Re: "WEG" and Carlos

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

			
From a post by Mr. Truman Prevatt.

You said, 
>>I have to ask Misters Stewart and Benedetti a question.  Were post
published to Ridecamp on the selection process for the WEC your own
personal opinions or were they the opinion and official stand of the
USET/AHSA/FEI/AERC International (take your pick of alphabet soup)?<<  

Of course they weren’t, my comments were my own.  Ridecamp
is an informal forum where we can speak frankly as individuals, it is
not an official outlet for information by any of the "alphabet soup"
organizations.

>>and find the message being sent to be a very chilling
message for anyone considering competiting at on the internationallevel.<<

This one catches me completely by surprise.  Aren’t you being a bit
melodramatic here?  

>>If these were to be read as official opinions then I find the wording and
implications of these post very distrubing and very unprofessional.  If
the latter case is true I find the implicit personal attacts totally
unacceptable<<
 
In this forum, we are all consenting adults sitting around a virtual
“Ridecamp”-fire as it were (albeit a very public one) discussing differing
philosophies.  I’m sure Mr. Crespos understands there is no malice intended
nor taken and I would hope you do too.  In my opinion, both Tony Benedetti’s
post and mine were an honest effort to explain the rational for the selection
process as it now exists.  The “wording and implications” were toned down
considerably from the posts that prompted these responses.  If the tone was
“disturbing and unprofessional”,  mine was only responding to those posts
in kind.  If I had my “professional” hat on I would not participate in this
forum at all. 

It is obvious that Carlos Crespos and many others on
this forum are passionate in their opinions as am I.  That passion may
spill over into poor choice of words, "stupid" and "secret society" (not
my words) among them.  I don’t hold that against anyone, nor does anyone against
me (I assumed until now). The mere fact that Tony and I participate in a forum of 
this sort at all should be an indication of our sincere desire for these topics to be
discussed and to foster participation.  This is not what I would expect of a
 “secret society”.

I find it astounding that you can find "chilling" my rebuttals to the 
outrageous comments posted on this forum.  I must admit, however, that I have found 
myself taking these comments as a personal affront from time to time because , as anyone
who knows me will tell you, I have personally gone out of my way over the years to
 welcome anyone with new ideas or an interest in international competition to 
join and have input.  Ask Carlos.

Perhaps it is time to tone the rhetoric down a bit from all sides.  The mechanism is
in place for any of the general membership of AERC to have input to
AERC International and has been for seven years (few do).  To imply otherwise is
to admit ignorance of how "the system" is set up.  All malice aside,
I invite you and anyone else interested, to take the time to have your
opinions known to your Zone representative or, better yet, run for a 
place on the AERC International committee as Carlos has indicated he will
do.

Mr. Prevatt, many of us have put years of effort into this form of
 competition in our sport, not the least are those who served on
the selection committee.  There is a no more difficult and thankless 
job.   I continue to encourage anyone interested in international competition to 
get involved, work to change those things they don't agree with, and try to 
give those who have worked so hard for so long some credit for their
efforts.

R. K. Stewart DVM