this until  
the morning of the ride, and...

I suggested that next year they could arrange things earlier - and  
perhaps have an introduction to the venue, the horses and the  
difference in the sport over here. I also think that the riders  
should be screened carefully, perhaps even qualify for this event.  
It's a much higher level 'race' than most foreign young riders are  
prepared for.

So - all's well that ends well  - between Arabic, Brazilian, Czech  
and Malaysian languages... it's no small wonder that there was some  
confusion!

Steph


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