From: Lori Stewart
Email: rk-ld.stewart@usa.net
DECEMBER ‘97
AERC INTERNATIONAL NEWS
By: Lori Stewart
and
Sarah Christie
[Note: Sarah has volunteered to coedit the column. Her contact information is:
(805) 237-9687
4355 La Panza Rd.
Creston, CA 93432
E-mail schristi@co.slo.ca.us]
1997 PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP RIDE RESULTS:
The 1997 Pan American Championship (PAC) held in Bend, Oregon September
13-14 enjoyed perfect weather and a beautiful 100-mile course through volcanic
mountain ranges in the Paulina Peak region. Seven countries participated. Complete official ride results are posted on the Pan Am Web site and will be printed in the Dec. EN. Thank you Genie Stewart Spears for donating the PAC photos printed in the Nov. and Dec. issues of EN.
AERC INTERNATIONAL, PAN AM MEETING HIGHLIGHTS:
After closing ceremonies on Sunday, September 14, the AERC International
Committee met, along with invited guests Jim Bryant, DVM, FEI Technical
Delegate; Art King DVM and another representative from the Canadian
National Federation; and Mary Lutz from USET.
Locating a site for the 1999 PAC was the main topic of conversation, as
the location for the next PAC is normally announced during or before the
competition at hand. The biggest difficulty in site selection is the financial cost to the host region. The amount of money needed to put on a FEI ride is
staggering, and is scaring off some potential hosts in terrific areas. Most of our
International-calibur trails are in fairly rural regions which put them at a
disadvantage when it comes to raising money from local Chambers of
Commerce and getting strong corporate sponsorship. Ways to cut costs were discussed. Stabling adds significant costs to the event, and is objectionable to many horses who are not used to box stalls. Jim Bryant pointed out that FEI may be open to innovation as long as security issues are addressed.
It was suggested that standard supplies like signs, PA systems, temporary
fencing and trail markers could be tracked from one event to the next, so
that these would not need to be purchased anew each time. All in attendance at the meeting agreed that the host Organizing Committee should not be burdened with 100 percent of the fund-raising responsibilities. Nancy Smart made a motion seconded by Grace Ramsey to form a Task Force to explore funding alternatives for future events. Ramey Peticolas-Stroud, Dr. Jerry Gillespie, Teddy Lancaster and Wende Rude volunteered for the job of developing a written report to deliver to the International Committee at the AERC Convention in February. Anybody with good ideas or creative solutions,
please contact Ramey at (503) 859-2953. Mike Foss is almost done with his "Guide For Organizing an FEI Ride." The guidebook will even have a "wedding planner-style" check list and tips for saving money. Anybody who is toying with the idea of hosting an International event, or who already has but would like to make the next one run a little smoother should find Mike's planner very helpful.
The committee also discussed the need for a single, comprehensive publication to assist zones with the following: Team Management, Selection, and rganizing FEI rides. The Central Zone has a Selection Guide which could be combined with the National Selection Guidelines as a model. The idea is to make it easier for new people to get involved. The committee is looking for volunteers to help develop these guidelines, with the goal of having them approved and published within the next year.
International column editor Lori Stewart made a plea for someone to take
over the job of authoring this column. Sarah Christie, a journalist and endurance
rider from Central California, was convicted in absentia as the new co-editor
for this column. Sarah will help take some of the load off Lori Stewart who will
be taking over chairmanship of the committee.
1997 FEI EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS SEPTEMBER 27, PRATONI DEL VIVARO, ITALY
WHOOPS!
In the "Live and Learn" category, five U.S. competitors got to experience
what REAL International pre-ride jitters can be like. After arranging to lease
and ship horses and traveling to Rome, Italy, our fearless riders learned that
contrary to AHSA assumptions, they really DID need a Chef d' Equipe, even
though they were competing as individuals, not as a team. Surprise, surprise. Enter Emmett Ross and Larry Kanavy to the rescue. They filled in as Chefs d' Equipe and pulled together to coordinate uniforms and all those niggling details that are necessary to conform to FEI rules.
Congratulations to Valerie Kanavy (11th) Danielle Kanavy (12th) who shipped and rode their own horses, and to Amy Wallace (37th) who leased the gelding
she sold several years earlier, TP Satoy. Luckily for the competitors, this story had a happy ending. However, their odyssey underscores the need for an event Chef d' Equipe for EVERY International FEI event, regardless of whether U.S. riders are competing as individuals or as team members.
French riders swept the field, winning the individual gold, silver and bronze
medals as well as the team gold. The team silver went to the host country,
Italy, and Sweden took the team bronze. Team Portugal finished in fourth
place.
1998 WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP GOES TO U.A.E.
The United Arab Emerites has been selected by the FEI to host the World Championships in 1998 on December 12, 1998. There will be a Pre-Ride February 25, 1998.
NOVEMBER 19TH BULLITIN: PRERIDE UPDATE!!!
Nominated Entries close January 1, 1998.Persons interesting in competing at the Feb. 25, 1998 preride in Dubai/Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, please contact Mary Lutz,USET Director, Endurance Activities, phone: 908-234-1251 or Amy Clarke, International Department AHSA, phone: 212-972-2472. ASAP. Please pass this information onto your non computer savvy friends who may be interested. Time is of the essence!
General Background Information:
-Status: CEI.Cat. A (FEI Sanctioned)
-Up to a maximum of 6 individuals per nation are eligible to participate
-Distance: 160 km (100 miles) with Five Vet Gates plus the Final Inspection.
-Technical Delegate: Jim Bryant DVM. Veterinary Commission: President, Dr. Alex Atock (IRL); Foreign Veterinary Delegate: Dr. Frederick Barrelet (SUI).
-Expenses: Transportation and accommodation for competitors and grooms at competitors expense. Transport and feeding of horses at competitors expense. Stabling at UAE expense from 18th February to 1st March.
-Entry Fee: Nil
WEC’s TENTATIVE SELECTION TIMELINE:
To help you with your ride season planning, Tony Benedetti, National Selection Chair, estimates that nominations will open on or about February 1and close March 15. The Long List (18) will be named May 1 and the Squad, September 15. The plan is to have the horses shipped into the UAE at least 2 weeks early to allow time for them to acclimate. The weather in the UAE in December is often hot (80’s to low 90’s) with coastal humidity.
1997 WORLD CUP FINAL IN QATAR
The Qatar Equestrian Federation will host the World Cup Final November 28.
The QEF will be picking up all travel and accommodation expenses of qualified
horses and riders from Frankfurt and providing a $2000 travel allowance to Frankfurt from the competitors country of origin. The course will be a double figure-8 about 75 miles in length over moderately-packed to soft sand.
The details of this event have been slow in coming. AHSA's Andrea Moore
received a fax from race director Vreni Riedler on October 21 with the final
details, leaving Andrea with the dubious honor of calling all qualified U.S. riders to notify them of their eligibility and find out if they are planning to
compete...next month. If a rider does not wish to attend, the next rider
on the list will b e notified. Needless to say, the planning required to fly
yourself to the Middle East and arrange to lease a horse takes some preparation. It will be unfortunate if the U.S. is not represented at the World Cup Final not because we don't support the event but because our qualified riders didn't have time to make arrangements.
NOVEMBER 15TH UPDATE!: Where there is a will there’s a way........Ona Lawrence, Steve Rojek, and Jan Worthington will be representing the United States at the World Cup Final in Qatar, November 28th. Grace Ramsey will serve as Chef d’Equipe. We appreciate the monumental efforts of all the competitors to arrange their travel and lease horses at the last minute. Best Wishes for a successful ride!!
STILL LOOKING....
The search for the 1999 North American Championship Site continues. There
has been some interest expressed by Brazil in hosting the next Pan American
Championship, which would not preclude the U.S. or Canada from having a
North American Championship. If Brazil declines the PAC, it could be combined with the NAC in one event, as was done this year. So. Regardless of Brazil's plans, we still need to identify a site for our 1999 ride. Information packets have been sent by request to clubs in the following states and Canadian Provinces: Vermont. New Mexico, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ontario and Manitoba. The clock is ticking. FEI has extended our October 1 deadline, but we need to select a site soon. Please contact Lori Stewart if your club is crazy enough, ooops! I mean, willing to host the NAC/PAC. Just kidding. Hosting an international event is a challenging, rewarding experience that provides the kind of education that money can't buy!
NOVEMBER 15TH UPDATE: Both Canadian and the United States National Federations have received proposals to host the 1999 PAC/NAC and will submit them to the FEI for consideration. The FEI may announce the 1999 site as early as February.
AERC CONVENTION
The AERC International Committee will meet at the AERC Convention in
Lexington, Kentucky January 23-24. There will be two open committee meetings and an open forum with Q&A on the last day. Please contact Lori Stewart, (610) 837-2874, if you would like to be on the agenda.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
AHSA Convention: January 13 - 18 Crowne Plaza Hotel, Hilton Head, SC Call AHSA for further details.
USET Convention: January 24 - 25, Palm Beach, Florida. Call USET for more information.
ELDRIC Convention: February 19 - 22, Warsaw, Poland. No contact info given.