JER
Aug. 15, 2008, 04:25 PM
From the Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2551961/Injury-hits-British-show-jumping-medal-hopes---Olympics.html):
(Note: this is an excerpt from a much longer piece on the equestrian events. I have not quoted the whole article.)
Although the eventing competition is now finished in Hong Kong, the battle between the sport's stalwarts and the bureaucracy of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), headed by the President, Princess Haya of Jordan, is rumbling on, if not gaining pace.
It began on Sunday when Mike Etherington-Smith, the cross-country course designer, said that he would have nothing more to do with the FEI when, at Princess Haya's behest, changes were made to one of the fences after the course had already been approved by the Technical Delegate, Guiseppe della Chiesa, and the Ground Jury, headed by the experienced German Martin Plewa.
Now Wayne Roycroft, a member of one of Australia's most distinguished eventing families, has threatened to resign as chairman of the Federation's eventing committee, a position he has held for eight years, as a result of his treatment here, when he was excluded from the medal presentation at the end of the championships.
Along with Etherington-Smith and della Chiesa, he missed yesterday's meeting of the FEI Safety Committee, but efforts are being made to persuade Roycroft to change his mind. And meanwhile Etherington-Smith, who was also responsible for the course for the Sydney Olympics, is still intending to design the course for the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2010.
Princess Haya, who pointed out that she was the first person ever to be elected as President of the FEI as "normally there is only one candidate" said: "It is my job to run (the Federation) more efficiently, and as far as eventing is concerned, to keep the sport in the Olympics. If I ruffle a few feathers, that's unfortunate."
In Horse & Hound (http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/265667.html), Princess Haya explains her request for last-minute changes to the XC course:
I think everyone feels the eventing went wonderfully, but there are obvious issues that we need to sort out. We don't think we've done things perfectly. I feel that it was unfortunate, but I don't think safety can be part of politics and we made the right decision at the time."
I agree with her about safety and politics; I hope the FEI can keep these two things separated, but these two reports give me serious doubts as to how well that separation will be maintained.
(Note: this is an excerpt from a much longer piece on the equestrian events. I have not quoted the whole article.)
Although the eventing competition is now finished in Hong Kong, the battle between the sport's stalwarts and the bureaucracy of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), headed by the President, Princess Haya of Jordan, is rumbling on, if not gaining pace.
It began on Sunday when Mike Etherington-Smith, the cross-country course designer, said that he would have nothing more to do with the FEI when, at Princess Haya's behest, changes were made to one of the fences after the course had already been approved by the Technical Delegate, Guiseppe della Chiesa, and the Ground Jury, headed by the experienced German Martin Plewa.
Now Wayne Roycroft, a member of one of Australia's most distinguished eventing families, has threatened to resign as chairman of the Federation's eventing committee, a position he has held for eight years, as a result of his treatment here, when he was excluded from the medal presentation at the end of the championships.
Along with Etherington-Smith and della Chiesa, he missed yesterday's meeting of the FEI Safety Committee, but efforts are being made to persuade Roycroft to change his mind. And meanwhile Etherington-Smith, who was also responsible for the course for the Sydney Olympics, is still intending to design the course for the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2010.
Princess Haya, who pointed out that she was the first person ever to be elected as President of the FEI as "normally there is only one candidate" said: "It is my job to run (the Federation) more efficiently, and as far as eventing is concerned, to keep the sport in the Olympics. If I ruffle a few feathers, that's unfortunate."
In Horse & Hound (http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/265667.html), Princess Haya explains her request for last-minute changes to the XC course:
I think everyone feels the eventing went wonderfully, but there are obvious issues that we need to sort out. We don't think we've done things perfectly. I feel that it was unfortunate, but I don't think safety can be part of politics and we made the right decision at the time."
I agree with her about safety and politics; I hope the FEI can keep these two things separated, but these two reports give me serious doubts as to how well that separation will be maintained.