The British Reining Council has recently published a statement concerning my appeal to the British Equestrian Federation against the team selection made by the Council for the World Equestrian Games 2006. The BEF has asked the BR Council to withdraw its statement from the BR website but, to date, it remains on the site. Here are the facts:

? I was not selected for the BR team for WEG 2006, although I was offered the Reserve position, which I declined because I did not believe the selection process was fair.

? After the final team selection was announced, I asked the Council to clarify the reasons for my non-selection for the team .

? When no meaningful clarification was given by the Council, I appealed to the BEF. The ground for my appeal was that the Council?s selection process for WEG 2006 was not fair, open and transparent.

? My appeal was allowed. In a decision dated 25 January 2007, an Appeal Panel of the BEF found that the BR selection process was not open, transparent and fair. As part of its decision, the BEF urged British Reining to consider its selection policy at the earliest opportunity and to adopt a format in line with that used by the Olympic disciplines.

We at Team Gray look forward to British Reining establishing in the near future a selection process for international events which is open, fair and transparent.

David Gray 13 February 2007

What should be added to the foregoing statement and noted by all readers and BR members is that David Gray DID NOT ASK the BEF Appeals Panel to make a ruling on whether he should have been chosen for the team, and THAT is the reason why the BEF did not state that he should have been chosen. The BR implies in the statement on their website--which was also posted to all BR members--that the BEF did not think that David Gray should have been on the team or they would have said so, and this is completely untrue.

Further, it is offensive that the BR Council should address this statement to all BR members, considering its polemic tone and controversial content, as if David Gray himself and all those (of whom there are many) who support his appeal against the manner in which the WEG team was selected, were not also BR members. It is also highly questionable that BR funds raised from the membership dues of ALL BR members should have been used to pay the postage required to send out such a defensive statement of unproven veracity that offends a great number of BR members.

Finally, the very idea that the BR Council has refused to heed the directive of the BEF itself and remove the statement from the website raises significant questions about the integrity of that Council.

Oh my goodness. As an ex-pat living the USA who has been involved in Reining for more than 15 years, I am horrified that Reining in the UK is already adopting the usual British bickering.

This is a wonderful sport, full of wonderful people. Why do the Brits have to take themselves so seriously that this type of debacle occurs?

Instead of trying to do battle in the press or on web sites, why not try to find a way to work together for the betterment of the sport instead of trying to establish who is right and who is wrong?

This type of infighting will destroy Reining in the UK before it even has the opportunity to flourish. I am embarrassed that my home country is still more concerned with appearance than with the sport itself. :-[

Come on grass roots reiners - this is YOUR sport!! Don't let British beurocracy ruin it for you. Stand up, get involved and put an end to this stupid infighting.

Well said Summer.

I'm really new to western and have just spent time doing my homework at shows to get a feel for 'what's what'. Hence I have no opinion on the specifics of this situation and personally, I have no interest in reining.

But - I do feel it's a shame that as western is such a real minority equine sport in the UK, it is already riven with dissent, political in-fighting and the usual factions lining up against each other. In other words, like every other area of equestrianism in the UK and what drove some of us away from 'English'. I can only assume it's some kind of wierd curse that seems to afflict horse people in this country. Even at 'local shows' you rarely see people enjoying themselves. Just red faced, screaming kids annoyed because they didn't win the class and taking it out on the ponies, galloping up and down the showground. Whatever happened to people having fun and enjoying their horses? I thought western was going to offer something else. Now I'm beginning to wonder.

Scotty - maybe I go to the wrong shows! The shows I have been to have been fun, everyone supporting each other and saying "well done" even if I messed up a simple trail class. I have found some really good friends through western riding, much more than I ever did at the local riding club. Of course the last few years I only attended WES shows, but now have doubts about trying AQHA shows if this is what is going on. I still enjoy myself, both at shows and clinics, but maybe that is because I am an American ex-pat living in the UK. I do enjoy it everytime I show even if I don't bring home a ribbon after each class.

I was referring to local 'English' shows, not Western.

My comment on this reining issue was a general one referring to the in-fighting that I suggested is just so typical of the general equine scene in the UK and I simply ventured the view that it is a shame it now appears to be infecting western. That's all.