I disagree. ?I think most of us see what the current trend is -- and we don't like it. ?However, and this is just my opinion, I can't see a good resolution to the basic issue which is that international endurance is focusing on racing. ?They are moving to what is essentially a long-distance flat race, which is pretty much an entirely different sport. ?In most other area of equine sports, the FEI level of the sport is an extension of the grass-roots level (jumping, dressage, eventing). ??The exception to this is **racing**. ?There is no grass-roots racing sport. ?That is a sport where only the wealthy can play, and that is what this new trend is moving toward. ??
As for acting -- do you have any suggestions? ?The only one I've heard is for AERC to separate from AERC-I. ? ? People (including me) have criticized these really fast flat races, but I don't see much hope for specifying what the minimum requirements for an endurance course must be....
On Mar 12, 2008, at 11:23 AM, Bob Morris wrote:
What you all fail to see is this is the current trend in Endurance on a world basis. This is the trend that AERC-I is playing with. This is the game that those with the most influence in World-Wide Endurance are playing with. While the money amounts are tremendous in our sphere it is pocket change for those now influencing the rules.
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When will you, the members of AERC, the participants of endurance competition, realize that you must make the AERC Board of Directors cognizant of what you want for the future and then make sure they convey these desires to the USEF, our representative to the FEI.
