FW: IntNewsGroup: Open Letter from USET on NGB Status for Equestrian Sport

["Steph Teeter" <steph@endurance.net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Alexander Samuelson [mailto:asamuelson@rubenstein.com]
Sent: Friday, January 12, 2001 5:14 PM
To: Alexander Samuelson
Subject: Open Letter from USET on NGB Status for Equestrian Sport


Contact:	Armand Leone, Jr., USET, 201-444-6444
		or
		Alex Samuelson, Rubenstein Associates, 212-843-8286



An Open Letter from the United States Equestrian Team

>From the USET SPI Steering Committee (Armand Leone, Jr. and Robert
Standish)

To the Equestrian Community:

There is growing anxiety in the print and electronic press about the status
of the negotiations between the American Horse Shows Association (AHSA) and
the U.S. Equestrian Team (USET) on the designation of national governing
body for equestrian sport by the U.S. Olympic Committee.  In the spirit of
openness, the USET presents this letter describing the issues and explaining
its solution.

The Strategic Planning sessions were necessary, because the USOC ordered the
AHSA and USET to comply with the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
and end the splitting of NGB functions that has existed for over 50 years.
The AHSA has had the official title of NGB, while for the last 50 years the
USET has done the work of the NGB for the AHSA.  The USET has been the de
facto NGB by working to fund, train and organize our country's equestrian
athletes. The result has been medals for Equestrian in every Olympic Games
except one. In fact, the importance of the Olympic effort caused the USOC to
request that both organizations hold off discussing resolution of the NGB
non-compliance until after the Sydney Games.

The USET came to the second SPI session with a detailed proposal in hand.
Contrary to some published comments and Internet chatting, our proposal was
put out as a tangible first step to spur an open dialogue on how to
formalize the NGB status. Our proposal has the USET assuming the title of
the National Governing Body (NGB) and National Federation (NF) for
Equestrian Sport in the United States. To do so, the USET would take over
the international administrative functions currently handled by AHSA.  The
AHSA would be an Affiliate Member sport organization (much like the USET was
for the last 50 years) and continue to provide all its current services for
its national breeds and discipline organizations. Under the USET Proposal,
both organizations retain their headquarters, assets and infrastructure, and
the continuity of programs at the national and international levels is
ensured. The AHSA Board would remain intact without any reduction in the
proportionate representation of its constituent groups.

The USET Proposal is modeled after other NGBs that are similarly situated,
such as USA Track & Field, USA Baseball, USA Wrestling and USA Basketball.
For instance, USA Wrestling has 49 state associations that focus on
providing state and local competitions and are comprised of volunteers,
coaches, officials, athletes and parents. These associations conduct
tournaments, run clubs, organize trips and coach athletes in their area. USA
Track & Field is comprised of 56 Member Associations that oversee the sport
at the local level.


The AHSA very capably regulates equestrian sports for the multiple breeds
and disciplines that exist in the United States.  However, the USOC mandate
for an NGB is to focus on maximizing international competitive excellence in
equestrian sports and to coordinate affiliate member organizations that run
national, local and non-international equestrian programs. The NGB also
should ensure that a clear pathway exists for athletes to progress from the
grassroots to the Olympic level competition.

While the USET values the expertise and services of the AHSA, the NGB
situation as it stands cannot continue. By allowing the USET to assume the
NGB title and the few remaining NGB functions, continuity of services to
Equestrian athletes is ensured with the lowest cost and the least upheaval
to both organizations.

Equestrian activity at the local, grassroots level is the heart of our
sport, and the AHSA should continue to conduct horse events under its
auspices at this level. As riders and drivers develop and graduate to higher
levels of competition, the NGB then assumes responsibility for their
continued success. The NGB cannot be all things to all people in the
equestrian disciplines without jeopardizing the USOC mandate of maximizing
sustained international competitive excellence. A merged organization of the
AHSA and USET would be too large, too cumbersome and unable to focus on this
mandate, because there are too many disciplines and matters for which it
would be responsible but are not related to international competition. An
Affiliate Organization structure to regulate the sport on the national and
local level is viable, as is the case with USA Track and Field, USA
Baseball, USA Wrestling, and USA Basketball.

Logic and economic prudence dictate the USET should be NGB:

* The USET has raised funds for and administered the training, selection,
coaching and sending of U.S. athletes competing in the internationally
recognized disciplines to the Olympic Games, the World Championships and
other International Equestrian competitions for more than 50 years. The
result has been a multiplicity of Olympic medals in equestrian events.
* Both organizations' assets, infrastructure and boards continue to exist.
* The USET Bylaws comply with USOC requirements for NCB.
* Athletes recognize USET as the organization that addresses their needs.
* The USET as NGB will ensure the continuity of the athletes' programs.
* The USET has facilities and well-trained staff presently up and running
* Lower transaction costs resulting from this solution and resultant NGB
structure allow more funding to support the athletes.

The USET would undergo a transformation into USA Equestrian upon becoming
the NGB. This would include a reconstitution and refocusing of the current
USET board and committees to more completely represent the interests of the
sport and to maximize the potential for our sustained competitive excellence
in international equestrian sports. While other solutions might be
conceivable, no other solution is able to provide a more efficient and
effective structure for fulfilling the USOC mandate. No other solution has
fewer costs to the athletes, the organizations and the equestrian world in
the United States. For the overall good of the sport and for sustained
competitive excellence in international events, the USET's plan to assume
the NGB title for equestrian as USA Equestrian is the solution.

# # #

Following is USA EQUESTRIAN Executive Summary:
A Solution for the Governance of Equestrian

As a follow up to the presentation made to the Board of the American Horse
Shows Association on Thursday, January 11th, 2000 as well as previous
presentations to the Active Athletes and the Board of the United States
Equestrian Team, we wish to provide you with the attached proposed
organizational charts. We welcome your questions and comments.

The Equestrian NGB must fulfill the USOC Mandate to achieve sustained
international competitive excellence, by focusing on the support and
development of equestrian's international athletes, coordinating affiliate
sport organizations that run programs at the local level, and ensuring a
pipeline for athletes from grass roots competitions to the Olympic level.

We are proposing that The United States Equestrian Team assume the title of
NGB and change its name to USA Equestrian as part of this process. The USA
Equestrian Board and Committee structure will be reorganized so as to
maximize the efficiency of the organization and to ensure the organization
is athlete driven. Representation on the board and committees will include
the interests of the athletes, the affiliate sport organizations, the
paralympic athletes and the international discipline coordinators. USA
Equestrian will be responsible for managing all aspects of Protected
Competitions and interfacing with the USOC and the FEI.

The American Horse Shows Association would be a vital affiliate partner as
the organization responsible for managing all aspects of its competitions at
the local, regional and national levels.  The AHSA would have direct
representation on the board and committees of USA Equestrian. The AHSA would
continue to promulgate rules concerning its events and enforce them through
its existing hearing and sanction procedures. The AHSA would remain
responsible for competition date allocation for its recognized competitions.
Other organizations that hold equestrian competitions at the local level,
such as the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association and the Virginia Horse
Show Association could continue to hold events under their rules.

The Seven National Discipline Associations (ADS, AERC, AVA, NHJA, NRHA,
USCTA, and USDF) will be Affiliate Members of USA Equestrian and will
continue their direct representation on the board plus all relevant
committees of USA Equestrian. These organizations will continue to fulfill
their mandates according to the will of their memberships and provide
programs for developing athletes in the respective disciplines.

The USET's plan integrates the current organizations in a way that is
compliant with the USOC requirements and is optimal for fulfilling the USOC
mandate with preservation of assets and infrastructure and without
dissolution of the organizations. There would be no disenfranchisement of
any disciplines or breeds, since proportionate representation would remain
unchanged on the AHSA board and committees. Most importantly, continuity of
breed specific, national and international programs would be ensured. The
time for implementation of this plan is short. Staffing changes would be
minimal, and there would be no changes in the board or committees required
at the AHSA level.

The result is in the best interest of the sport with a focused NGB that
fosters sustained competitive excellence, that maximizes the expertise of
existing personnel serving all disciplines and breeds, that preserves the
infrastructure and membership of both organizations and that provides a
pipeline for athletes at the grass roots level to progress to the Olympic
level.