Ridecamp: Re: [RC] IntNewsGroup: Jerez WEG Endurance Postride Report

I'd agree with this except for one comment in Dane's post. That is 
To quote:

"I have never been an official at any endurance ride (I served as the Foreign Veterinary Delegate for the WEG) in which there was so much conflict and disagreement between the organizing committee and the FEI officials appointed for the event. For one example among many, the organizing committee and the Toulouse Group placed pressure on the Technical Delegate (Dr. Hallvard Sommerseth) through senior FEI officials to accept 4 vetgates with a trot-by (within the FEI rules) instead of the 5 vetgates that was preferred. (Not a single member of the veterinary commission was in favor of 4 vetgates and all felt that the trot by examination was next to worthless for metabolic assessment). It was the members of the Toulouse Group that pressured the imposition of this control without input from the rest of the world out side of Europe. The USA, the Australians, the Malaysians, etc. were not asked their opinion. We should strenuously object to these kinds of decisions, which affect the sport being made for us all, when "us " are not even aware that the topic is under deliberation."

The way I read that is that in fact senior FEI officials were pressuring
the Technical Delegate and the veterinary committee to accept what they though
would not be in the best interest of the horse. Therefore the FEI has to
share responsibility for this tragedy along with the organizing committee.

Truman

Steph Teeter wrote:

Howard -I don't think you quite understand Dane's message. The decisions on loops and vetgate holds were not made by FEI (officials and veterinarians). They were made by the event organizing committee. Dane states that all members of the FEI veterinary commission were opposed to the format, but the OC - the individuals who organized the event, set the format. This is not about FEI making poor decisions, it is about a select group of individuals who made up the OC making a poor decision, for whatever reason. The Vermont PAC had many holds (maybe 8?) and the completion rate was high, the horses benefited from this format - but this decision was not made by FEI officials, it was made by the PAC organizing committee. Maybe the problem is that the FEI officials do not have enough 'power' to control the standards in an event that they (especially the veterinarians) feel is less than adequate in terms of welfare of the horse. If you're going to start firing shots, make sure you know who/what the target is.