Do you really think you're being 'chastised' because other people 'think different'? Seems to me that you sent in a kind of sneery-ass sarcastic dig about the work involved in competing at the WEC, and people tried to tell you what it's actually like, in a non-sneery-ass, unsarcastic kind of way. If someone who's ever been to, or is actually at, a WEC, writes in to explain just how much work is involved in participating, they're not "thinking different" - they're not expressing an opinion at all; they're just trying to be factual.
It would be great, just now and then, to read a letter from an FEI-basher that acknowledged they'd been inaccurate or unfair from a position of ignorance, but it never seems to happen. You can shower whatever contumely you like on international riders, even your own national team at the World Championships, and if you are corrected on a point of fact, just dismiss the whole thing as a matter of opinion - ?or say nothing.?
Recent examples include rehydration
FEIBashers: ?"Make no mistake", this is just a inhumane fast-track way of preparing horses for competition, ?we must disassociate AERC etc etc
Jim Bryant: There are sound veterinary reasons for rehydrating horses after arduous travel, and here they are
FEIBs: (silence)
An awful lot of this sort of stuff goes unremarked on RC, and other forums; unfounded criticisms, spurious gossip and lame jibes against the international scene, often from people who have no significant experience of what they are talking about. ?But if you have genuine objections to something, wouldn't it be more productive to outline them clearly? That way it would be easier to understand what you and others are so cross about. By the same token, you could be prepared to stand to be corrected. That way it would seem that you are actually interested in the truth of the matter. ?As it is these letters come across as knee-jerk responses; not clever, not funny, not serious contributions to whatever debate there might be - which is the biggest shame. I think that's what Angie wanted you to give them a break from - not a break as in tax relief or sponsorship or a reduced sentence but a break from being sneered at from the corner.
Incidentally, I can't find where anyone mentioned "sacrifices". Hard work, dedication, committment, yes.?If I missed it, my bad, but, you know, it's disingenuous to go and make comparisons out of context. There are lots of things that require more of the above than riding our horses at whatever level.?
