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[RC] "each horse ONLY has to do 25 miles!" & comparison of Mongolian Derbyto Tevis - Melissa Margetts

Mike Sherrell wrote:
Considering the amount of death and destruction from thoroughbred racing, rodeo, 3-day eventing and, yes, sanctioned endurance riding, is all this "outrage" perhaps a little overdone, if not badly misplaced? I would think that the number of horses put down with broken legs in a year of Horse and Hounding (which I presume is devoted to fox hunting) would probably equal the worst that could come out of this Mongolian once-off.
I'm wondering if there's some displacement going on. I mean, aren't there people that rent horses to people they don't know just to ride the Tevis?


Well Mike, last night I went to sleep right after reading the comments on ridecamp regarding this upcoming Mongolian Derby. This morning I awoke and lay there thinking of all the potential people or organizations I could or should be "pissed off" at today. There were a few front runners...my Home Owners Association, my ex-husband, my health care providers, the Exxon Valdeze, the Bush administration, the human race as participants in the irresponsible development of global warming, or the race track/rodeo/fox hunting/or eventing horse communities under whose watch hundreds of horses die each year just for the sake of entertainment and money....Shoot who will I be outraged at today? I am hoping that the folks with direct contact with those other horse communities are raging their OWN battles to make the sport they participate in or love, a safer one. I happen to love ENDURANCE RIDING, INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL, ADRENALINE PACKED ADVENTURE, and HORSES. Soo, Today I'm opting to be outraged at the Mongolian Derby as it directly falls under ENDURANCE horse racing and "things I am passionate about." But how to form a plan of strategy and tactics that will actually be effective and not just make me feel better for a day, requires more time, research and commitment than just downloading a petition and signing my signature. I lay there this morning, all vershmutzed (?) But first of all I have to respond that your comment about leasing horses for Tevis to other endurance riders doesn't quite fall under the same category of irresponsibility as this Mongolian Derby. It has been my understanding that in the endurance world, it almost doesn't matter if the rider is dead and held upright in the saddle with bungee cords and duct tape, as long as the HORSE is "fit to continue"! Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent, events manager for the "The Adventurists." who are the group that is putting on the Mongolian event wrote and I quote: “We’re launching our inaugural Mongol Derby, set to be the world’s longest horse race… This is going to be all about the endurance of the rider, as opposed to the horse.”.............DAMN! Red Flag, Red Flag, Red Flag!.....As someone already pointed out. " This is ONLY 25 miles". Well these 800 horses will be provided by Mongol families who will probably NOT be selling their BEST and healthiest horses for this race, but their worst and oldest.
Tevis riders have to have DOCUMENTED miles and experience in the sport before their application is even accepted for Tevis. So the riders for Tevis already have experience with equines under racing conditions. Almost all of the Mongolian Derby participants admittedly do NOT. All of the horses participating in the Tevis Cup are ALSO required to have documentation of THEIR mileage and ABILITY to complete minimum distances of 50 miles in order to participate in this ride. The Mongolian Derby horses do NOT. Tevis horses are under constant and regular veterinary observation at REGULAR intervals throughout the entire race and are pulled from the race, (regardless of if the rider is the owner or the lessee), if it shows any signs or symptoms of being injured, or "over ridden" BEFORE it results in serious injury or the death of the horse. The Mongolian Derby will NOT be under this same veterinary scrutiny at preventable and regular intervals to prevent possible permanent injury or death. So I don't think the comparative of leasing horses for Tevis applies here.


Just some other ideas and questions about stopping this Mongolian race though.
#1. Yes, I think everyone in the endurance community should read and sign the petition to stop this race if the organizers can not assure that they are able to provide adequate food water and veterinary care of the horses throughout the entire event. (They already admit up front that they can't.) If this petition is ONLY going to be submitted to the promoting organization, then it is assured to be ignored as they have already made it clear that it is already their intent to ignore such criticism as shown by their response to the Long Riders Guild who tried to discourage this event when they were approached by The Adventurist Company and asked for their "input". The petition needs to be sent to the Mongolian Government and every possible organization that might POSSIBLY benefit by this event in even the slightest or remote way. The Adventurist website lists as supporters of this event. Each one needs to receive a copy of the petition and it's signatures.
#2. The Mercy Corp. ESPECIALLY needs to be put under pressure to decline to benefit from, promote or join forces with this event and should be made to WANT to distance themselves instead. Being a non-profit, charitable organization dependent on donations, they should be assured that their participation in this race will most assuredly result in several equine deaths. Pressure should also be put on any other benefactors of the Mercy Corp. to withdraw their financial support in the future. Mercy Corp. needs to hear that regardless of what their charitable cause is, no one wants to support a group that is willing to accept the potential cruelty or death of animals just in the name and process of fund-raising. Mercy Corp.'s already known benefactors should be contacted and informed of this organizations participation in this potentially lethal event and let THEM put the pressure on as well, by threatening to withdraw future support should this derby result in a SINGLE death.
#3. Have the participants themselves been tracked down, contacted either by phone, letter or email and enlightened further on the probability of numerous equine deaths, possibly ones that may be incurred while in THEIR care and sole responsibility? Have they been made to think about the worldwide attention, protest and media coverage that will shine directly and prominently on THEIR shoulders should a single horse die under their watch either intentionally, or accidentally? Have they been asked if they are truly prepared to answer the inevitable questions when their picture is prominently displayed in newspapers around the world, alongside the body of a dead or dying horse and they are asked why THEY participated in killing it? Or better yet, have it documented on Reality TV with footage to be picked up and run in their own country for all their friends to see? Have they been asked if they are prepared for the scrutiny that they will surely be under should anything go sadly wrong? Have they prepared their speech or explanation for when they cross the finish line and are able to tell the world that "WhooHoo, we completed the race, and are happy to report that only two of our horses died as a result, and only three are permanently lame, but damn, we made it across the finish line YEAH!" It is one thing to have the world watch and admire or shake their heads in wonderment at a human beings strength, fortitude, stamina, ingenuity, or heroism when faced with incredibly difficult challenges, but the world tends to look at you in a completely DIFFERENT light when you VOLUNTEER to risk another beings welfare and possible life for a purpose that is only personally motivated by ego or financial gain. Especially when that innocent participant is a creature that is already considered a beast of burden.
#4. SHAME on FEI for not having the balls to publicly step up and condemn this race. They are an International organization claiming to be operating with the best interests and welfare of all equines participating in endurance sports. Their EXCUSE that it is none of their business, as Mongolia is no longer a member of their organization because they are not up to date on their dues, doesn't cut it. I feel ashamed that our organization, AERC, is associated and operating hand in hand on many levels with the FEI organization.
Ahh but who am I? Nobody, a relative newbie to endurance and just another piddly ol' pesky ant....
Ooops there goes another rubber tree plant!
Melissa Margetts


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