Comments by Donna Snyder-Smith

[Robin Everett <robin_everett@yahoo.com>]

I am posting the following comments verbatum from Donna Snyder-Smith:

I am so tired of riders whose attitudes toward the limited distance
is, "I walked in snow up to my a__ for my
mileage/buckle/shirt/mug/cap/sponge awards and if you haven't done the
same, you're not *really* an endurance rider.  So stop trying to grow
our exclusive club.  If you succeed in 'diluting' our sport we real
endurance riders might not appear so special."

Thank God not all of the "old timers" feel that way.  Thank God, many
of them are more than willing to support friends and family,
encouraging them to enjoy the beauty of the trail, the great feelings
a good horse and rider partnership have to offer and the wonderful
friendships which can develop when such things are shared (whether
they are shared for 25, 50, or 100 miles).  Unfortunately for AERC,
some of these "exclusive club" minded folks talk loud and long.  While
these birds may wear a variety of feathers, their shrill cries are
easily recognized because they all have a common note in their songs,
it is a "fear" cry of "change."  Of course, while they say "change"
their tone clearly implies they really mean "ruin," so those of you
who feel differently are going to have to take time to make your
voices heard STRONGLY AND IN NUMBERS.

In the end a more positive stream of consciousness and the evolution
which is bound to happen in any successful
organization/discipline/sport will prevail, but probably not before
these "dooms day" voices manage to turn off any number of interested,
open hearted, just want to play at the level my job, time, health,
family, financial limitations allows, riders.  But what the heck, who
wants more members in an exclusive club anyway, right?

I wonder what it would be like to eavesdrop on a conversation between
George Morris and Michael Matz, two of today's biggest names in Grand
Prix Jumping.  Does anyone believe it would sound like this?

"You know, if we let the backyard riders call their horses 'jumpers,'
we're liable to lose our identity."

"I know just what you mean, after all, how could anyone think their
horse was a jumper if all they do is jump two foot fences?  Everyone
knows a horse right out of pasture can jump three feet!"

No?  then how about medal winning dressage riders Robert Dover and
Reiner Klimke.

"Isn't it ridiculous that the dressage organization recognizes
training level?  It's so demeaning for the public to associate us big
Grand Prix stars with any old rider just because they can enter their
horse in a training level test where all they have to do is walk, trot
and canter."

"Yes, and it's ridiculous that they expect to get ribbons for such
undemanding riding too."

Maybe not?  Well, surely in the barns at the Rolex 3 Day Event in
Kentucky, you would hear USCTA President Denny Emerson and USET rider
David O'Commor complaining.

"We can't continue to let these pretend eventing riders get
acknowledged for their pitiful accomplishments at pre-training!  They
shouldn't get any recognition until they prove how tough they are by
riding at the Intermediate level!"

"You're right, next thing you know, people will be galloping twenty
feet, jumping one fence and calling themselves event riders!"

With humble apologies to the great riders whose names I have borrowed
in the above fiction, really folks, try widening your perspective,
we're only one discipline in a vast array of competitive venues. 
Consider that endurance riding might just be big enough, grand enough,
and challenging enough to allow lots of people to participate at a
variety of levels, while remaining true to its underlying concepts. 
In short, get off it and get on with it, you can't run the playground
forever.

Donna Snyder-Smith - competition experienced, Tevis buckle holder,
multi-discipline award winning rider, instructor, author, coach,
trainer and AERC Director (the above comments express a personal
opinion.

OK, folks - this is Robin.  If anyone wants to direct any comments to
Donna, please feel free to address them to me, and I will get them to
her by hand, fax, or snail mail!



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