Endurance in the Olympics - Final word from me!

[wsabg@t-online.de (Wolfgang Schwingenheuer)]

Dear fellow ridecampers,

after getting a good number of replies, most of them privately, some public,
I like to finally comment this topic. I don't have to comment the 90% of
replies which are positive, some of them from honorable list members.
I want to comment the negative ones, of which some do interpret a
misunderstanding/lack of knowledge but also - IMHO - a bad attitude towards
people from foreign countries.
First my answer to Howard, because some of the other postings are directly
about this:

> Well, they weren't endurance riders; so I don't think they apply
> to either
> FEI or AERC.  And I didn't dribble; I drooled.

Howard, drooled was the term I was looking for, thanks. And I really hoped
to hit your special kind of humor.

To Tony Corbelletta, Jessica + Casino, Beth Glover:
I don't know if you have read the stories, written by Howard. I read them -
and I laughed out loud, they are funny, sometimes. In one of them (Howard,
help me) he wrote about some naked sunbathers he saw on the trail. The ardor
he used for explaining this could imply to a "sexual emotion" rising up
(Howard, you aren't too old for this, right?). So I try to catch his humor
by a little "attack". This "attack" was directed to Howard, not to the rest
of 99.99% ridecampers, no matter where they live and ride (some of you still
think that Ridecamp is a closed american forum). I am sure that Howard
understood my posting, just look at his reply (above).

> >It not possible for an individual to become member of the FEI.
>
> Yes, I'm aware of this one.  My question is, Why?  If there's no
> membership,
> who makes up all these silly rules and how are these folks elected?

Howard, as a former member of the US Army, have you been individual member
of the NATO? I think so, you have to be. Or how are those people elected who
made all those decisions?

> > I enjoy the hospitality of H.H. General Sheik Mohammed, I did
> it two times
> now. >And I really prefer dancing with him and all the members of the
> worldwide >endurance family, the luxury of being invited to visit
> a country
> for free instead of >listening to drunken old man with the breath
> of too much
> beer.
>
> I dance with two left feet, so you'll have to lead.  In addition
> to "drunken
> old man, with the breath of too much beer," you might want to add
> "short,"
> "fat," and "sloppily dressed."

Again, I think to have hit your kind of humor. In fact I forgot to mention
your other characteristics.

> I'm glad you have such a good relationship
> with General Sheik Mohammed; I'm quite sure it has no affect on your
> viewpoint here.

Oh, you are wrong. I don't have a "relationship" with His Highness. I wanted
to put one thing in your mind: Have you ever had a party or been at an event
with the possibilty to speak - absolutely without limits - to a foreign
Minister of Defense, Ruler of a country, Crown Prince? Can you tell me of
another kind of sport where this is possible for the absolute majority of
all of us? Ask your girl Val, ask Steph, Darolyn, Rita - I am sure they
enjoyed this, too.

> This is quite funny; you do have a sense of humor.  I don't think anyone
> believes I speak for others.

Most of the private replies I received and one or two of the public ones are
telling a different story...

> What I say belongs to me, only.  Who
> else would
> come out and say the silly, stupid things I can come up with
> sometimes?  I
> have few followers, and kind of like it that way.  It gives me
> freedom.  The
> "national voice of AERC" is the last thing I am.

So why do you speak - try to speak - for the AERC? "AERC will, most likely,
be the last hold out." Is this the opinion of AERC or is this what you like
the AERC to have as an opinion?

> I'm lucky they keep letting
> me renew my membership, and they do, provided I never try and run
> for office.
>  And I won't; I have ridecamp to humble me enough already.

No one wants to humble you. To speak for me, I just like to open your mind
for different points of view.

> Wolfgang, you seem to have quite a bit of animosity towards me
> personally.
> Since I've never met you, I'm not sure why.  If it's because I
> disagree with
> you over FEI, I don't think personal attacks will solve anything in that
> arena.  If it's because of my stories, there's not much I can do
> about that
> except to suggest you quit reading them, or consider that they
> are "fiction."

As you said, we never met. I don't have an animosity towards you as a
person. But what I do have is an antipathy against this "AERC is
everything". I tried several times to "adjust" your and the viewpoint of
some others. This time "my collar burst" (very free translation of a german
idiom). Again, this should not really be a personal attack. If you perceive
it like this, I like to apologize. About your stories: If I won't read them,
I know where my keyboard has its "delete"-key. About FEI: Neither you nor me
will solve anything here. But you can be sure that I'll try anything to keep
the standard of this lovely sport as high as possible. And if I ever have
the chance to intervene into this progress, I'll do. And if sometimes this
progress overruns me, I'll quit.


>  I make stuff up sometimes.
>
> cya,
> Howard (I'll shut up now; promise)

Don't shut up, just be a bit quieter ;-). Focus your work on your stories
and use the rest of your time to work your horse!

If you really think that I attacked you personal, we should discuss this
privately.

Now to some of the negative postings:

To Jessica Spoone:

>Excuse me??? Are you implying that AERC are low class slobs?

No, that's really not what I like to imply. My statement was directed to
Howard, see above. I know several of your AERC riders, funny, they are all
able to match the FEI dress code. FEI is not the "gods of how to dress". As
you said yourself, you can understand the reasons, so your statement is a
contradiction in itself.

To Tony Corbelletta:

> I would like to take offense(from an ol'cowboy that rarely gets offended!)
at Wolfgang's behavior in his response to Howard.

I guess Howard is man enough to defend himself. As you may have read, this
was a response to Howard, on one of his postings.

> I wish to point out that I do not personally know Howard and in fact do
not agree with his position on FEI or Olympics but that is beside the point.

So you are one of very few to say this in public, thank you!

> I would ask that you stick to facts of the subject and not lower yourself
to personnel attacks.

The main problem is: There are no facts in what Howard is writing. He is
indirectly suggesting his private opinion to an organisation like the AERC.
Sometimes you have to lower yourself to be able to climb up again...

> It make your argument very week.

Don't think so, otherwise I won't receive so many "pats on my shoulder".

> You make yourself look foolish and confirm the stereotype of FEI riders as
being snobs.

In fact I am foolish enough to spend time with this crap. And why do you
attack Steph, Valerie, Darolyn, Christy etc.???

> Grow up and use adult arguments.

Yes, daddy ;-).

> I do hope that your personnel behavior is not reflected by this e-mail.

No, ask Steph about it. We had a very funny time down in the desert!

> I assume that you come from Germany.

Maybe you haven't read my first posting? I signed it with "Wolfgang ...
Germany...". If you haven't read this, I have to assume that you have a
personal aversion towards Germans (or foreigners in general)???

> Well before you go calling your fellow endurance riders drunks and old
men,

I am not calling fellow riders, I was reciting Howards own words.

> I would look at your own countrymen, whom I have had less than favorable
impressions of when travelling in Europe.

Travel to the UAE! Fascinating country.

> The Germans I saw were a bunch of drunken slobs trowing trash around.  I
get real tiered and hostile to you Germans when you try to set yourself up
as superior to Americans, Italians and everyone else.

I am not sure where you have been?!? But if you take offense at my response
to Howard, tell me what will I and what will Germany take from your above
statement. How old are you? Could it be that there is something sticking in
your mind from the darker past of Germany??? Please explain me in one
explicit example where we (???) are trying to set ourself up as superior to
anyone. Look at some of Howards mails - why is he trying to set AERC up as
superior to FEI?

> You are not the ultimate authority on anything.

As far as I have learned, there is only ONE ultimate authority on anything.

> This boy has said enough.

Well said!

To Beth Glover:

> Wolfgang wrote about "the luxury of being invited to visit a country for
free(?) instead of listening to drunken old men with the breath of too much
beer".

In fact the invitation was for free! Will you refuse such an invitation?

> So sir, did you enjoy your visit to the U.S.A.?

I'll visit the USA this summer, a result of my friendship to Steph and John.
And I'll cruise the Columbia river with an old grey-beard ;-). I will have
my eyes wide open, you can be sure.

> I enjoyed my visit to Munich, I especially liked how they had fixed it up
after WWII, and I enjoyed seeing the Olympic swimming venue. Our tour host
was very sorry to talk about the tragic killing of the Jewish athletes
during the 1972 olympics. Thank God Mark Spitz got out alive. Whew. Those
were Arab terrorists though, not Germans I know. I can't say I liked the
biggest beer hall in the world there in  Munich, Germany. You are right
there are too many smelly old beer drinkers in there! Jeez by the Liter they
drink it!   And I'll bet  you like the pretty California girls over here.

If this is all you know about Germany, it a loss! Why is it always "WWII",
beer and girls? I won't know what have visited, but that's not Germany. USA
isn't Wild Wild West only, right???

> I always wondered why my good girl- friends in Europe don't shave their
legs or use deodorant, and they never did explain that well to me. They
dress! so nice, but then....

I won't comment the type of girl-friends you have...

> And I tragically never saw a horse while I was in Europe. Except in Great
Britain.  I wondered where the heck they locked them up.

Yes, you are right. Lot of horses are "locked". But the majority is outside,
my horses for example are outside 24/7. And we have a lot of horses in
Europe ;-).

>  Well enjoyed your  discussion,  later dude!!

I am happy to see that I have enjoyed you, madam! Was a pleasure for me. If
you like more entertainment, stay tuned on channel "Ridecamp".

Steph, I hope I haven't stressed your understanding too much - I am sure to
be kicked on another list for some of the words I said. I apologize to all
who took offense, but not saying this. I apologize to all for making them
use their "delete"-key.

Hope to meet some of you in person in July,

Wolfgang
Germany
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