[RC] North America Loses PanAm Championship - Steph Teeter
( by Endurance.net)
Mary Lutz, Director of Endurance for the
United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), has verified that recent changes in
FEI policies have led to the cancelation of the scheduled 2007 Pan American
Endurance Championship.
In the past, FEI has viewed the United States as
being composed of 5 Zones and Canada as composed of 2 Zones. Each of these zones
has been treated as a "country" with respect to entry into the Continental
(North American) and Intercontinental (Pan American) Endurance
Championships.
The recent FEI policy change results in United States and
Canadian representation in Intercontinental (Pan American) Endurance
Championships being limited to 6 individual participants, one team, from each
participating National Federation - plus 6 additional individual participants
from the hosting federation.
This effectively means that Pan American
Championship events, when held in North America, will have a smaller field of
competitors. (a total field of 18 individual riders, two teams, from United
States and Canada).
In addition, each Central or South American country
that participates may field 6 individuals, one team, - but given the expense and
logists of competing in North America, South American participation is usually
minimal.
This effect has led the Organizing Committee for the 2007 Pan
American Championship in Manitoba to withdraw their bid. They are concerned that
they would not be able to cover the expenses of hosting a Pan American
Championship with a greatly reduced number of ride entries.
FEI is
currently negotiating with Brazil as a possible alternative to the Canadian
venue for the event.
North American Federations are considering hosting a
North American Endurance Championship in 2007 instead of a Pan American
Endurance Championship. (the FEI policy limiting entries to 6 per non-host
Federation do not apply to Continental Championships).
Further
information will be forthcoming from FEI and National Federations of the
effected countries.
