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Re: [RC] Questions for Steph - Steph TeeterI'll try to answer as best I can...1. Do you know which other nations/countries that award cash as an award or reward riders with monetary compensation for where they place? Is this common place in other parts of the world besides the UAE? The only other place I've seen cash prizes was in Malaysia. It think it's fairly common across the Middle East though.
Most of the endurance programs were in place long before FEI took on the sport. We're only talking 10-15 years (somebody correct this number, I'm just guessing) since FEI adopted Endurance as a sport. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Namibia, most European countries, USA, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile - there are probably more, but these come to mind quickly - these countries have been doing Endurance for a long time - some of them at least as long as USA. I can't speak with authority on the philosophies of the other countries - the sport is a race by definition - so that's a tough one to answer, and to analyze. I think the USA started out more racing minded - but has gradually become more recreational, especially with the advent of the multiday rides. I don't know of any country, new or old, that bases their program on UAE style racing. They all follow the same rules that we do (FEI rules mimic AERC's) and have most of the same constraints that we do with respect to trail quality and availability, access points, land owners, etc. I suspect that countries that are newly starting in endurance that have a long tradition of horsemanship and horse sports would probably have a different or unique 'culture' to their version. Are they incorporating programs to promote longevity and horse/rider teams - if by this you mean awards programs and record keeping? yes, many are. And they are for the most part composed of individuals that own horses, not huge stables of horses owned by a single person. This, IMO, is the root of the success of the sport, and also of it's demise (UAE-style). I can't think of a program that is being developed simply to further a goal of excelling at the WEC level. And I would like to point out that in the UAE there are also individuals with just one or two horses who care very much about the welfare of their horses, and then there is Sheikha Madiya who has a barn full of horses, but would never ever ride any of her horses beyond their ability, or sacrifice a horse for a personal goal.
I don't know of any nation other than UAE that does awards (1,2,3) immediately after the first, second and third riders finish. Some give special prizes to top ten, some to top five, etc - there is no standard on this, but they recognize all finishers. Yes, 'technical' means the same thing to others as it does to us. But you must realize that every country is limited by their natural terrain. UAE was very technical when they first started - deep sand was all they had to work with. 4. If UAE endurace style racing is not common, popular, or accepted in the rest of the world, why are we constantly bombarded with news, ride reports, articles, coverage etc. on UAE style racing. Just looking at the ridecamp archives, endurance tracks, world news, on Endurance.Net other than US news and stories from AERC riders the reports from the UAE dominate. Isn't understandable why ridecamp subscribers could have a skewed perception of endurance in the rest of the world if most of their information comes from endurance.net? I think there are a few reasons: 1. the UAE season is during most RC's winter (non-riding) months, with lots more time on the computer 2. the UAE has a very active press corp, and part of what we (Endurance.Net) do is to publish everything and anything that we can find in the online news stream. During the months of November - February, there are almost weekly news streams coming out of the UAE, and they are written in classic sports style - emphasizing winners and records, and also written in classic monarchy style - sheikhs and rulers are mentioned and glorified when possible 3. the endurance news from the UAE is in itself so foreign to most of us that it leaves a deep impression - between the money, the shieks, the speed, the vehicle crewing, etc. it's hard not to react. 4. If you go and look at the special events archive (http:// www.endurance.net/events/archive.html ) you will see lots of stuff from around the world. (the most recent entries are from the winter stint in UAE) . 5. UAE season ends this month, you won't see any more until next December! (tho you will still see FEI news, and often that includes UAE) But, Merri and I are off to Spain in a couple weeks for a 10-day ride across Andalusia. (it is not FEI sanctioned). Then Merri will do a little tour of Spain and Portugal, and I'll go to Malaysia for a new ride. (then back to Idaho in time to manage the Tough Sucker ride in Oreana :) And Alice Proust is going to post photos and results from another ride in Spain this weekend. ...And we're posting results and photos from Bahrain's big ride this weekend. so you'll get a little more desert racing news... Steph =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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