Re: "WEG" and Carlos

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From: R. K. Stewart 
Email: rk-ld.stewart@usa.net

  
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Carlos,
You said:

>>Rick Stewart DVM  stated that:
 
<< I respectfully submit that you, sir, are commenting
on a subject you know nothing about>>

Certainly I would expect nothing less from the 
Chef d' Equip for the USA Equine Endurance
Team than to come to the  blind defense of the 
process he is such an important part of.<<

Blind defense, eh?  How about blind criticism.  You could not have made my point for 
me any better.  If you knew anything about selection, you would know that I have 
 absolutely nothing to do with it.

When AERC International adopted formal procedures in 1991, the Chef d' Equipe was 
also Selection Chairman.  As the Chef in 1992, I was the first to work under the new 
rules, and the very first thing I did was delegate the Selection Chair job to someone else 
(Pete Fields).


My feeling then and now is that the Chef is the rider's advocate and that role is
 incompatible with the inherent conflicts  involved in selecting one competitor over 
another.  In short, I could not be impartial to each member of my future squad if I was 
involved in selection.  Prior to 1992, the Chef was de facto Selection Chair and did 
participate in the process.  The separating of Selection Chair and Chef's job was 
formalized in the first revision of the International Procedures in 1993.

 
>>I agree that I probably know little about the subject 
but I would ask,  Who does?<<

The Selection Procedures are public knowledge and are even published on the USET 
website.
 
>>I personally like the Canadian idea of defining the team 
1 months in advance.<<

I assume you mean 11 months.

>>  Regardless of which method is 

used to define the team, sufficient time should be given 
for all members to heal, train and peak for the competition 
and for the coaches to learn the strengths and weaknesses 
of each athlete.  With 11 months lead time any injury that 
may have occurred in the qualifying race would have ample
time to heal .  This is not the case with the current system
in which nominees are expected to perform demonstration
rides until the final selection 3 months prior to the competition.<<

Correct me if I am wrong, but in your last post you advocated a “shootout” in the year of 
competition.  You said that previous years’ records were by and large irrelevant.  Now 
you think selection should be earlier.  Well, surprise surprise, I agree with you.  Not 
only do I not have anything to do with selection, but I don’t happen to agree with every 
part of the process either.  I, however, made a point to learn how to have input into the 
process and have done so in the past.  You have not.

>>I have received a lot of private correspondence
in support of these views from members who agree but fear
subjective repercussion against them if they go against the
system.<<

I’ve heard this for years.  All I can say is this has absolutely no basis in fact.  I defy
 anyone to bring forward an example of such abuse in the past or present.  NO ONE is
 considered or not considered based on their opinion of the selection criteria (or the their 
opinion of the selectors for that matter!!).  The selection committee is not even named
 until the year before the competition.  How can anyone offend the selection committee 
if you don’t have one yet?  As to “the system”, that makes this process seem permanent.
  It is not.  It can be changed.  Do you know that there is no “system” for the Zones to 
select teams for the North American or Pan Am Championships?  It was set up that way 
to encourage innovation and new selection methods to see how they work at the Zone
 level.  If there is a new method that works at that level, I think it should be evaluated 
for national selection through due process.


I’ve received  private correspondence too, in support of my view.  I think they are not 
posted because people don’t like to get caught in the cross fire, which is understandable.
 
>>I  am not taking this time  attempting to change your believes
or that of others defending the current process,  you are too
set in your opinion to accept the necessary changes.<<

Untrue.  As I have said, there is much about the present system that I don’t like (and
Tony Benedetti knows it!!).  But I am willing to work within our democratic system to
 get my opinions known.  Are you?

 
>>In closing I would like to borrow from the words of a famous
poet 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 DREAMS 
AND WHEN  DREAMS DIE THERE IS NO LONGER 
GREATNESS...<<

Of all the years to be critical of the selection process, I think you picked the wrong one. 
 On the squad we have two World Champions,  a Pan American Champion, a couple of 
ROC winners, a Haggin Cup winner and at least three (probably more) who are capable 
of sub 9 hour hundreds (they did them this year).  This is, in my opinion, the strongest 
team we have EVER sent to a competition.  That goes for our entire alternate list as 
well.

 
>>With regards and still sincerely wishing you success in Dubai,
 
Carlos Crespo
Florida
Keeping the Dream Alive<<

On behalf of the team, I thank you very much.

Regards,

R. K. Stewart DVM
Chef d’ Equipe 
USA Equine Endurance Team