I agree with you that the aims of AERC - about which, I should say, I know nothing - are probably different from those of the FEI - for whom I am by no means a spokesman but of whom I have some experience. I bet that, around the world, there's a similar perceived discrepancy between national organisations and the FEI . Almost by definition a national organisation will do its utmost to be "inclusive", and quite right, too; but similarly an organisation that exists to regulate international competition is not going to be 'inclusive' in the same way. If you're at an FEI ride, you're doing something different. But you don't get to an FEI ride unless you've been baked in the oven (prententious - moi??) ?of your national organisation. FEI doesn't exist in order to 'pull people into the sport'; it's assumed they're already in it.

It's difficult for you guys in the States to get experience of FEI rides as they actually are (although that doesn't stop some of y'all from shouting the odds...) but in my experience the "finish is to win" ethos is just as strong. I won't ever forget being at the Junior Championships in Rome some years back when the Bahraini team, Sheikhs and all, who had done well, spent some hours sitting under a tree in order to cheer home, in the dark, the last finisher. The ethos doesn't belong to the organisation, whichever it may be. It lives in the rider.

The rubbing rule? Come on, Diane. It's there to enable the vets to determine whether or not the horse is fit to continue. What's wrong with that?

Oh, and if - if - ?they bring in a rule that stops the race once x horses have finished, I'll understand fully that it's in order to prevent further useless exertion on the part of the following pack. I'll also think that it not only sucks but stinks.

Peace

xxr