Re: A reply to FEI's Michael Stone

["Cora" <bandc@teknett.com>]

This is the best message I have heard yet...WTG Debi....Thank You most
eloquently....Cora
----- Original Message -----
From: <DebiG54@aol.com>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2000 10:05 AM
Subject: RC: A reply to FEI's Michael Stone


>
>  In a message dated 08/28/2000 10:19:28 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> guest@endurance.net writes:
>
>  << Endurance is now the fastest growing Equestrian Sport.
>   This is bringing many challanges.We cannot afford the luxury of
>   putting our head in the sand and wishing for the "old days". Those are
gone,
>   we now have a sport where people are professional, horses have become
> valuable
>   and prizemeney is becoming significant. This cannot be reversed. >>
>
>  Dear Michael Stone:
>
>  I believe that most people who are up in arms about the changes taking
place
> in the sport of international endurance racing are not complaining about
> simple growth and change.  It's the DIRECTION of the change that many
fear,
> and the fear is for the welfare of the horses that will be involved in
this
> new wave of professionalism and large money prizes.
>
>  The one aspect of the general sport of endurance that sets it apart from
> nearly all other equestrian endeavors is the fact that being an amateur is
a
> strength.  It's at the core of the sport.  Owning, training, riding and
> worrying over one's own horse is what this sport is all about.  Amateurism
is
> what protects our horses from ourselves.  Until just the last few years,
> nearly all of the world's greatest endurance horses were made famous by
their
> owners and riders.  There were no jockeys in this sport.  Many of the
great
> horses have lasted for a decade or more at extremely high levels of
> competition.  Our last five endurance world championships were won by
three
> horses ridden by the people who owned them or a family member. RO Grand
> Sultan was owned and ridden by Beck Hart.  "Cash" and High Winds Jedi were
> owned and ridden by Valerie Kanavy or her daughter Danielle.  These women
> were not paid to ride these horses.  They valued these horses as their
> talented partners.
>
>  Professionalism is not synonymous with good horsemanship either.  Let's
not
> confuse the two.  Experience, intelligence, and a genuine concern for the
> welfare of one's horse is what good horsemanship is about.  Success in
> endurance, especially lasting success, can only be achieved with good
> horsemanship.
>
>   Injecting new money into the sport has, indeed, made some horses more
> valuable and big prize money is there for the taking.  These two facts are
> not, on the surface, where the worry for this sport's future lies.  It's
the
> means that too many will take to win the brass ring that makes many worry.
> And for good reason.  The attrition rate during international endurance
> events is worsening.  The higher the stakes, the more fame and fortune to
be
> won, the more risk riders and owners are willing to take.  It's simple
human
> nature.
>
>  Let me give you an example of the way it was...I represented the US in
the
> 1994 World Equestrian Games in Holland.  We flew to Germany with the show
> jumping horses and their grooms.  Those grooms thought that we, the owners
> and riders of our endurance horses, were the grooms for those horses.
They
> watched us feed, fuss, and worry over our horses.  In their realm, the
owners
> and riders don't have the hands on time with the horses that we do.  They
> were so surprised that we were taking care of our horses' every need.
It's
> this closeness and concern that has made the great horse and rider teams.
> The sport of endurance, no matter what the level of competition, will lose
> its very ESSENCE without this unique, and for lack of a better word,
amateur
> aspect.
>
>  Professionalism and prize money creates an extreme pressure on the horses
to
> perform, even on a bad day.  Certain drugs are permitted in other FEI
> disciplines.  Other illegal but untestable drugs are in use throughout the
> horse industry, even in endurance.  There are dirty little secrets in the
> sport of endurance, too.  How long will we be able to keep our sport
"clean"
> as far as drug use is concerned when the stakes are so high?
>
>  Michael, you said, "This cannot be reversed."  Of course not.  No one can
> ever go back in time.  But, maybe we can go "Back to the Future."  Slow
down,
> be careful, look at the results, look at the horse debris left behind in
the
> wake of this change.  Change and growth are good things, as long as the
road
> taken is the high road.  Thanks for speaking out on Ridecamp and letting
the
> masses hear your voice.  And thanks for listening to mine.
>
>  Debi Gordon
>
>
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