Re: Whips and spurs...an outsider's perspective

["elfs" <elfs@c2i2.com>]

   Ha !

   Hells Angels in church, loved that one. What it basicly comes down to is if you want to play their game (FEI), you have to play by their rules, and those rules don't always jive with what we have established as the norm in America.

FEI will continue to flex it's muscle ( or should I say, those behind and in control of FEI ) until endurance is molded into an acceptable package that they can control, which they have deemed appropriate to the public, themselves and animal rights people. Some of the practices at events now are not "normal" or "backyard" endurance and never will be, it's their show,  and shortly will be controlled (at least in other countries) by rules and regs that will be very different. Money , power, and influence are entering the endurance world and this is what happens when one plays with the big dogs in any sport. We must ensure that it does not happen here, I am sure Wendell is turning in his grave , I bet he never dreamed all this would happen to his sport.:-0

DM

  

----- Original Message -----

From: Tracey

To: RIDECAMP

Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 11:23 PM

Subject: RC: Whips and spurs...an outsider's perspective

I've been reading the mail on this, and I must say I'm somewhat astounded that FEI has passed this ruling, particularly as it has seen fit NOT to pass similar rulings in relation to the other disciplines.

 

 

What I'm about to say may upset many of you, and I'd like to point out that this is NOT my point of view, and that I don't endorse it in any way, but I've discussed the ruling with some folks in other disciplines, and the only "rationale" we can think of for the FEI's decision, is that, to many people, and particularly to those involved in other disciplines, endurance riding is still perceived as "yahoo" riding.

 

To the so-called "purists" of equestrianism, it is unnecessary to "mess with" long-established sports such as show-jumping, dressage, and eventing.  Indeed, the politics rampant in those sports would make any attempt to do so highly unlikely to succeed.  However, as endurance is a new sport, and lacks the elitism of the older disciplines, it is "fair game" to the FEI, which is seeking to show the animal activists out there that it truly has the best interests of the horse at heart.

 

 

Maybe I'm wrong in my assumption, but my experience sitting on disciplinary panels makes me think not.

 

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

Tracey