[flyingchange]

Really good (of course) commentary on this issue - good timing with respect to this week's discussion here on the board.

Here's a taste:

"If you current riders are happy with the short format, that’s your choice. But, if you prefer the old, longformat formula, are you going to let some little FEI gnomes, sitting in Lausanne, Switzerland, who’ve probably never jumped a cross-country fence in their lives determine your future?" http://chronicleforums.com/images/cu...milies/lol.gif

Here's the link -

http://www.chronofhorse.com/Issues/102204/047.pdf

[flyingchange]

Really good (of course) commentary on this issue - good timing with respect to this week's discussion here on the board.

Here's a taste:

"If you current riders are happy with the short format, that’s your choice. But, if you prefer the old, longformat formula, are you going to let some little FEI gnomes, sitting in Lausanne, Switzerland, who’ve probably never jumped a cross-country fence in their lives determine your future?" http://chronicleforums.com/images/cu...milies/lol.gif

Here's the link -

http://www.chronofhorse.com/Issues/102204/047.pdf

[bambam]

Hear, hear, Denny!

[3dazey]

YOWZA! Go Denny!!! http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_c...s/icon_eek.gif http://chronicleforums.com/images/cu...milies/yes.gif http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_c...on_biggrin.gif

flyingchange, thanks so much for pointing this out...what a great article (as usual from Denny). I am SO motivated to do something, but WHAT???

[justdream2ride]

WOW! That was a very moving and motivating article. My favorite part was.........

"Do you care, or don’t you care? Because if
you do care, you better speak up now or take
what you get."

Personally I think he pretty clearly stated that if we want to save the long format we can't just complain/talk about it we've got to DO something!!

So......what can we do to make sure we are heard?

[baileygreyhorse]

Bravo Denny! I am totally sure I will NEVER ride at the level of a three day, even an Training 3 Day, but I believe 100% that it needs to stay.
So what can we do??? What can a lowly BN rider (who can't vote with her entries) do?

[VetRep]

THANK YOU, Denny! This article just says it all. Again, the question is "what can we do"?

As I've posted here before, I am sick about the changes I'm witnessing. I am so grateful I had a shot at the upper levels--I was able to grow through the *** level with a horse I bought for very little money (via an ad in the back of The Chronicle http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_c.../icon_wink.gif), competing for years on a shoestring budget. My horse was an old-school brave, willing, cross-country machine. Dressage was a challenge--he was an event horse through and through! My horse would have a much harder time today. Without A, B, and C to settle him I'm not sure we would have completed a ***. There is also NO WAY I'd be able to compete like that on a shoestring budget today. Neither can other aspiring, hard-working eventers with the way the sport is going.

It isn't progress...I find it all very sad.

[flyingchange]

Here's an idea from another lowly lower level eventer wannabe -

Agree on a t-shirt logo and have them screened up. Distribute them as soon as possible. Sell them at the convention in SF and pick a day during the convention wear everyone wears them (everyone that supports keeping ALL phases of the long format). And also wear them to your Area meetings that are coming up.

Also start a letter writing campaign to USEA board of directors (does it have a bod? I'm ashamed to say I don't even know how it is structured).

[tle]

WOW! Anyone else brought to the verge of tears by the end paragraph alone?? I certainly was.

I guarantee... this article will be seen by several hundred eventers by the end of the weekend. I'm headed down to KHP tomorrow morning to volunteer in teh vet box for teh CCI* and then to pick up some year end awards. Somewhere in the day, I plan on taking copies of this article and dropping them at every freakin' stall that looks like an eventer lives in it. The least I can do is spread the word.

Denny is right... we need to speak up because I certainly don't like where we're headed.

OK -- who is going to be at the Open Forum on Thursday at the National Convention? I just got an email notice that there will be a discussion on the long vs short format. Who can go and speak for those of us here who can't??

[LLDM]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>One is too forgiving, but the other is too unforgiving. Can we find a format that rewards the great horses and riders without destroying the weaker ones? - from the Denny Emerson article <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

SCFarm

[justdream2ride]

Ok here are some of the people that need to be written to. I'm sure I'm missing people and there are probably several that we don't need to write to - anyone care to narrow it down? Perhaps if each person writes a letter and just changes who it is addressed to and sends it to 1 person from each group - USEA, USEF, FEI?? I'm just trying to come up with ideas......


Mailing Address:
USEA, Inc.
525 Old Waterford Road, NW
Leesburg, VA 20176

Email Address:
info@useventing.com

USEA Departments and Staff

Jo Whitehouse - Executive Director
Jo@useventing.com

Judy Ottoviani - Director
Judy@useventing.com

USEF
David O'Connor doconnor@usef.org
James Wolf Director of Eventing and Games Preparation jwolf@usef.org

FEI

Ms Catrin NORINDER, Manager
c.norinder@horsesport.org

Ms Fabienne Diserens, Assistant
f.diserens@horsesport.org

Ms Diana DI CLEMENTE, Assistant
d.diclemente@horsesport.org

Mrs Nathalie DESSCAN, Assistant
n.desscan@horsesport.org


Also - would this be worth the time?

http://www.petitiononline.com/create_petition.html

[Janet]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>OK -- who is going to be at the Open Forum on Thursday at the National Convention? I just got an email notice that there will be a discussion on the long vs short format. Who can go and speak for those of us here who can't?? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I should be there- my flight arrives mid-day on Thursday.

[tle]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by justdream2ride:
Also - would this be worth the time?

http://www.petitiononline.com/create_petition.html <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Working on that now. But have to run to a chiro appointment... will have it up and running after lunch. Worth the time? Certainly can't hurt.

[justdream2ride]

THANKS tle!

[3dazey]

GO JANET!!! Do you feel like being a "spokeswoman" for those of us who can't be there?

[rebeginner]

If we have a spokesperson, be sure to include the views of us lowly lower-level-will-never-ride-a-3DE riders. Like Baileygreyhorse, I will likely never have the opportunity to ride phases A,B,C and D. However, I would like to ASPIRE to ride them. I DO NOT aspire to ride the short format. That's not the sport I signed up to dream about! Is there a place for our voice, too?

[Spiritwind]

Denny, very well put!!!! Wooohoooo!!

I am a low level eventer who started in the early 90's and will never compete above training level.

I had the luck to be able to see a full three day event in progress at Ledyard. It was an awesome sight to see those "tough, fire breathing" T-breds performing at dressage, all phases of roads and tracks, and then the stadium jumping. It was something I will never forget and something extra special.

It would be a shame and very sad to have the essence and tradition of eventing "snuffed out".

[tle]

Ok, before I do this I want to make sure my thoughts are reflected with everyone here. Once the petition starts, we can't change the statement. I was thinking of the following... does it sound ok?

We believe that the sport of Eventing needs to be preserved in the traditional format -- where Roads & Tracks and Steeplechase are part of the Cross Country Day of the sport (CCI-long format). We believe it is NOT to the benefit of the sport to change the format to the CCI-short format. We believe the governing body of the sport (the FEI) have the burden of proof to show that the popular rhetoric "it is better for the horses" is true and valid as a reason for the change to the CCI-short format. We, as participants at all levels and in all manners from volunteer to judge to rider to owner to sponsor, feel it is our right to demand such proof PRIOR to the governing body's making sweeping changes to our sport.

[Lionheart]

Go get 'em Denny! I LOVE THAT MAN! Thank god he said it. If only there was a way we could hook up with him as our spokes person! Not that Janet wont do a fine job.

I do aspire to do a star'd event some day. I have a great up and coming horse that should be able to do it all (as long as my pocketbook can keep up). I have dreams and aspirations to get beyond the BN and Novice that i've been doing my whole eventing career with Lion. I dont want my dream to get changed by some "little FEI gnomes" sitting in Europe. If I chose to change my dream, fine, but someone cant change my dream for me!

[lizathenag]

calling them "gnomes" won't help!