Re: RC: FEI Endurance

[Thiessej@aol.com]

Michael Stone

If you think that there is any place for money prizes in endurance than you 
are sadly mistaken. I remember getting into this sport and we as competitors 
held true to our conviction that to finish is to win. In 10 years of racing 
without the greed factor coming in to play I have seen horses over ridden by 
the desire to win. I saw at the Pan Am how when you add a bit of recognition 
to the pot and how the horses pay the price. Now someone like you has the 
nerve to suggest that selfish, greedy emotion that large money purses add to 
the mix, are the way of the future for my sport. Do you not realise the there 
is a limit to how much we can ask of our animals and that we do not want to 
lower ourselves to the racetrack mentality where decisions are made base on 
finances versus what is right for the horse. There are not enough rich people 
who are willing to put in the work of conditioning and training endurance 
horse. So if we make this an elitist sport it will die as the feeder chain to 
the top is the thousands of everyday riders who truly love and care about the 
well being of their horse. Chase these people out of the sport and it will 
not be the fastest growing sport but the cruellest and most disdain event. 

Endurance is about learning to be the best horseperson possible and money 
cannot buy this. There is no shortcut to being successful or good at this 
sport. 

Michael come watch this sport at its grass roots level where the riders, 
trainers and owners are the same person, who probably can also do the farrier 
work and is a pretty good at dealing with the majority of health problems. 
Watch how we can compete and have sometimes a 100 % completion record. 

Endurance is about putting the horse first and then we achieve success. Greed 
is an ugly emotion and should not be the motivation to push our horse over 
the edge for the big prize. Our ego should not be allowed on the horse back 
and yet it does get up there. 

Michael shake your head , if you cannot do something positive for this sport 
get out and leave us alone to enjoy it. Do not let the $$$ blind your view or 
judgement.


Jerald Thiessen 
Sandhaven Saddlebreds