I had a whole long post written and the BB ate it. They’re ALL against me. They’ve even taken over the BB now.
Seriously, I have taken a lot of flak for my activity related to the proposed rule change/qualifying criteria. And I expect to continue to take it. Some members of the USEF Dressage Committee appear to be angry about what happened in November/December/January and that I (seen as the ringleader) keep saying what I think and asking for evidence.
This may be premature, because we may all just adore the “draft” that is soon to be forthcoming, but I am REALLY disillusioned by the refusal of USDF to release data, and I just have to speculate that there isn’t any data that supports the emotional arguments (see below) that are going to be used to try and justify requirements that are in principle elitist and exclusionary.
So maybe we just don’t have to play in their sandbox. We will be the United States Amateur Dressage Federation.
I am thinking that the only way I can support ANY qualification criteria is if it only applies to the elite riders who are aiming for medals in international competition. Leave the rest of us the hell alone, and cater to your talented darlings.
By the way, I don’t think I am one of the abusive riders we are to believe are being targeted by the rule change. I have my USDF Bronze Medal and 4th level scores for Silver–and would probably be allowed to ride at least at 4th level or even PSG under the proposal–at least one version of it that I have already seen. Who knows when we will see the next draft, but probably pretty soon.
I am really thinking that we can solve this whole problem (“the final solution”?) by just having a great big bonfire and burning our USEF and USDF cards. They won’t even miss us, probably. They can get money to self-perpetuate some other way.
We can create a new organization with our own brave judges who will give threes for crappy riding. But we won’t have to because actually the data show that there is almost no crappy riding anyway–or isn’t it being scored correctly?
They can have their pretty arenas with perfect footing and riders and horses, and we will plug around on our Quarter Horses and homebreds and they just don’t have to bother with us any more.
Oh yeah–and they can make their horses really happy, and avoid abusing them, by keeping them in stalls all day with their legs wrapped and stuffing them into boxes on airplanes to drag them halfway around the world to such animal and human meccas as … Hong Kong??? In August? Atlanta? In August?
And another thing–no more volunteers to run their Olympic Medal Machine.
Here’s some of what Anne Gribbons had to say regarding the unwashed masses in her 6/06 (yes, way back then) column in the Chronicle:
“The word “grassroots” has become almost a holy cow in our midst, but perhaps this would be a good time to revisit and assess this favorite critter of ours.”
“Perhaps we have a problem with the weeding process? Nature has a system of bringing the fittest to the front, which we humans should pay attention to, instead of fighting it all the time. If we developed a similar system in dressage, maybe we’d do better in the long run.”
THE USDF AND USEF WON’T HAVE TO CARE WHAT WE GRASSROOTS PEOPLE (WHO HAVE AND CONTINUE TO DEVOTE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF SUPPORT TO THEM) THINK IF THEY “CULTIVATE” (PARDON ME) MILLIONAIRE AND BILLIONAIRE OWNERS AND SPONSORS–BECAUSE ONE OF THEM IS WORTH HUNDREDS OF US PEONS. AND THIS IS A BUSINESS, AFTER ALL.
“What do the Europeans have that we don’t? A qualifying system to move up the levels. I know this concept will make some heads spin, but there is no doubt we need to do something–right now–to brighten our prospects for the future.”
“Why do we need a qualifying system? Because we’re not seeing the kind of riding nationwide that will make our sport progress.”
WHO IS TO DEFINE PROGRESS? IS IT MEASURED IN OLYMPIC OR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALS? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO THE HORSES–SUPPOSEDLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT WE DO?
“There are all kinds of cruelty. It’s not always about the use of spurs and whips; it can be about being bounced on and pulled in the mouth by a well-meaning but clueless and uncoordinated rider day after day. The fact that you love your horse does not help his tired back and sore mouth. The horse’s welfare is the primary reason we need a qualifying system.”
I AGREE WITH THE FIRST STATEMENT IN THAT PARAGRAPH. HOWEVER, I HAVE SEEN BLOOD ON THE SIDES OF HORSES UNDER SOME WHO WILL BE GRANDFATHERED IN ACCORDING TO THE LATEST PROPOSAL. I HAVE SEEN SLAMMING AROUND ON THE BACK OF HORSES BY JUDGES. THEY WILL ALL BE GRANDFATHERED IN, PRESUMABLY? AND WHERE ARE THE JUDGES TO WHISTLE ABUSIVE RIDING OUT OF THE RING OR GIVE IT A RIDER SCORE OF 3? OR 2? HOW ON EARTH IS MAKING PEOPLE QUALIFY TO SHOW GOING TO STOP THEM FROM BANGING ON THEIR HORSES’ BACKS OR PULLING ON THEIR MOUTHS? THEY CAN STILL DO IT AT LOWER LEVELS AND THEY CAN STILL DO IT AT HOME, IN THE PROCESS OF TRAINING TO COMPETE AND GET POINTS.
BUT WHICH IS REALLY THE PRIMARY REASON? READ ON:
“A second good reason is our position in the international arena. We’ve struggled for years to reach the point where we’re sitting third in the world behind the German and Dutch juggernauts. But it looks like we’re about to lose ground again. Not because our top riders aren’t up to par, but because we don’t have enough of them.”
As George Morris stated in a recent column about the jumper riders, international riders must have a desire to “live” this sport, not just “participate.”
YES, LIVE IT BY TAKING CARE OF OUR HORSES. SO LET’S JUST NOT COMPETE.
“If you truly want to be a part of dressage, you’ll need to have a perspective of the entire game and a true perception of where you fit in the picture.”
MAYBE EVERYONE’S PERSPECTIVE IS NOT THAT OF WANTING TO GET MEDALS?
The USEF Dressage Committee already has a subcommittee working on the details of creating a qualifying system for our riders to progress from level to level.
IS THAT WHY WE ONLY SAW FRUIT OF THEIR LABORS IN NOVEMBER 2007? OR HAVEN’T WE BEEN PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION? I THINK WE ARE OVER THAT NOW, AREN’T WE?
Once our riders earn their way to the next level, there will be a real reason for self-congratulation–better trained and happier horses and, as icing on the cake, eventually a small army of new international American riders in the wings.
ARMY??? IS THIS A WAR???
Okay–so I will start working on the Bylaws of the United States Amateur Dressage Federation. There is absolutely no reason it can’t be done. We have lawyers and trainers and judges and business experts in our midst. I bet the big shot trainers will even still come and teach us and take our money, even if we aren’t “qualified” to compete alongside them.
What do you all think?
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