Show Me the Money

[Howard4567@aol.com]

Well, I received my June issue of Endurance News today.  Ya'll probably got 
yours at the beginning of the month like you should; for some reason I'm 
lucky to get it before the month is over.  

Anyway, the President's Message contained the following paragraph:

"The creation of the FEI/UAE World Masters was announced.  This series will 
consist of three events (one in Australia, one in Europe and one in USA) and 
will start in 2001.  Any rider winning all three rides will earn a prize 
purse of one million U.S. dollars."

Notice how FEI & UAE are kind of combined, as one entity here.  That should 
tell you something.  And, gee, I wonder who's gonna cough up the million 
bucks, if some rider can actually achieve such a feat?

Now, granted, the odds of one rider being able to win all three are probably 
quite astronomical, but this money thing is one of the biggest reasons why I 
dislike FEI and the Sultans of Swing like I do.  I'm sure Wolfgang can 
explain it to me in a way I can understand, but doesn't this just sound like 
WAVE MONEY IN THEIR FACE and they'll do whatever you desire?  To me, it does. 
 And I can't see this being good at all for the horse.

Big monetary awards and incentives remind me of two things.  1) The Show Ring
2) Thoroughbred and Standardbred horse racing.

I'm sure there are good things about both, but, to me, endurance always stood 
above those others.  Now, with money, this one entity plans on making 
endurance a money sport just like the other two.  We're on a journey here, 
and Sheik Mohammed is leading us down the trail.  If it's not stopped soon, 
the ride will be over, no turning back. We're on the road to the Olympics and 
professional sport.  There used to be a time when you could separate the two; 
the Olympics used to mean amateur.  That time has come and gone.  Show them 
the money and things will never be the same.

cya,
Howard (it never ceases to amaze me how Endurance News validates concerns 
discussed here on Ridecamp)