Re: New FEI standards -- Olympics coverage

[Bette Lamore <woa@stormnet.com>]

Hi Sue
Yea but to get those brief recaps, they usually shoot the whole thing
"looking" for train wrecks". The very things we want to avoid are what
makes coverage exciting. I still would love to see the sport as an
Olympic event and think there would be more policing activities if it
were. Imagine the reporters uncovering illegal things going on--- they
LOVE that stuff. Imagine exposes on using up horses--- hey THAT is what
has curtailed most of the cruelty in the Halter classes. Scandals work!
I think it could help the cause more than hurt it. All someone would
have to do is alert the news there "could" be cheating going on at.. and
you don't think they would use pack mules if they needed to uncover a
scandal? Look at the lengths they use to uncover dirty politics and
movie stars...and don't forget dirty football and baseball practices.
Our news media die for issues. We could use the media for a good cause
perhaps. It just takes one ambitious reporter with a camera.
Not just playing devil's advocate here; I really believe it could work.
Remember, someone has to video ALL the dressage events and then EDIT it
for TV, picking out the best. As no one knows what the BEST will be at
the start, everything is initially filmed before the highlights are
shown. Add a few personal tories of self sacrifice, a woman/man and his
horse surmounting incredible odds... and great news. I'd pit Cougar Rock
against the jumping competition any day!<BG>
Bette

Sue Brown wrote:
> 
> >Sorry Bette, but I do think that you are being naive. It's one thing to
> >broadcast a show jumping contest which takes place in a small arena and
> >quite another to broadcast an endurance ride that takes place over
> >lord-knows-how-many square miles.
> 
> Couple this with the fact that we have to fight for any kind of equestrian
> coverage!  Track and gymnastics are the big draws for viewers to the TV
> stations...and the "horse sports" televised end up being segments of
> dressage  and stadium jumping (easily shot by the cameras) and a bit of
> cross-country because of it's "crash and burn" type of attraction.
> Dressage gets the least since it's a bit akin to watching grass grow
> (especially for the non-horsey crowd) and stadium jumping gets the most
> coverage since it has a fair number of wrecks to amuse the general public.
> The TV stations don't want you get bored and to start flipping channels and
> they don't see equestrian events as a big draw.  The most we could probably
> ever hope for is a brief recap of a day's events in endurance...or a shot
> of the winners crossing the line and brief explanation of the course and
> requirements.
> 
> Sue (an Olympics junkie <g>)
> 
> sbrown@wamedes.com
> Tyee Farm
> Marysville, Wa.

-- 
Bette Lamore
Whispering Oaks Arabians, Home of 16.2hh TLA Halynov
(yes, REALLY!)
http://www.arabiansporthorse.com