WEG - Dubai

[Leonard.LIESENS@DG10.cec.be]

Hi,

Sorry if this message about yor discussion about WEB comes late. I didn't connect very much on ridecamp those days, spending most of my time conditioning Orfeo, for Dubai.

When you compare the results of the US team with the french team, it seems that you are blind not to see what appears as obvious for us.

Maybe you don't know about the french system ???

- they have one team with the same riders from year to year. A team of RIDERS that the federation trust. 
- to make part of the team, the riders (NOT THE HORSES) have to collect points on the big french events (Florac, Rambouillet, Montcuq... 130 or 160KM rides). They get one point for completion (I think) in the first quarter of the starters, 0 for just completion, -1 for pull. They can bring them to the so-called 'elite' which give the right to pretend for the national team. 
- but the ones who already make part don't take any risks to collect negative points. If they enter a ride with a new horse, they may use a so-called 'joker' which doesn't count for the points if pulled.
- this is the reason why you see always the same guys in the national team.
- then it's easy to create a national team spirit; they work together the whole year and may spend their time for conditioning their horse only to peak for a special event (european or world championship)
- their chef d'equipe prepares carefully the conditioning program, organizes training caps, etc...
- I think also that when one makes part of th national team, one receives a monthly allowance from the federation which is like a normal salary. Think about the former USSR sport system...
- They get also a sponsoring from their national breeding association (Les Haras nationaux) which may buy the french good horses and lease them (obviusly for zero franc!).

Up to now the results of this policy were excellent (The Hague, Kansas, Rome...).

Now with the money of the cheiks, this is another story because their best horses go to the arabs : Nelson (3M FF) Razzia (2M FF) Horla (?? FF) Krezzia (Florac 98 Winner - 2.5M FF) ... etc...

Concerning the race in Dubai ... Teddy think it will be a fair one. I personnaly don't think so. I'm afraid that a lot of riders are going there with crazy dreams ($$ dreams I mean), considering the price money (300M $$) and the possibility of selling his horse. I'm afraid there will be a lot of horse under perfusion.

BTW did anyone hear about this ride in Jordany this month where 6 horses died ??? The ride was won by the cheik Ibn el Maktoum with Razzia d'Alauze. 

We will see...

Best regards

Leonard, from Belgium