AERC Nomination for Director - Connie Caudill

[Enduroride@aol.com]

I am sending this to ride camp as suggested by Bob Morris.
I would like to put in my nomination for AERC board director for the Midwest region.  
I have been riding endurance since 1987 and have over 10,000 miles in competition. (Which means I just have some experience but still learn on every ride and hope I always will.) I have been very supportive of our regional organizations being a member of UMECRA for a few years and a Daniel Boone Distance Rider member. I have ridden in first place as well as last and firmly believe in "To Finish is to Win." I have never served on the board but have attended most of the meetings over the last 8 years and have served on various committees including ride manager, championship ride, education and protest. I think I could work well with the other board members, compromising on certain subjects in order serve the members wishes.
I think there are several new issues that are facing AERC in the next few years that I would like to try and work on a solution with the rest of the board and AERC members. 
One that I would like to address, is the welfare of the horse. At this point in the history of AERC when someone has a complaint about how a person is treating a horse that could be considered cruel, what avenue is available? I have been on the protest committee for the last 2 years and we have received one complaint on cruelty. But we can only address the rules and if we do not get proof of actions we can not do anything about it. I found out later there were reports of cruelty made to the vets and ride managers at different rides but where could these complaints go? I think it would be a great advantage to have a committee set up maybe call it the "ethics committee." We need to be able to go somewhere to have on record if there is continuous abuse from any one person so actions can be taken before it is too late. Also this committee would handle rider abuse towards other riders, other trail users or ride management. We do not want to have a bad reputation with the rest of the trail users because of one persons actions that is noted to be continuous. This is just something I think we need to think about.
Another issue is the international riders verses the regular AERC riders. I rode for the first time an international ride this year. I am a regular endurance rider. I looked around at this ride and almost everyone I saw there were regular endurance riders who have supported everyday rides all year long. I think we need to know that all endurance riders are just regular endurance riders. We do not know from year to year whose horse will show a spark and who will decide to put their horse in an international ride. I know you have to have the desire to want to ride in that type of ride but at least it is available to anyone who is willing to try. We do not want to separate the international riders from us. We are one in the same and I would like to see it remain this way.
As for racing or riding, I think we need to look at our sport like we look at marathons. For a few riders it is a race, for a few riders it is a ride, but for all of us it should be we ride for fun and to do get our horses through in excellent condition. I think this should always be our goal no matter which speed we perfer to ride.
I have only one agenda and that is to help make AERC a better organization that serves its member well, without making more rules in order to achieve this goal.
I hope you will give your vote a lot of consider and I know I will be able to serve you well as your director. I am always available to talk with at any time, feel free to give me a call. Thank you, Connie Caudill