I’ve been eventing for over 20 years and I have not ever heard anyone in the eventing community, professional ornotherwise, refer to someone else as a “smurf.”
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If you type Smurf in the search function on this forum you will see many many threads where people use the term in the eventing forum.
You do like your sheltered New England life don’t you?
@lorilu thank you for the post for those of us reading along.
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Pluvinel, thank you very much for the Smurf definition. I am also a “Dressage” person and never had heard of it referring to the “regular” people. Thoroughly enjoyed it!! 
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Thanks Denali…the Search function yields the following series of threads …including on offering a definition for “smurf”…for those who don’t frequent the Eventing Forum
https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/s…%7D&btnSubmit=
Thanks @lorilu…I am still interested if any other of the attendees could share any “back stories” of how the discussions (formal and informal) went down…and if there were any insights on who/why the rule change was introduced. The USDF is not an anonymous body…people drive these actions…so WHO was behind the rule change and WHY?
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What people say in real life and what they say on the internet are obviously quite different. Some of us do spend time doing other things where people speak to and about each other face to face.
What some Internet forum members use as a derogatory term doesn’t necessarily translate to real life - like most people who try to repeat a phrase where “you had to be there.”
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S’Truth. And it’s why I have the signature line that I do.
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You’ve been living under a rock.
there has been an entire movement over the term smurf lol
Eventers DO wear it proudly 
like taking on a nickname meant as an insult so the caller gets no joy 
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The COTH has an article reporting on the freestyle rule controversy at the convention…below is a short extract.
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/freestyle-rule-causes-controversy-and-confusion-at-usdf-convention?fbclid=IwAR1T_IFT8c1kibBVetkAfTEZYFl9hyEHAc4gme92ANBJEMKLJKQoimJiYgo
Several BOG members stood up to express displeasure with the process.
“I think the bar should be raised,” said Barbara Cadwell. "I think 63 percent is appropriate. However, that’s not the issue before us. The issue is, ‘Was it appropriately implemented?’ Any discussion of, ‘Should it be raised? How much should it be raised? Should it be raised for adult amateurs?’ That’s not appropriate right now. The issue is, ‘What is the USDF?’ It’s not the Judge’s Committee. The Freestyle Committee is not the USDF. The USDF Executive Board is not the USDF. It is a creature of this group. I believe this was inappropriately implemented.
…
Though the USDF release stated the change would affect 9 percent of competitors, at all levels, from training to Grand Prix, some noted it would unfairly impact certain groups.
“We’re a club of less than 75 people. Most are nobodies. These are people for whom a $1,000 horse is a big purchase; a $7,000 horse is an extravagance,” said Jane Marie Law of Cayuga Dressage & Combined Training in New York. "They breed horses in their backyards. We have one [USDF] gold medal recipient.
“The problem is this rule may only affect 10 percent of people, and it may not affect many at all, and maybe a raise in score is appropriate,” she continued. “But that 10 percent disproportionally affects poor, rural clubs like mine. The process here was a travesty. My club does pay attention. This came out of nowhere to people.”
…
As for what happens next? No one is quite sure. First the USDF BOG request will go back to the USEF Dressage Sport Committee for consideration.
“They can either approve it and move it forward as a rule change proposal, which, if they do it as a regular rule change, can take up to two years because of the process,” said outgoing USDF President George Williams, who also noted the group could consider it as another extraordinary rule change, which would take less time. "But the rule is in place, and it could be forever, or it could be for two years. None of us really know how it would be handled. This has never happened before. It may be it serves as a slap on the wrist to say, ‘Don’t do this again.’ "
As for now, the new rule stands.
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As it was passed as an “extraordinary” rule change, I have no doubt that it’s possible to change it back as an “extraordinary” rule change.
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good smurfy thread about smurf status:
https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/f…-the-bog/page4
Including the existential question of, if you elect a smurf to the BOG, does that instantly revoke status as a smurf, or do we need a listing of smurf-emeriti?
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If you believe that…Let me tell you about this bridge I have for sale in Brooklyn…
She didn’t say it will be. She said it’s possible. It’s absolutely possible!
Absolutely possible. It’s the right thing to do…not saying that’s what will happen ;). But it should.
Yes this!
And with all this uproar about the freestyle qualification they raised the membership fee without anybody even noticing…
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There has been A LOT of discussion (at least a year) and notice to the GMO’s that the fee increase has been in the 2019 budget. It was noticed and accepted because it wasn’t pushed through using the “extraordinary rule change” as attempted by the FS Committee. Big difference between the two items.
Not correct. We all heard about it well in advance. It went out to the GMO officers on the GMO Officer facebook page at least. I discussed it with my GMO leadership. For perspective, it is the first fee raise in 10 years. It’s $4/year. That is less than the price of a Starbucks coffee per year. Additionally, there are new GMO programs coming - new educational programs (there are now 4 downloadable “point and shoot” programs available to GMOs) and they are working on a Schooling Show Award program. The entire Education section of the website is undergoing expansion and changes.
If you think your PM delegate (I am one of them, BTW, for Region 3) are not doing our jobs, let me say that I got NO emails or other communication from ANY member re: the freestyle rule or the membership fee increase. Other regions had lots of member participation. I DID read comments here and of course spoke to friends and GMO members.
I would also invite you to run for PM delegate next year , or offer to carry your GMOs vote to the Convention next year. It’s in Savannah - it will be quite fun!
(in other words, I would like to invite everyone to put your money where your mouth is and get involved. )
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Well my GMO did hopefully not give you the right to carry our GMO vote. We talked about it and I asked them not to… I was told somebody else would get to handle our vote… And I don’t assume it would even make sense to run for PM delegate next year. My personal chances are less then zero… Big organizations know exactly how to run themselves …You are simply using the convenient phrases to shut up unwanted people. I have been through this in the past and I know how it works.
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So, if you don’t have money to spend attending the convention, you don’t have the right to an opinion? This is a membership organization, we all pay our dues - most of us can’t AFFORD to also attend the convention. So, essentially, if this is the only place we can be “heard”, that further limits the input to those with a lot of disposable income, you do realize that?
I’ve been asked to be PM Delegate before, and I had to turn it down because - my GMO does not pay for the PM Delegates convention costs, and the financial output ends up being $2k to $3K - for many, many members, that is our entire show and training budget for the year! So, we don’t deserve to be heard?
Many of us on this board are very involved - I am a chapter chair in my GMO (which is essentially running a subset of the GMO, since we are so huge, we are broken down into regional chapters - each chapter has to raise their own money without charging dues, put on their own educational events, run shows if they choose, run their own awards programs, etc). I’ve run an L Program, a Judge’s Training Program, multiple mounted and unmounted educational events, hosted regional shows, am in the process of putting together a big educational symposium - no one can accuse me (or many others on COTH) of NOT being involved.
But - I have zero say in what USDF chooses to do, and honestly, I don’t feel like I get my money’s worth from them… $110/year for what? All Breeds Award (funded by my registry, not by USDF), and a monthly magazine? On-line education that requires high-speed internet - no option to get it on DVD for those of us in rural areas… I could BUY several DVDs each year for $110. Announcements regularly of the programs and competitions offered on the East Coast - some limited to top riders and trainers - so basically email spam. When we organize an educational event, we pay MORE $$$ to USDF - there is a fee for every program we do.
The grass roots of this sport has been left behind
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Unfortunately, USDF doesn’t seem to want to hear from the masses…
I am a GM member (don’t see what I get as PM member to make it worthwhile) and attended my Regional meeting. I heard nothing about this rule at that time.
So, imagine my surprise when I see the Rule Change posted on COTH. I contacted my Regional Director about how come we had not heard about the rule change.
Her reply was that she wasn’t allowed to discuss it…
So this rule change was planned in a very deceptive way to sneak it into the rule making process in an underhanded manner to hide it from the membership.
This is why I say, vote with your wallets…tell your GMO’s how unhappy you are that the GM’s are not being heard.
Don’t pay your PM membership, don’t show for a year and spend that money and time towards taking lessons and improving your horse.
Send a message where it counts…money.
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