Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

At 04:09 PM 7/21/2006, you wrote:
> The nominated entry of 12 horses and riders plus two alternates was
> named this week through an extensive process by a committee who observed
> the horses and riders at various events during the past two years. The
> final team was selected based on two training events that took place in
> early July.

There is a (slight) mistake in the above quote. for the upcoming WEG
(World Equestrian Games), which includes the 2006 WEC (World Endurance
Championship); there were 10 horse/rider teams + two alternate horses
whose names were submitted as "Nominated Entries" to the Aachen
OC (organizing committee) by the USEF (United States Equestrian
Federation). From this list, the 5 actual horse/rider competitors plus
one alternate horse will be submitted as the "Final Entries" to
the OC. The "Nominated Entries" were submitted to the OC on
Jul17th; the Final Entries will be submitted to the OC on 14 Aug. Today,
the USEF announced that they have determined who will be on their
"final Entries" list (barring any changes - but changes can
still occur up until the 14th of August). 

Steph, can you elaborate on this process? What
were the 2 training events? Who is watching at the events to help make
these decisions? Do the riders know in advance that they are
possibilities and are being watched? Were the riders riding the same
horse for those 2 years?

(Steph's gone to town ...:)

While it is true that these 10 riders + the riders of the 2 alternate
horses have been working to gain membership to the USEF Endurance Squad
for quite some time (slightly less than 2 years. The whole process
started with individual riders who "nominated" their horses to
be considered for the final 12 member USEF Endurance Squad. This squad
(which was announced in early July, will be the USEF squad from which
teams will be chosen for the next two years when USEF sends Entries to
PanAms, WECs, ...; so the process to be selected takes 2 years, and once
selected, the horse/rider team is part of the squad for 2 years (until
the completion of the NEXT selection process).

So in 2004 @60 horse/rider teams nominated themselves to be considered
for the squad of 12. Over the intervening 2 years there were numerous
"qualification rides" where the USEF Endurance Selection
Committee observed the nominees. Forms were filled out following EVERY
endurance ride entered which tell the story of you and your horses
progress toward the ultimate goal of becoming the World Endurance
Champion; horses were given special vet exams; a weeding out process
(which some say overtaxes the horses - i.e. makes them work too hard to
get to the top so that when they are THERE they are beyond their peaks
... but that's controversial).

In 2005, there were a special sequence of 100 mile events at which
"points" were allocated based upon a variety of criteria (speed
being the primary one). At the end ... there were @40 horse/rider teams
still "in the pool". There were then 4 final observation rides
in the 2006 ride season; all of the 40 were observed and evaluated at
these events. In late Jun06, a list of 12 horse/rider pairs + 6 ranked
(1-6) alternate horse/rider pairs were announced. The 12 are the USEF
Endurance Squad Members for the next 2 years - From this pool of 12, USEF
will select entries to nominate for WEC and PanAm (world and contenental)
championship events. So the 12 are our US Endurance Squad until a new
squad is chosen in 2008. 

There were two "Training Events", one in PA 3 weeks ago, and
one in CA last week-end, where the 12+5 (one of the 6 alternates withdrew
to become Chef d' Equip) presented themselves for ONE LAST observation.
They held an extensive (2 hr?) vet exam for each horse - they did a 30
mile observation ride (hmmm an LD Championship!!:) and they interviewed
all the squad members to see JUST who would be best to have in Aachen.
"They" were the USEF Endurance Staff (USEF Endurance Vets, USEF
Selection Committee, etc.)

Now on to the 10 + 2 that were presented to the Aachen OC for the
upcoming WEG(WEC). They are from the list of 12+6 (note that the list of
12squad + 6 alternates is REALLY a list of 18 Squad members, for it is
possible, as in the case of the Aachen nominated entries list, for Squad
alternates to be part of a nominated entry list. This would not be the
case if there were a strict 12 member squad from which to choose entries
to any event. but that's a fine point:) 

Then the 10+2horses nominated for Aachen will become 5+1horse definitely
entered and off they go. When the 2007 PAC (Pan American Championship)
happens in Brazil next year, this pool of 18 horse/rider pairs will be
again called upon to represent the US. a team of 6 horse/rider pairs will
be selected from the pool of 18 to head off to Brazil.

Also, starting from next March (a guess:), there will be a whole new
cycle of nominations/evaluation/selection occurring identify who will
represent the US at the 2008 WEC (and also the 2009 PAC) and while those
guys are out competing, there will be yet another cycle to find who will
represent the US at the 2010 Worlds in Kentucky.

AND every 2 years, the process by which the selection occurs is
evaluated, changed, (hopefully) improved and (sometimes) new people get
involved in the upcoming process cycle. It's important to note that this
is a USEF process - it is not an AERC process. The AERC International
Committee has some loose charter to do grassroots identification/support,
but it is the USEF and it's endurance VPs and Committees which run these
processes for international competition. If you want to get involved,
joint USEF and see if you can get appointed to one of the Endurance
related committees! 

So, it takes 2 years to be selected for a WEC - a lot of focus, expense,
preparation and horse effort. A lot of paperwork and did I mention
expense. You have to REALLY want to do it and you should have a REALLY
good horse (or mule!!:)

=====
> > I
> just found out how to see if you qualify for NC ride, (Thanks to Judy who
> probably thinks there is something seriously wrong with me ;(

Now as to your comment re: the NC ride. The AERC National Championship
event qualifications are not in any way related to the USEF processes.
The AERC NC qualifications (currently) have only to do with you and your
horse and what you have done (either alone - must have 1000+ miles
together) or in competition (must have 300 miles and have top 10'd in
your weight division in at least 1 AERC event in the previous x months
(where x varies a bit based on the year). These criteria are subject to
change annually by the AERC board.  The AERC NC happens once a year
at various venues throughout the land (this year the Old Dominion trail;
next year the Owyhee County trails in Idaho:) I've heard rumors that the
AERC would like to establish permanent facilities to have these NC events
(simuliar maybe to the suggested USEF Endurance Training facility).

The expense for the AERC NC is pretty much limited to time, travel, and 1
ride entry fee. Beyond that it is very easy and accessible for all AERC
members (Note that this includes our Canadian Members so the name
"National Championship" is really not correct. It's really AERC
Championship...)

As a final (and very tangential:) comment; the US really does not have a
United States Endurance Champion crowned each year in the same sense that
the recently announce French 2006 National Champion, or the German
National Champion, or the Argentine National Champion. In France,
Germany, and Argentina, the National Federation sanctions and recognizes
a national championship event - but the USEF (US Federation) does not
have such an event. The AERC National Championship event does recognize
champions in 5 divisions in the 100 mile and 50 mile distances, but that
is 10 champions who may be from any country as long as they are AERC
members - it is an issue which the AERC has long attempted to address. If
you have any ideas as to how to make progress on this issue, work with
the AERC board. Or, possible USEF will simply designate a national
championship event at some point.

If I missed anything, or wasn't clear, or was just flat out wrong on any
of the above, it's b/c it's 100+ df here today and I'm avoiding going out
to blow up gophers...:)

jt



> John
> said something about having the paperwork filled out within a certain
> amount of time before a particular event, so what if you don't belong to
> all the right agencies and what not? Does that all have to be done before
> you can even be considered?

To be considered for the AERC NC event, you just have to tell the
Ride Manager I think. To be considered for the USEF Endurance Squad, you
have to start by presenting your nomination (just a letter saying "I
Nominate Me and My Horse ..."); once nominated, the current process
cycle will dictate what else you need. To have your nomination accepted
you MUST be a member of the USEF (and possibly the USEF will have a
nominating criteria which says you must be a member of AERC International
- but remember, THAT is a USEF requirement!!:)