Endurance GB Votes to Accept Funding form Sheik Mohammads Meyden

The lunacy of this whole debacle plumbs ever fresher depths! It's laughable that those who accept the posts of authority, within EGB and the FEI appear to be as complicit in the endemic corruption, as are many of the ME competitors. I suppose that the old adage which warns us that 'If you lie down with dogs, then you catch fleas' is as apt now, as it ever was.

Alec.
 
Many people won't even have understood the issues. The information that the board sent out was presented in very biased way. There were plenty of online discussions thrashing out the pros and cons but anyone who only had the voting information to go on were not presented with a balanced debate.

Some people just want money, from wherever.
 
Flame_ said:
Many people won't even have understood the issues. The information that the board sent out was presented in very biased way. There were plenty of online discussions thrashing out the pros and cons but anyone who only had the voting information to go on were not presented with a balanced debate.

Some people just want money, from wherever.
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Yes, money will always talk unfortunately.
 
What state are the finances in? It may be that this was the only option which kept staff in work. I would not like to tell someone they are fired when they did not have to be.
 
EGB are for the most part staffed by volunteer members. This was primarily about funding international competitions in the UK, AFAICT.
 
It was heavily pushed by the board. It will only benefit limited members (including some on the board and their family members), but those are the ones highly active and likely to reply. I don't believe in it at all, but having said that there are plenty of people on this forum willing to take prize money from group vii countries such as a certain royal horse show sponsored by bahrain and events (including weg) sponsored by their companies, so plenty of other equestrians are willing to put aside morals for money, not just endurance.

Sad thing is, first week when it's announced in hh mag, it's paired up with yet another example of a certain sheik connected to meydans family being involved in a horse switching (ie cheating) scandal. Still never mind, as long as our fei endurance riders keep getting their free barbques at euston before the rides it's all okay. Better watch out it isn't a marmoog or pang burger, or whatever they've changed their names to to hide their competition records.
 
Interesting that more people are now members of EGB that at the same time last year. It maybe that the final number of members are the same as last year but we will have to see.

I believe that it is not only the people at the top that will benefit but those lower down. We will just have to see.

Bad news will always make the headlines, not the day to day achievements of those who work hard, scrimp and save to enjoy a lovely sport.

The Arabs tried to do it in racing but everyone else is still racing and winning.
 
If you are non-fei, not after training and not a young rider there's sweet fa in it. Mind you i'm glad as i can choose not to touch this filthy lucre or enter a ride it 'sponsors'.

All regions now have to apply for a share of the money, don't assume it will automatically be coming to your region.........


Anyone else read the 'sheik your booty' piece in private eye about this debarcle? Don't know where they got their info but it's very accurate.
 
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pip6 said:
If you are non-fei, not after training and not a young rider there's sweet fa in it. Mind you i'm glad as i can choose not to touch this filthy lucre or enter a ride it 'sponsors'.

All regions now have to apply for a share of the money, don't assume it will automatically be coming to your region.........
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Yes, I could perhaps pursue the training bit of of the "benefits for all" blah, blah… But wouldn't want to accept money from this source in particular, plus I would always prefer to pay for any training and rides on my terms as the customer, even if that limits how much I could do. I do hope Cheshire tell them where to stick it but the chances of that are slim to none.

pip6 said:
Anyone else read the 'sheik your booty' piece in private eye about this debarcle? Don't know where they got their info but it's very accurate.
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Yes I've seen that. I don't know how the board have brazened this thing through. I'm pretty ashamed for them tbh.
 
Seen the latest group VII incident? Poor horse with both front legs fractured, 3 fatalities in one event. How lucky we are to be associated with this group now. If any other horse sport had this record they would be thrown out of all international competition, but money buys everything, even cleansing by association with 'clean' national governing body. Roll on the paid for fei races at Euston. Wonder what who will be waiting on course to jab a horse or swap mounts. More fool anyone in the uk who thinks they can really control these people and stop the abuse and cheating.
 
pip6 said:
Seen the latest group VII incident? Poor horse with both front legs fractured, 3 fatalities in one event. How lucky we are to be associated with this group now. If any other horse sport had this record they would be thrown out of all international competition, but money buys everything, even cleansing by association with 'clean' national governing body. Roll on the paid for fei races at Euston. Wonder what who will be waiting on course to jab a horse or swap mounts. More fool anyone in the uk who thinks they can really control these people and stop the abuse and cheating.
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Well, it's similar to racing isn't it - which also has many fatalities and hasn't been 'thrown out of all international competition'. It's awful that this happened to this horse and many others like it, both in racing and endurance.
Interestingly, we're hearing less these days about accidents racing; is that just less coverage, or have things been put in place to make it safer, and if so what?
 
No, it isn't similar to racing, it is heading the way of racing in some ways. If racing were just starting out it wouldn't get past the animal rights groups for a minute, but the fact is that it is such an established industry with a lot of powerful people and their money heavily involved in it which means that it is just too strong an institution for them to have a hope of taking on IMO. Endurance is relatively new, and a fairly small scale minority sport if welfare groups saw fit to take it down it would be a tiny fraction of the challenge that taking down racing would.

ETA And, this latest dead horse broke TWO legs and tested positive for banned substances. That would not be accepted in racing or any equestrian discipline.
 
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Flame_ said:
…….. . Endurance is relatively new, and a fairly small scale minority sport if welfare groups saw fit to take it down it would be a tiny fraction of the challenge that taking down racing would.

…….. .
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With the odd half-mill donation dropped in to the laps of the average charity/welfare, there wouldn't be a word said, trust me! :D

Alec.
 
With racing, and yes I have though tther are similarities, I imagine the %age of fatalitites is much lower overall and the horses are given medical treatment IMMEDIATELY.
Also the banned substances would not be allowed for a second and things I was reading about, like packing a horse's anus with ice to get it past the vet would not happen on a racecourse.
Endurance is a sport that has no place in the modern world.
 
It does have a place in the modern world, just not their interpretation. Sadly, it looks like this could be the last year of the Golden Horseshoe Ride unless new organisers can be found. The ride will be celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year but, although the pleasure classes and the lower distances are well supported, the main rides have seen entries dwindling into the single figures.
Maybe EGB should be putting more effort into saving this iconic ride rather than putting it all into keeping the Group IV countries happy at Euston Park and other flat venues. You would never get those countries on Exmoor, it's only about going as fast as possible for them. The horsemanship that enables riders to cross 100 miles over 2 days on Exmoor is in danger of being lost in the quest for speed. Some of these riders would fall off at the first steep descent.
Sadly, I think that this sponsorship deal will encourage some of our riders to take on the mindset of those countries to enable them to compete. Some worrying comments have already appeared on FB pages of some of our younger riders concerning what they think is acceptable. Once these practices become the norm, then I do think the sport will be lost.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSyhB7mOplQ

or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDoPQ4jJ5jM

I know which one I prefer!!
 
I am absolutely appalled by this change in the ethos of the sport, innocently I thought it was about horsemanship, but it seems it is racing over distances using whatever methods are required to win.
The best thing for our National organisation is to disband, giving reasons.
A new body, ....... Ethical Endurance UK can be formed. Any owner/trainer/competitor to sign up to stringent terms and conditions. If this means that the UK becomes isolated and the sport is self funded, is that not better?
I find it difficult to believe any of the members are unaware of the situation.
 
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Bonkers2, you aren't alone in your thoughts. Rather than disband the corrupt and corrupted existing organisations, it would be better to set up those which are viewed as being, as you say, ethical, and leave those that are corrupt to compete amongst themselves, or collapse. Whilst endurance riders continue to support corruption, then corruption will 'rule', it seems to me!

Alec.
 
Alec Swan said:
Bonkers2, you aren't alone in your thoughts. Rather than disband the corrupt and corrupted existing organisations, it would be better to set up those which are viewed as being, as you say, ethical, and leave those that are corrupt to compete amongst themselves, or collapse. Whilst endurance riders continue to support corruption, then corruption will 'rule', it seems to me!

Alec.
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That would not work, the sport is GB wide and requires total commitment and one organisation.
 
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Morgan123 said:
Well, it's similar to racing isn't it - which also has many fatalities and hasn't been 'thrown out of all international competition'. It's awful that this happened to this horse and many others like it, both in racing and endurance.
Interestingly, we're hearing less these days about accidents racing; is that just less coverage, or have things been put in place to make it safer, and if so what?
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The UK racing industry, and it is one of the top ten industries in the UK, is well regulated, some cheats try to use illegal methods or circumvent rules, but in general it is a clean sport.
If you go to some of the bigger meetings you will find some activists handing out leaflets, I doubt few are even read. Like any sports news, there are peaks of interest in the press.
If you followed racing you would know that the whip rules are under constant scrutiny, horse welfare on tracks is extremely high, design, construction and placing of fences is adjusted for safety reasons. Track conditions are adjusted for safety reasons, use of plastic covers on tracks, meetings abandoned for safety reasons, non slip surfaces in parade rings, cushioned railings, doubled up plastic railing. Horse ambulances, trained vets, stewards, staff, jockeys, trainers, yard staff, security, alcohol in plastic containers, just a few improvements in last ten years.
Just look at old races on youtube to see the differences.
 
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Re the similarities to racing, in the UK, and probably elsewhere, endurance is a niche sport, of little or no interest to many outside its own stakeholders.
Some of the same people who get a bad name in endurance have tried the same things here, they have been found out. They are not allowed to "own" the sport of UK racing.
Even better, they are not winning that many races in spite of all their attempts to breed, buy, and train the best. :):D:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v9RcYWC8-A
 
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The Danish Endurance Federation have made a statement to say that they will not allow their riders to compete in Group VII non-FEI races and that for FEI races the rider and horse will have had to qualify and ride as a partnership. The US are considering the same. It is a great shame EGB cannot make a similar rule. I am not sure there is enough money or influence outside Group VII to change their behaviour but there is no honour whatsoever in being associated with this perversion of real endurance sport.
 
I just hope that most of those who feel strongly about it will qualify then refuse to compete against these people, as above [palo], it is perfectly easy to alter the rules to make it a measure of horsemanship, not a matter of winning at any cost.
By not doing anything Endurance GB make themselves look weak, which they are.
 
Bonkers2 said:
That would not work, the sport is GB wide and requires total commitment and one organisation.
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Only because the top wants/ needs the support of the bottom. If Sport Endurance handle things well they could end up the major UK organisation leaving only those with an interest in FEI sticking with EGB as they have no alternative. It was suggested on the members forum that there could be a super league for the high speed racers to go off and play amongst themselves and leave the rest of us to it, the point is they wouldn't because they want our financial and voluntary work party contributions! I'd be fine with a split and would move on to a favourable alternative in a heartbeat, I don't really do loyalty, but whether one happens or not and to support one organisation or two, or three, etc, the sport needs to expand but it won't while it is associated with horse abuse.

ETA also in response to this point, SERC have hung on to their independence and seem to be doing well for it.
 
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I have never really followed Endurance but that photograph of Splitters Creek Bundy is heart-wrenching.I am appalled and disgusted. I am not a 'fluffy bunny brigade' as I love my racing and all the agony that goes with that.I know the Arabs dominate flat racing in this country but there are rules that protect horses welfare. The whole Meydan sponsorship stinks and I wish someone could rise up against the tide and put a stop to it but unfortunately we live in a world where money talks and money silences. At least Prince Haya has left FEI so thats something, isn't it?
 
If you don't agree with what the English FEI, best you can do is leave with your feet and take your money and support with you and take it back to the sports roots, which is about fun not money, yes you need money to put events on but not prize money in my day a rossette was good enough.
 
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