awards ceremony

["navion" <navion@lightspeed.net>]

  Nobody is going to support poor sportsmanship at the awards ceremony but try to keep it in perspective of the overall event.

 

The UAE did take the event after it was dropped by another country. And they paid for every nation in the world to send a team. Although it is apparent they wanted to win it all they made it much harder on themselves by footing the bill for everyone.

  New Zealand had never attended a WEC before with a team. The reason was cost.  I still remember the lone New Zealander who went to the 94 WEC, did well (3rd?), got pulled at the finish and then couldn't pay to fly her horse home because they had raised the transportation fees above what she paid to fly the horse there.  She stood at the awards ceremony with a for sale sign on her horse and sold it then and there for a very reasonable rate since she was between a rock and a hard place.

   So who wins the Gold this time?   I just hope she was there on the team.

And the photos in the english UAE newspapers showed a smiling king (?) congratulating and hugging Val at the finish line.

 

   There are some parts of this country that would not make a good impression on foreign visitors.

  

  The fact that they held the event with world class vets and FEI officials. And the fact that an American won and NZ took team gold tells me to not judge to harshly.

 

Jim Mitchell

USA