Re: Unofficial WEG team

[Teddy Lancaster <Teddy@runningbear.com>]

Carlos:

Have you ever been at an FEI event?  Have you
worked with a TEAM in endurance competition?  Have
you attended an AERC Int'l meeting?

This is why I joined, why I participate...because
of the kind of thinking you bring across.  I am
learning and trying very hard to help others to
learn about FEI and international competition.
Communication is a tough barrier. Newsletters
outside AERC News are unaffordable...meeting at
rides are impractical.  Nonetheless, it is MY JOB
to help you to understand while I learn to
understand.

There are VERY definate procedures concerning
selection.  We are a part of the USET and under
the auspices of AHSA - our National Equestrian
Federation.  Our goals, our decisions, our
procedures must be approved by AHSA.  They are
learing about endurance and we are trying to
educate them.  THEY have decades of experience in
international competition, we do not...so we are
also learning from them.

At our annual meeting (held at the AERC
Convention) we discuss OPENLY our concerns and
have always had an ASHA and a USET representative
to guide us and for us to guide.  It is a two way
street and a long climb up the ladder, but we are
MILES ahead of most of the rest of the world.

PLEASE, JOIN US!!! Come to the meeting.  In fact,
we need another zone rep. for the East.YOUR
representation to AERC Int'l come from your ZONE
REP.  I am one, the other, held my Nancy Smart is
up this year.  You have until the end of this
month to submit your nomination or find someone
who is willing to take the position who will voice
YOUR concerns.

When I junped on board, I knew NOTHING.  But, I
found a hard-working group of fellow endurance
riders who also cared about how WE look to the
rest of the world and abotu what happens to the
future of endurance riding world-wide. We share
our concerns and experiences and learn from them.

I have been in the selectors shoes.  It is NOT an
easy job.  This year we had a long list of 18 VERY
good riders and horses.  Their job was tougher
than ever.  Sure, they want to be fair and SURE,
we want a winning team.  The BIG picture is a very
big one indeed, and, like almost everything else
in life, it is easy to criticize when things don't
seem like you would like them.  BELIEVE ME, this
group is doing a great job and a thankless job.
They are DONE. NOW, we need to throw our support
at those chosen riders and horses and make them be
the best that they can be.

Teddy Lancaster


Carlos F. Crespo wrote:

>  Rick Stewart DVM  stated that: << I
> respectfully submit that you, sir, are
> commentingon a subject you know nothing
> about>> Certainly I would expect nothing less
> from theChef d' Equip for the USA Equine
> EnduranceTeam than to come to the  blind defense
> of theprocess he is such an important part of. I
> agree that I probably know little about the
> subjectbut I would ask,  Who does? Other than
> the fewcurrently running the system. The entire
> selectionprocess is based on a subjective
> criteriadependent  on personal opinions and done
> in atotally secret and unaccountable basis. Why
> is itthat the opinion of each selector is not
> made publicas well as their voting record and
> the minutes ofthe selection meeting process?So
> long as the process is carried out in the
> currentfashion without full disclosure the only
> ones"knowledgeable"  of the subject are those
> running it .Furthermore, the lack of disclosure
> limits  the"education" of the rest of the
> membership andperpetuates a status quo
> regardless of its suitabilityor acceptability by
> the membership. The main argument I hear from
> you and other selectorsis that  "there is no
> best way to select for a team" .I submit to you
> and everyone else to consider the factthat if
> there is no best way to select a team then we
> atleast choose a way that is the mostFAIR  TO
> ALL COMPETITORS.    If we are to errI would
> prefer to err on the side of fairness
> andparticipation . I can not accept the argument
> of competitors "beatingthemselves to death the
> year of competition beingabjectly opposite to
> the optimum" .This country was build on the idea
> of competition.Competition is what raises the
> level of performancein all of us and gives us
> something greater to reach for.Competition is
> what makes us great not weak.Two selected races
> are not going to break any worldclass horse
> anymore than competing in any numberof
> exhibition rides , perhaps the ill effects will
> be evenless. I personally like the Canadian idea
> of defining the team1 months in advance.
> Regardless of which method isused to define the
> team, sufficient time should be givenfor all
> members to heal, train and peak for the
> competitionand for the coaches to learn the
> strengths and weaknessesof each athlete.  With
> 11 months lead time any injury thatmay have
> occurred in the qualifying race would have
> ampletime to heal .  This is not the case with
> the current systemin which nominees are expected
> to perform demonstrationrides until the final
> selection 3 months prior to the competition. As
> for getting involved, In my view,  I am greatly
> involved bydeveloping an awareness and
> consciousness of the pitfallin the system.  I
> have received a lot of private correspondencein
> support of these views from members who agree
> but fearsubjective repercussion against them if
> they go against thesystem. I for one have
> nothing to fear so I do not mindleading the
> charge for the hearts and minds of the
> generalmembership. That is where the decision
> should ultimately lie. I  am not taking this
> time  attempting to change your believesor that
> of others defending the current process,  you
> are tooset in your opinion to accept the
> necessary changes. In closing I would like to
> borrow from the words of a famouspoet and submit
> to you and the others that.... COMPETITION
> MAKES LEGENDS .LEGENDS  IS WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE
> OF.WHEN LEGENDS DIE THERE ARE NO LONGER
> DREAMSAND WHEN  DREAMS DIE THERE IS NO
> LONGERGREATNESS... With regards and still
> sincerely wishing you success in Dubai, Carlos
> CrespoFloridaKeeping the Dream Alive