Re: WEC $$ Awards

[Teddy Lancaster <Teddy@runningbear.com>]

Steve (and others interested).  

The midwest horse was actually Cass, owned and ridden by Rita
Swift who finished a close third (about 4 minutes) to Jedi and
Cash at Cossequin.  They love their horse and refused to sell
it.  They are not rich, but humble people.  By leasing their
horse they got the best of both worlds.  A free trip to Dubai,
many gifts, excellent hospitality and their horse was ridden on
THEIR terms.  Their every demand for their horse was met, the
horse ridden they way they wanted.

The program from WEC said $300.000 in prize money.  The
distibution was not stated, but I was told $$$ to 20 places.

Limiting leasing, so far, to geldings makes no difference.  At
this point in time, the UAE seems only to be interested in buying
performance horses and has little interest in breeding them. 
Many of us have mixed feelings over the sales of US (and other
top horses from around the world) to the arabs.  BUT, think about
it, we must still have the better ones here for we beat them.

But heed this warning.  The arabs are learning better how to pace
and how to ride..when they do, they WILL beat us at what we call
OUR game.  Already all the newspapers and magazines I read (and
brought home) spoke of the UAE bringing "endurance" back to it's
origins...the desert.  They've got the money and it sure smells
sweet when it if offered to you. How can you blame anyone for
taking the kind of prices they offer?  It is mere pocket change
to them and is like winning the lottery to us.

What we need is better team playing, better management, better
preparation.  The best way to get that is to PAY, yes PAY our
staff.  It is hard to hold accountable a volunteer who has
another life to lead (like making a living).  I have NO idea what
Jim Bryant was paid for almost a years work...he did a great
job.  Just imagine what we could do if we had PAID staff to
better prepare us for the next WEC.  You were there and saw what
limited our performance and I am sure have ideas on how to
improve it.  Could you do the job and still pay your bills at
home?  Not as a volunteer I am sure, few of us could.

Teddy

Steve Shaw wrote:
> 
> If there was a purse at the Dubai WEC for $272,000 it did not all go to
> Valerie. It was split up amoung the various top finishers in some sort
> of formula that none of us know.
> 
> I had a chance to talk to the French there at a closing party and one of
> the members at the table was the past French National Champion and owner
> of Nelson I, bought by the Sheik. He paid $500,000 for the horse. Also,
> a certain horse from the midwest was leased for this race, they were
> offered $250,000 for it (after it did well in the Cosequin). The owners
> wouldn't sell but leased it instead for $XXXXX. Both of these
> statements are not rumors.
> 
> Michele says that maybe the U.S. should enact a policy of only selling
> endurance geldings, no mares or stallions, out of the country.
> 
> Steve Shaw