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RE: [RC] FEI Championships - heidiOK, while I'm not an international-caliber rider, I HAVE attended
two WECs, one in the position of a team vet. And I think we're
talking in circles here.
First of all, the non-completion rate at high-level FEI
events doesn't bother me anywhere NEAR as much as the treatment
rate. If the sport is getting bad press over the non-completion
rate, then we need to do some serious educating. It's ok to
pull--but what is NOT ok is when the pulls so often occur too late to
avert a serious medical intervention. The huge number of medical
interventions that are required are truly a cause for shame. (And
that's true when it happens at AERC rides as well--but I don't see very
many AERC events across the board that look like MASH units...)
Second, there are several things IMO that contribute to the high
rate of treatment. Granted, there are added risks in
traveling so far with horses, and that aspect cannot be changed,
if one is to have world-level events. But there ARE some
contributing factors that COULD be changed. One is the continued
emphasis on the primary veterinary check being at the beginning of the
hold instead of at the end. (And that comment applies to AERC
rides as well.) One is the fact that too many horses at FEI
events are subjected to arbitrary changes by team vets and team
officials. One is--yes, indeed--qualification of horses and
riders. I personally believe that NO horse should be at a
world-level event without being at least 8 years old AND having at
least 1000 miles in competition AND having at least three seasons in
competition AND having done a minimum of three rides at the
distance. (I think that the 2500 miles suggested is not
practical--but 1000 is quite attainable, and in most cases is enough to
make sure that the horse can handle the sport.) I also believe
that riders should have even more stringent qualifications than
that.
Third, Steph, I am appalled that you in previous posts suggested
that the distance should be shorter. It does NOT take freakish
horses to be good 100-mile horses--but it DOES take very well-managed
ones. And to shorten the distance (as other posters have so aptly
pointed out) increases the speed--and as such, increases the
risks. That said, you are right on the mark that there is a lot
of good sportsmanship, good horsemanship, camaraderie,
etc. displayed at these events. If anything, perhaps the
problems would be solved by putting even MORE emphasis on the team
aspect of the sport--and to that end, instead of kat's suggestions, I
once again submit the concept that one way to help increase completion
rates would be to only award individual medals to those riders whose
countries can manage to complete a team as well, rather than the
penalty sort of scenario.
Fourth, one of the biggest problems IMO is the selection
process. We look at horses at rides, but I don't think we look
closely enough at some of the ancillary traits that horses need at a
WEC level--the ability to travel well, the sense of self-preservation
to eat and drink and rest under any and all circumstances, etc.
Furthermore, I strongly disagree with Leonard's assertion that at this
level, all the horses are lame. It IS possible to field a sound
team that is metabolically strong--but we need to rethink how we get
horses there.
Heidi
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