ROC details

["Beverly Gray" <bgray@xmission.com>]

A Special Message from Susan E. Gibson, founder and president, Race of
Champions

As of this date, the 2002 Race of Champions is officially sanctioned with
the AERC. We have also applied for the necessary paperwork to be considered
as a Demonstration/Qualifying Ride for the 2002 World Championship Endurance
Race. We have also applied for the necessary paperwork to apply for FEI
sanctioning for this 2002 ROC. Both applications will be received within FEI
and USET deadlines, and I am quite hopeful that both will be approved by the
middle of March as we appear to meet all of their qualifications now that we
have received AERC sanctioning. You will be informed as soon as this (slow)
process is finished.

I requested and returned an AERC Application in November, 2001, for the 2002
Race of Champions to receive sanctioning under a "Special Sanction" format
which is required when an endurance race has qualifications for entry. I
assumed that the application was received and being processed and therefore
included "AERC Sanctioning Pending" in the info for the ROC. I was not made
aware that the AERC office says they did not receive the application until
the middle of January - and at this point it was too late to resubmit the
application to meet their 180 day requirement. It is very important for me
to help the riders get their credit for the 2002 ROC from AERC, and so we
have been working with our SW Region Director, Randy Eiland, to look at our
options to achieve that goal.

It was suggested to me that I consider the option of having this first year
back for the ROC to be declared a "Celebration Welcome Back to the ROC", and
open up the entries to everyone to allow all riders to experience the "magic
of the ROC." After much thought and debate, I have decided that I would like
to do this for the sport and for the riders. Therefore, the 2002 ROC is
inviting ALL ENDURANCE RIDERS to enter, with no qualification requirement
for the horse or the rider other that what AERC already requires. This will
include no age limit, so Junior Riders will be accepted for entry as well.

I want to assure everyone that this "regular AERC" sanctioning status does
not in any way mean that the 2002 ROC is not a championship, world class
event.  We anticipate that we will still have the BEST endurance riders in
the country attending - and I the ROC will  will attract the top riders from
every region in the USA as well as championship riders from around the
world.  I believe that the quality of the competition  of horses at this
2002 ROC will be our most intense ever!!!

The final and absolute deadline to receive entries is March 1, 2002.
Absolutely No entries will be accepted beyond this date.

Entries will be accepted on a first come, first served basis (absolutely no
special consideration give to anyone, no matter what the reason or who you
are or how much you have supported the ROC in the past ...please don't ask
:)

Those entries already received have officially filled the first space and
are guaranteed entries to date.

We are re-mailing out 500 applications this week with the new information,
and all I can say is if you really want to enter the ROC, I would recommend
that you send your application in RUSH to insure your spot as there is a
large number of applications being mailed back to us this week now that the
ROC has received AERC Sanctioning.

I would like to thank Beverly Gray, Dean Jackson and Randy Eiland for
working together with solutions that ultimately are in the best interests of
the sport and its riders.

We have a wonderful and extensive group of sponsors who have offered their
support, which will allow us to offer the ROC with extraordinary awards,
prizes, gifts for all riders, and activities that will surely make this 2002
ROC the best ride in the sport for this 2002 year. I hope you can join us :)

- Susan E. Gibson