I am so tired of whiny, rich horse [people] complaining about WEG

[skydy]

@Tackpud

Instead of everyone complaining about the “terrible planning” and lack of foresight, how about you step up and host these games the next time they come around? Or at least tell the FEI where the perfect place to have them is and how to host them on a last minute notice schedule.

Because, obviously “everyone” here is not a massive commercial entity that could commit to host an international event. This was hardly a charity gesture on Mr. Bellissimo’s part.

Apparently he thought that his company could manage and host the WEG successfully, make the U.S. look good (and no doubt profit from it). I think that he and his associates miscalculated.

Of course the company may still profit. Business on that level can be profitable even if only as a write off.

I don’t know. It just seems silly to say that if you don’t like how a huge corporation manages an international competition that you should do it yourself.

[Sannois]

Wow, all I can say is after watching that drone birds eyeview of the course, it looks huge, and long and maxed out.
And if folks had as good a rides as I have read here, no major spills then it is all good. Too bad I am too cheap to subscribe to FEI TV I would have like to have watched Ingrids Ride.

[Palm_Beach]

@Tiramit

No, that is not true in my policy’s case. I called and specifically asked about event tickets for this policy. Fully covered. This was through World Nomads. My entire trip is covered if I can’t make it (per their list, major weather being one), my tickets if the event is cancelled (again, weather being an acceptable cause), my rental car if someone hits it, or any of a long list of things that would require my being reimbursed. I chose their top policy and it was $70 per person.

Curious - what company issued the policy? I had no idea trip insurance was so cheap, and we do occasionally take vacations that would make trip insurance sensible.

Generally speaking - always read the policy to see what it covers. As posted above, it seems that different “trip insurance” policies cover different things.

[DownYonder]

@buschkn

This is very good to know, thanks! I am not sure why people think TIEC owes a refund for a hurricane. I am going to be out about $2500 if I can’t make it this week and that really sucks. That being said, it is not anyone’s FAULT that the weather went to shit and I may or may not be able to get there. I am so sick of the American victim mentality. It is always someone’s fault and you are owed something, call the lawyers. Sometimes sh*% just happens and that is life. It’s not WEG’s fault that Florence showed up. It’s not Wal-Mart’s fault that you ventured out in an ice storm and broke your ankle. Etc etc. Everyone please stop complaining. If you don’t think the world needs a WEG, don’t go! I LOVE the idea and am very excited to go and had an awesome time in 2010. I will understand if they stop doing it, as it is very expensive and difficult to pull off, but I think it is a fabulous showcase of top talent and a great way to enjoy the best of the best and learn about other disciplines. Negative Nancy’s are welcome to stay home and complain on their keyboards. I hope to make it there and plan to have a fabulous time. Life, including the WEG, is what you make it!

Great post, Buschkn! The mentality of the entitled class is beyond me.

[Tiramit]

@Palm Beach

Curious - what company issued the policy? I had no idea trip insurance was so cheap, and we do occasionally take vacations that would make trip insurance sensible.

Generally speaking - always read the policy to see what it covers. As posted above, it seems that different “trip insurance” policies cover different things.

World Nomads. We’ve used them for most of our international trips and I was pleased to find they’d cover domestic travel. It took, oh, 10 minutes to purchase and be issued the policy? Easy.

[M_al]

Well, as a follower of a non-Olympic sport - WEG is an amazing experience because we get to rub shoulders with the ‘big guys’. Don’t get me wrong, world championships are great and we fully expect to be participating in the next 4 years.

​​​​​​My extended family lives on the coast and in Raleigh. (To clarify, I am in Denver.) The coast is flooded. Raleigh is soggy. We are flying in today to Charlotte and driving over … forecast is sunny and seasonal. Videos coming on Snapchat of our friends riding up the paths to the outdoor (the same path that one team sailed their air mattress up with the vaulters on it) show the path to have dried out nicely.

We wouldn’t travel as spectators off north america (just due to cost) so we are thankful for the effort here! I guess my point here is to interject a little non doom’n’gloom from a non-rich (but mostly still a b*** ) crazy person, lol.

[gottagrey]

From some of the conversations I’ve had, it seems as though some made or wanted to make this about Bellismo (did they want him to fail?) vs. OMG this is so wonderful to have the WEG in the US and doable to go to. Had dinner with friends a few nights ago and there was general complaining about WEG in Tryon. 1) middle of hurricane season; me Uh it’s 300 miles away from the coast, who knew 2 years ago a massive hurricane would travel so far inland? 2) crazy they didn’t have enough time to prepare, should’ve had it in Lexington. my Response: Bromont pulled out (they ask 'Bronmont what’s that, i explain) I also explain Lexington did not want to rebid to host. So in my experience many of the naysayers were not fully informed of what many of the starting issues with WEG were.

[NCRider]

@Tiramit

World Nomads. We’ve used them for most of our international trips and I was pleased to find they’d cover domestic travel. It took, oh, 10 minutes to purchase and be issued the policy? Easy.

I make it a point to never brag about a trip insurance policy unless I’ve actually had to make a claim and experience their claims process. If you look at online reviews it seems that industry standard is to avoid paying claims if at all possible and to try to wait out the customer until they give up.
At a minimum, trust only what the policy says not what the agent promises.

[Tiramit]

I’m so tired of the weather bitching and facility complaints. I don’t get the point of all this negativity? For those complaining, is it to make yourselves feel superior for not going or are you trying to kill off the Games completely?

Yes, it’s hot, but gosh, it was hot in Kentucky and at the Atlanta and Los Angeles Olympics as well. Atlanta in the summer? Yeesh. Major hurricane disruptions are not the norm for Tryon. Had the storm shifted a little it could have easily dumped much more water on Washington DC, not a typical Hurricane zone.

The facilities aren’t complete. Shocker. It’s rained heavily up and down the East Coast all year causing construction delays everywhere, including my own farm. It’s been a crappy year for trying to build anything outside. Add to that a booming construction industry and finding workers on dry days has been a serious challenge. I have friends who have been waiting (and waiting) for crews to show up. I waited 6 months past a promised date. The TIEC had a ridiculously short timeline that would have required everything to go right for them to have had a 100% perfect facility. Mother Nature had other plans.

What I have seen from the people who are there is that the competition has been fantastic, the main part of the facility is incredible with dream footing and the staff and volunteers are eager and helpful. Spectator creature comforts have been addressed and issues are being resolved overnight. The Expo is fine and well attended, despite the weather. The horses, the most important part of the equation, are nicely stabled and didn’t experience a drop of flooding, again, despite the storm.

The dressage riders and their flight crew cancelled the freestyle, not the facility managers. The endurance riders had their issues long before the WEG.

How about we give the incessant bitching and nitpicking a rest and enjoy the amazing competition going on in the USA, ok?

[Tiramit]

@NCRider

I make it a point to never brag about a trip insurance policy unless I’ve actually had to make a claim and experience their claims process. If you look at online reviews it seems that industry standard is to avoid paying claims if at all possible and to try to wait out the customer until they give up.
At a minimum, trust only what the policy says not what the agent promises.

I wasn’t bragging, I was passing along information. But thank you, I can read and did confirm.

[MHM]

@M'al

(the same path that one team sailed their air mattress up with the vaulters on it)

Wait, what? Is there a video??

[RPM]

@skydy

I think the footing is also an issue? They are going to have a lot of rain and they can’t have the dressage on the indoor reining footing.

Why can’t they? Are dressage horses really such speshul sNOflakes? Or are their riders? What about the dressage horses and riders who have performed demos with reiners? In the same indoor, on the same footing, at the same time?

[anotherera]

@Tiramit

I’m so tired of the weather bitching and facility complaints. I don’t get the point of all this negativity? For those complaining, is it to make yourselves feel superior for not going or are you trying to kill off the Games completely?

Yes, it’s hot, but gosh, it was hot in Kentucky and at the Atlanta and Los Angeles Olympics as well. Atlanta in the summer? Yeesh. Major hurricane disruptions are not the norm for Tryon. Had the storm shifted a little it could have easily dumped much more water on Washington DC, not a typical Hurricane zone.

The facilities aren’t complete. Shocker. It’s rained heavily up and down the East Coast all year causing construction delays everywhere, including my own farm. It’s been a crappy year for trying to build anything outside. Add to that a booming construction industry and finding workers on dry days has been a serious challenge. I have friends who have been waiting (and waiting) for crews to show up. I waited 6 months past a promised date. The TIEC had a ridiculously short timeline that would have required everything to go right for them to have had a 100% perfect facility. Mother Nature had other plans.

What I have seen from the people who are there is that the competition has been fantastic, the main part of the facility is incredible with dream footing and the staff and volunteers are eager and helpful. Spectator creature comforts have been addressed and issues are being resolved overnight. The Expo is fine and well attended, despite the weather. The horses, the most important part of the equation, are nicely stabled and didn’t experience a drop of flooding, again, despite the storm.

The dressage riders and their flight crew cancelled the freestyle, not the facility managers. The endurance riders had their issues long before the WEG.

How about we give the incessant bitching and nitpicking a rest and enjoy the amazing competition going on in the USA, ok?

There is NO comparison between the heat/humidity in Atlanta and the dry heat in Los Angeles. I’ve lived in both states. Georgia summers are miserable at best!

[ladyj79]

@RPM

Why can’t they? Are dressage horses really such speshul sNOflakes? Or are their riders? What about the dressage horses and riders who have performed demos with reiners? In the same indoor, on the same footing, at the same time?

No. Also wtf.

[fair_judy]

I cruised through most of this thread and did not see one mention of the obvious. CLIMATE CHANGE, folks. We can sit here and say a hundred more times that this RARELY happens… this is our new reality. YES they should have cancelled the events. I personally found the minimizing of the impact of this storm by management to be the most egregious. Hell, I have seen people using blow up kayaks to get around in the tents at WEF and the show still goes on because… no refund if the show doesn’t cancel the schedule. That, ladies and gents, is GREED. It is darn lucky that the call to cancel wasn’t entirely up to Bellissimo.

[Tackpud]

@skydy

Because, obviously “everyone” here is not a massive commercial entity that could commit to host an international event. This was hardly a charity gesture on Mr. Bellissimo’s part.

Apparently he thought that his company could manage and host the WEG successfully, make the U.S. look good (and no doubt profit from it). I think that he and his associates miscalculated.

Of course the company may still profit. Business on that level can be profitable even if only as a write off.

I don’t know. It just seems silly to say that if you don’t like how a huge corporation manages an international competition that you should do it yourself.

Well everyone here seems to feel they could do it better - or at least that’s what they’re intimating by bashing what’s been happening. All I ask is that they step up and either volunteer to help run it next time, or do it themselves since they seem to know better.

[BigDarnHorse]

RPM, this was on another WEG thread.

@fordtraktor

The reiners can wear boots and most do. They are usually some variant of a SMB type boot. and many wear bells or a combination boot for overreaches.

Reining horses need the deeper footing to slide. Jumpers and dressage horses don’t want to slide…thus totally different footing is appropriate. It also tends to be rounder sand where sand for English events is angular. If the footing is too grabby it is really hard on their hocks. Reining is hard on hocks to start with.

[MHM]

@fair judy

Hell, I have seen people using blow up kayaks to get around in the tents at WEF…

Really? I’ve never seen that, although I’m rarely near the tents. I have to wonder who packs a kayak for a horse show. :lol:

[fordtraktor]

@fair judy

I cruised through most of this thread and did not see one mention of the obvious. CLIMATE CHANGE, folks. We can sit here and say a hundred more times that this RARELY happens… this is our new reality. YES they should have cancelled the events. I personally found the minimizing of the impact of this storm by management to be the most egregious. Hell, I have seen people using blow up kayaks to get around in the tents at WEF and the show still goes on because… no refund if the show doesn’t cancel the schedule. That, ladies and gents, is GREED. It is darn lucky that the call to cancel wasn’t entirely up to Bellissimo.

Why should they have cancelled the events? The footing on XC held up perfectly, the jumping today didn’t have a puddle in sight, the horses did great…I am just puzzled as to why cancelling would have been better. Canceling would also have many long term repercussions including a lack of traditional means of qualifying teams for Tokyo.

[AffirmedHope]

@MHM

Really? I’ve never seen that, although I’m rarely near the tents. I have to wonder who packs a kayak for a horse show. :lol:

I’ve seen them cancel for the weather more than once down at WEF. They always have rain cancellations on the ESP WEF website throughout the season which shows the updated schedule for the next day. The 2017 series had a lot of them actually. Hell, they even rescheduled the big $500,000 Grand Prix in week 12 from the SNL to the next morning one year because of the rain!