Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

The EN blurb seemed fairly vague based on this. I would assume that 100 
mile AERC rides that were also sanctioned FEI would be used for this 
concept. If it is not sufficiently different than the use of AERC rides 
for selection in the past it should not be an issue. If the USEF 
specifies one or two rides for this process, then I see a whole list of 
problems with this concept.

I can understand the desire on the part of the USEF to refine the 
process of selecting an endurance team so that we don't look like the 
"Jamaican Bobsled Team showing up to the Winter Olympics" as has been 
the case the last three WEC's. The USEF is used to winning programs and 
I suspect the performance of the endurance program is not to their liking.

I think it's time the AERC BOD come to grips with the long term 
relationship between the strictly armature sport of endurance riding 
that has evolved in the US and practiced by the vast majority of the 
members and the quasi-professional international endurance racing that 
has evolved in the world under the the FEI/USEF. There seems to be an 
accelerating divergence between these two sports and when the USEF 
programs begin to have a negative impact on the AERC - a potential 
outlined below - it is time for the AERC BOD to act to protect the 
interest of the membership of the AERC.

I think it is a little soon to determine the exact impact, however, it 
is not too soon for the AERC BOD to become proactive in this issue to 
insure it does not impact the AERC.

Truman

Horse ElinoreL.Tonsor wrote:
> Ahh, the team concept, as explained in the August issue of Endurance 
> News is very interesting. However, the negative to this new concept is 
> all the other rides that have been going on for years and years, and 
> happen to fall on the same date, week before and week after are 
> certainly in for a severe drop in entries.
>
> It is my understanding that the tentative date for the Team 
> competition in the USA is September 29th, 2007. Up to 5 four member 
> teams from each region will be allowed to compete. That's 20 
> horses/riders per region. There are 9 regions in AERC - so do the 
> math, thats 180 riders that aren't going to their local rides. As a 
> ride manager, I think this absolutely stinks. While no ride manager is 
> going to beable to retire on the profits that are made from an 
> endurance ride, it would certainly be nice if losses weren't experienced.
>
> I contacted the chair of the international committee and pointed out 
> this flaw in their plan, and her responce was, that some of the rides 
> had been contacted to suggest that they change their date. ("some" is 
> the key word here, because the MW ride scheduled for that weekend has 
> not been contacted.) Over half the country rides seasonally, and as 
> everyone knows, dates are locked in. The point is, if you take 20 
> competitors away from any event, you are probably putting that ride in 
> a financial squeeze. Ride managers who lose money on a ride are less 
> likely to put the ride on again. So, are we going to have a national 
> shut down for the weekend before, weekend of and weekend after this 
> team event?
>
> While I have been a strong supporter of international competition, I'm 
> afraid the international committee and I part ways here. Why not have 
> this event in December or January when many fewer rides would be effected.
>
> Elinore Tonsor


--

“With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things 
and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil 
things, that takes religion.” Steven Weinberg – Nobel Laureate, Physics


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