Frank, you know of my respect for you. The penalty for an offense
such as doping at the WEC should be the harshest FEI hands out. I mean
they are a Rules Organization. They tell you to wear this and do
that and then a 'winner' is caught and let go w/o even a slap on the
wrist. It sets a very bad precedent. This not the way to set an example to
others who may get the same idea. What is AERC's punishment for a drug
offense? at the National Championships?
Its the same in America. Corporate crooks steal and get probation and
light sentences and i'll never forget a young black man who got 6 years for
stealing a pack of bologna. But i give FEI the credit for changing
the ruling back to the proper placing. But why did it have to go to court
in the first place? All the information was there from the very
beginning.
As for someone else giving the banned substance? Isn't there
punishment to Trainers all the time? Nobody paid for this illegality.
ts
In a message dated 3/30/2006 3:27:15 P.M. Mountain Standard Time, goearth@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
But
for the offender at a World Championship to walk away with....4. No fine or
suspension shall be imposed upon HH.....speaks
volumes.
Hi Tom,
You know initially, I felt the same way.
Then, I started thinking about who actually
administered the drug to the horse.
I have no experience in the UAE, and as many
know, I am no fan of the "sport" they pursue over there, but it seems to
me that just about anyone could have slipped the drug to the horse at an event
such as the WEC.
Even a competitor who believed that once the horse was
tested that a couple of things could be accomplished by drugging the
horse...eliminating the horse from the competition/result and sullying
the reputation of the rider/owner/train/team of the horse.
So, short of actually witnessing the drug
being administered by some reputable and unimpeachable person, I wonder how
"the offender" could ever been truly adjudicated and penalized.
Even in our country, in our sport, how
truly "exposed" are our horses to the folks who might want to do bad
things at endurance rides?
I choose to believe that our sport is populated by
wonderful, well-intentioned individuals who always pursue endurance in an
above-board fashion.
