In a message dated 6/21/2003 1:43:13 AM Mountain Daylight Time, msgabbani@xxxxxxx writes:
DO have to watch over and safeguard your sport, but you shouldn't let
the safeguards take over. The best safeguard of all is keeping money
out of the sport as much as possible. The cash that flooded into
"endurance" in Egypt turned a fun activity into a source of income, and
I hate to think of all the horses that have died in the pursuit of the
cash.
I sure share your concerns there, Maryanne. Money....the pursuit of money, sure does change things for some people, and most certainly for some horses.
I still believe that the core group of endurance riders in this country (where that particular group was well-established BEFORE the pursuit of money oozed in) wants to ride the same cool, forested-path.
Others here would say, however, that we STILL have horses injured through accidents and who die, occasionally. And, to their credit, want to help prevent the occasional, regardless of the reason, loss of a horse.
That's wonderful.
I have yet to hear any riders, rider managers, vets, AERC officials, FEI officials or anyone associated with the "sport of endurance" say that the occasional loss of a horse is okay, an acceptable outcome to the pursuit of endurance "excellence".....we all seem to be pounding the same drum, but with slightly different rythym and inflection.
Mine has a bit more of a Tango feel to it. :^)
---Frank
