From: heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2005 8:54 PM
I don't disagree with that.
Stagg Newman won the Old Dominion 100 on Super at age 5. Obviously, Super is an
exceptional horse and Stagg has an exceptional understanding of Super's
capabilities. It wasn't a fluke, because he also did it with Drubin. I am
in awe of his abilities and his horses.
That said, I would not even attempt to do
that with one of my horses, no matter how good they were. I’m not
knowledgeable enough and the risks are too great...my horses will never achieve
that level, but that's OK...they are still MY guys...and I am immensely proud
of their humble achievements.
We cannot assume that all riders have Stagg's
skill and knowledge or Super's capabilities. There are those who THINK
they do, but don’t. That's why we have laws...and rules...and
regulations...and educational programs. Perhaps 5 is too young....perhaps the
Horse Welfare Committee will come up with statistics that support that. Should
we change the age to 7? What do YOU think?
There has to be a balance...and there are
always exceptions. Where we set the bar is the "relative"
aspect. There is no "perfect" law or rule, but when we DO make one,
we should enforce it. AERC does. Obviously, FEI doesn’t.
In the US (at least in the SE) there is a
lot of "peer pressure" when people let their ego get in the way of
doing what's right for their horses. OUR riders, and OUR vets make it known in
no uncertain terms that such actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated....and
I can't remember when we had a horse die in the SE Region as a direct result of
overriding.
Keep in mind that this is a democratic
society. For example, I think George Bush is an idiot and I believe it will
take decades for this country to recover from the hole he has dug for us.
However, he was elected by voters as our President, he is my Commander-in-Chief…and
where ever he leads, I will follow…but I reserve my democratic right to
voice my opinion regarding his decisions. AERC’s action…or
inaction…on this issue is no different. Hindsite is 20/20…history
will tell the tale.
Jim, Sun of Dimanche+, and Mahada Magic
Hmmmm... Yes, it IS "all relative." The fact that AERC
allows 5-year-olds
to compete means that in some cases, they are also raced, and sometimes
raced hard. And yes, sometimes even on 100s. The fact that
they are
"diluted" by many who are NOT raced at that age does not
alter the fact
that AERC indeed allows this, and it happens. Can't begin to
count the
number of nice young horses that I've seen come into this sport
(AERC-sanctioned endurance), race hard at 5, and maybe at 6, and never
