April 25 2016A Facebook group, "Fair Endurance," for "Endurance riders, horses, trainers and owners of the horses," has created a petition on Change.org.
Countering the 6600-plus-signature petition that was started in February to remove the WEC from Dubai - which the FEI subsequently did - the Fair Endurance group, citing "FAIR PLAY FOR ATHLETES," initiated the petition to reinstate the 2016 FEI World Endurance Championship in Dubai as it was legally appointed by the FEI Bureau in December 2014. "Play sports, not politics!"
The petition further states:
On 7 April 2016 the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI - the International Federation for Equestrian Sports) suddenly cancels the 2016 World Endurance Championships in Dubai that was legally appointed in December 2014.
Read official statement of the FEI Bureau.
Two months ago the FEI and Emirates Equestrian Federation (EEF) made an agreement that established stricter conditions of all Endurance competitions in the UAE.
Trying to punish UAE riders, indeed the FEI punished all riders from all the world that come to the UAE to start in Endurance competitions.
SO FEI PLAYS POLITICS, NOT SPORTS!
We ask all equestrian people to sign this petition, because that agreement between FEI and EEF should be voided as illegal.
Any amendments to the FEI Endurance Rules must be approved by all the National Federations at FEI General Assembly, not by separate agreement between FEI and EEF.
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We hereby petition the FEI to revoke the unwarranted and prejudicial ‘Final Exams Maximum Pulse between 56 and 60 bpm within 10 and 15 minutes’.
• These rules are not practical and affecting us as riders, negatively.
• We are unable to compete in such unfair situations, without achieving the goal of successfully finishing the ride.
• There is no level-playing field by implementing such stringent measures for the purpose of punishing any country or any region.
• FEI published Endurance Rules to be followed in all international competitions, Article: 814.1.5.5: “At the Final Inspection, the Maximum Pulse shall be 64 bpm within 30 minutes”.
Furthermore, we request the FEI to reinstate the FEI World Endurance Championships to take place from 10-17 December 2016 at the Dubai Equestrian Club (UAE).
If a different venue be chosen, we as riders will be affected because of the following reasons:
• Advancing the qualification dates and the event dates, will in turn put the pressure on riders and horses to qualify within such a short period.
• This will not give enough time to qualify the riders & horses, which is not fair.
• Training plans will have to be changed, based on the climatic conditions & track.
• Deciding the venue, just two or three months prior to the event, will affect horses results and welfare of horses will be of high concern.
• The terrain and climatic conditions will not be known until the 14 June 2016, for a high level championship happening in September/October 2016.
• Planning the budget is more crucial and now it is too late and almost impossible to find the money to prepare all arrangements for a different venue, which is still not known yet.
For more information see:
https://www.facebook.com/fairendurance/
