Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Title: RE: [RC] Uzes - Young Horses Finals

Now I don't know for how long the system will keep up because it requires to export horses to survive. Endurance doesn't generate money like flat races or showjumping. The whole endurance system in France survives thanks to the Gulf countries : selling of horses young or proven ones, conditioning and campaigning in Europe.

As far as US endurance, I wish you the best : equine material is there even if I don't have the impression that real endurance bloodlines are heavily developed, it looks more marginal.

Leonard, Belgium


-----Original Message-----
From: Truman Prevatt [mailto:tprevatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Sun 10/7/2007 5:38 PM
To: LIESENS Leonard (COMM)
Cc: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [RC]   Uzes - Young Horses Finals

vive la France

Thanks, Leonard

This is what I expected but didn't know the details.

It has always been clear that the US tends to be playing catch up in
sports where there was no significant professionalism or sports that are
not heavily supported on the intercollegiate level. Until professional
athletics were allowed in the Olympics, the US was sending true
armatures to compete against athletics supported by the governments of
the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact countries, China, and many European
countries - whose only job was to train and compete. Most of the
athletics of the old Soviet Union were in the Army. While we had a few -
a good friend of mine went to West Point and was commissioned. His job
was to develop a competitive running program for the Army, but his real
job was to run in track meets. He has just retired as the track coach at
West Point. But he is the exception - far from the rule.

With Government funding of equestrian sports by European countries and
least we forget the Persian Gulf States, the US is at a disadvantage but
that just seems to be the nature of the beast. I am sure someone would
be laughed out of Congress if it were proposed that the US support such
a program as the French do. The states would laugh if someone proposed
to kick in some of the funds from flat track race betting.

That's not good nor bad - just a fact of life and a difference between
the two sides of the Atlantic. When was the last time you saw the US
metal in Curling ;-) ? But it does help explain why the French endurance
team has been so consistently good. It also points out that it is going
to take a well defined and well funded program under the USEF for the US
to once again catch up in FEI endurance.

Truman

Leonard.Liesens@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> hi Truman
>
> The funding comes from the SHF (Société Hippique Française) which was
> funded in the end of 19th century. It's mission is the promotion of
> the young horses events and at the same way help breeders, owners and
> the whole world of the horse in France to preserve and enhance the
> quality of the breeds in France.
>
> It receives funds partly form the Min of Agriculture and partly from
> the PMU (Paris Mutuel, flat races).
>
> Not only the owners and breeders receive incentives, also the
> organizers are helped by SHF when organizing an event for young
> horses. You van see that as a pyramid for the promotion of the french
> breeding.
>
> Obviously all types of disciples are sponsored. There are obviously
> also link with all studbooks represented in France.
>
> Beside the SHF, operate the Haras Nationaux (literally National
> Studfarms) created by Napoleon to enhance the overall quality of the
> french horse (for his armies). THis institutions offers stallions of
> all breed all over the country, at very reasonable fees.
>
> So voila Monsieur :-)
>
> Leonard, Belgium