Rather silly thing for them to say, since every high level Eventer has to take “personal responsibility” for many things at the International level. Seems as if those that wanted his help got it.
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I don’t think it’s bad form. Other sports followers discuss these things publicly frequently.
Plus they give us nothing to go on so chatter is to be expected 
I say post as a guess, if you feel comfortable.
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From Moroney quote:
Someone help me. Someone with an advanced degree in English, perhaps?
“team culture” at Aachen and Boekelo
- it was established
- BUT it was not present
- BUT it was praised
Interpretations?
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You’ve got me. Makes no sense whatsoever. Perhaps that bizarre sentence is understood only by the people who actually know what happened.
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So from this point forward, when Moroney says “personal responsibility”, I will read it as “spend your own money because we aren’t paying for that”. Whatever “that” turns out to be.
It seems initial takes are that this refers to training/ instruction/ coaching.
But “personal responsibility” is yet another phrase that can refer to anything. It can be expanded to include training/coaching and other things. Taking on one’s own cost for … what else? travel? horse transport? other things now provided by the team?
This is an assumption, not a documented fact: If it does mean “spend your own money”, this hardens the barrier keeping riders with less access to funds out of the team pipeline. If the best riders (or potentially the best riders) have to find significantly more money to set the team as a goal, that will definitely narrow the candidate field even further than now.
This has been one of the biggest hurdles for the American team anyway - riders having enough funding to keep the ship afloat while the rider points toward the team. There are reasonable theories that an overall lack of adequate funding for riders, that is, not having the grants available to other-nation team riders, is a factor keeping the American team from medals.
Combined with the theory above that the firing of Duvander and Autry may have been done to reduce the overall budget, then “personal responsibility” may have at its core a very deep tightening of the budget. If that’s the case, the best thing Moroney could do is say so. And explain why.
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Such a strange statement. Do they mean the last part as a general statement… as in the Eventing scene praises that?
Didn’t they have a great showing at Aachen?
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yeah I think they did well at Aachen, and Boekelo. And I thought I saw a photo of Erik At Aachen.
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I deleted my first response because I was too finger pointy at someone who I undoubtedly speculate was involve in this decision, but have no proof.
I am making a huge inference here, but I think there is a lot of personal conflict between some of our top eventers that has existed for awhile.
Eventing is often praised for having a strong camaraderie between its participants. I think you see that in action at every event around the country from BN through advanced.
Yet this is not the first time I have heard a vague comment about our team riders not having each others’ backs.
Max Corcoran made it one the goals of her USEA presidency to improve camaraderie. She talked about this in an MLE Podcast.
I think it’s no secret the eventers of southeastern PA and the the eventers who came through the OC program are two distinct cohorts. Those cohorts have a ton of camaradarie among their own, but give the appearance of being kind of exclusive to everyone else (that doesn’t mean they are actively being exclusive, any time you have a tight knit group it’s easy to appear exclusive). I think you have several other people doing their own thing. When Moroney talked about some riders taking “personal responsibility,” I kind of felt like he was referring to all those people doing their own thing.
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I’m wondering if he meant something more like this:
"… to establish a team culture at Aachen and Boekelo that was not present beforehand but that is prized by the eventing community.”
If so, it’s a shame he didn’t put it that way.
Full disclosure: I don’t have an advanced degree in English (undergraduate degree) but I have been a professional writer for 40+ years.
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I see Tami Smith posted she’s riding with Duvander today.
So they are still working together 
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I’m not trying to defend him, because I think the decision to fire Duvander and then set up a committee to figure out what to do is ridiculous. However, I think the quote is from oral remarks he made at the convention and not a written statement he provided. It seems quite possible he just misspoke or left out a word.
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but he has had plenty of time to clean it up and I don’t believe he has done so.
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So were ED and company pushing too hard for more money being spent on the team riders/finding team riders?
Proof, as usual, that the riders will once again (and I am in agreement with this) choose the steps to maintain their forward momentum.
Imagine how novel of a concept it would if the NGB would actually support our athletes.
I know…insane.
What am I thinking?
Em
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Membership organisation: not ‘them’ but ‘us’.
Yeah, look at what they are doing in the UK. Huge movement for the grass roots riders. They get to compete at Badminton even.
I’m Canada we can’t even get Provincial championships 
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You Canadians simmer down now!!!
Next thing you know EC will devise new registration, qualifying and appearance measures. Just to, you know, give you more to do so you don’t focus on them.
LOL
Em
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If only you hadn’t hit the nail right on the head…
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Those with Ride IQ - check out the Podcast with Sinead and Max Crocoran. A LOT of info about this whole thing in there, and actually it makes sense.
Basically seems like there might have been some favoritism while also expecting too much hand holding and $$ help.
Aside from that it was a really interesting conversation. Worth the free trial of RideIQ for sure, but also recommend subscribing.
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