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[RC] FEI/AERC rides - Lynn White

I always liked going to the Owyhee AERC/FEI rides.? I liked seeing all the 
really top notch horses. There was a whole different atmosphere to the ride.? I 
enjoyed meeting different people and watching how the horses were put together 
and how they moved down the trail.? There is always something to learn at any 
ride and the FEI rides provide something too.? Personally, double sanctioning 
would not be a reason for me to avoid a ride event. 

That being said, I would not want a steady diet of FEI-like rules and protocol. 
One ride like that every two years or so is quite enough, thank you very much.

Be aware that if your horse so much as coughs before you load him to go to one 
of these rides you better just call it a weekend and find some chore that needs 
to be done at home.? The visual of having 10-15 angry FEI riders pummelling you 
to death is not a pretty one.

As for fees, attending the double sanctioned rides were a little more spendy as 
an AERC rider, but it wasn't something that I found cost prohibitive.?The extra 
$50 could easily be spent on gas going to a ride further away.  Usually it just 
meant that the awards were going to be a little fancier and/or the catered food 
was going to include shrimp on the menu.  If a ride fee gets to the point of 
being more than I can spend, I don't go and I  end up finding new trail 
somewhere for free for that weekend. If ride fees get to where people can't 
afford to participate then I guess that will be the end of AERC as we know it. 
I think most ride managers pretty much know this.

All you have to actually do at the double sanctioned FEI rides is just pay 
extra attention at the vet checks.  They are not nearly as laid back as AERC 
vet checks.  FEI officials have a lot on their mind and they can get a little 
testy.? ??But deep down they know that if it wasn't for the double sanctioning 
there would be very few, if any FEI rides in North America.

When at double sanctioned rides just wear a really obnoxious flowerdy shirt 
with NO COLLAR.? That way you can be distinquished from the FEI riders.

If some FEI official rudely barks at me I don't have to put up with it.? I just 
hand them the reins of my horse so I can move my stuff and politely remind them 
that I am AERC and I don't have a platoon of crew.  This has happened once to 
me. On the whole the FEI officials have been rather helpful.  Remember that FEI 
officails are not the end-all of endurance knowledge.? Nobody is.  They are 
just there to enforce FEI rules. 

Anyone who even considers managing an AERC/FEI ride MUST have the skin of a 
Rhinocerous.  If you think AERC riders can be anal and picky, they are probably 
minor in comparison to the FEI world.  Putting on a double sanctioned ride is 
like building a home with several contractors while using English and Metric 
units and having the contractors speaking differing languages.  Think about 
that. 

I don't know if I'd embark on being an FEI rider even if I had a talented horse 
and I was able to become a less timid rider.  It sounds like the recent changes 
have not been for the better or are ones that make it possible for people of 
limited means to participate.  That is unfortunate, because there is a lot of 
talent out there.


Lynn







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