RE: Re: Biltmore Blues

["Bob Morris" <bobmorris@rmci.net>]

Why Jim, you must have experienced a fluke! {:)

The people in favor of the FEI sanctioning have informed us that there is
relatively no difference in the ride when it has FEI sanctioning. Did you
not read all the information to this effect in the Endurance News this past
year. You do believe this now that you have experienced it ? Or don't you
think they were telling us all the truth.

We learn by experience but some times it is difficult to accept the fact
that we have been mislead.

I am glad you had the fortitude to express your feelings. Unless more riders
do the same we will be saddled with FEI as a continuing thorn in the side. I
just hope the Managers of the National Championship rides heed this warning.

Bob Morris


-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Holland [mailto:lanconn@tds.net]
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2001 10:25 AM
To: Howard4567@aol.com; Ridecamp
Subject: RC: Re: Biltmore Blues




Howard4567@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 5/6/01 8:36:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
lanconn@tds.net
> writes:
>
> > Thanks to the Kanavy's and the Fruth's for helping to sanction the
> >  National Championship Ride as FEI.  Can we retract it?  Were it not the
> >  National Championship, I would not go....nor will I attend ANY other
FEI
> >  ride if there are other rides available. At this ride, I felt like a
> >  "second class citizen". There were too many "officials", too much
> >  confusion, too much incompetence, too little communication and too much
> >  favoritism toward "FEI". If this is where Endurance is going, I'll
> >  switch to some other discipline.
>
>
>
> Jim, you just confirmed what I was pretty sure I'd witness if I ever did
an
> FEI ride (I won't).  Too many rules, too many people telling you their
> version of those rules, and too much confusion.  Add to that the parking
> segregation (that one would really piss me off) and I'm outta here.
Parking
> should always be based on first come, first parked.


This FEI "event" was not at all what I expected.  I thought that it
would be a "normal" ride, except that the FEI riders would have
different requirements because of their rules.  I expected them to have
an armband or different number or something to identify them.  After
all, if you count the 50 milers, the majority of us were NOT riding
FEI.  I was looking forward to observing the procedure, asking
questions, and thinking maybe I would try this someday.  I thought they
would be invisible to the rest of us from a riders perspective.

Instead, FEI "took over" the ride.  Special rules were imposed that
applied to all of us, I fell "harassed" at times, and generally didn't
like the atmosphere.  The needs of ALL riders took second place to what
the FEI people wanted. This wasn't the Biltmore ride I know and love.
The relaxed atmosphere and jovial camaraderie between riders seemed
strained. Granted that it was a big "event" and 120 riders was the most
I have ever started with. I guess more than anything else, I was just
disappointed.

Jim and Sun of Dimanche


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