The information I have regarding the recent Sport England funding of ?46 mil was from slide presentation to the BEF by Colin Wilson (Consultant Head of Sports Development). If for some reason it is now ?62 mil then so be it, great for all equine sport that will get a share.

This sort of negative posting and arguing is exactly the sort of thing I relate to when mentioning ?comments like? etc in my initial posting. However, I can understand RA?s disappointment as the fact that this funding comes via ?Sport England? and will only be available to equine disciplines in England and not one penny will go to Scotland???Where does RA live and represent?.yup you guessed it SCOTLAND!!

On another point I can quite categorically state that I receive no re-imbursement for my expenses for the work I do on BR?s behalf at the BEF, either from the BEF nor do I claim it back from BR. Myself and several of the other NOD?s (Non Olympic Disciplines) that do volunteer work for their own societies have formed a lobby group to pressure the BEF Board to begin to pay these expenses. Amongst the 'Olympic' disciplines represented at the BEF, BHS has 58 permanent staff, British Dressage has 27 etc., etc. most of which are based at the BEF offices and do not have to travel to the meetings anyway.

I do not consider my costs in doing work for and supporting BR as money down the drain. I consider my costs as a form of sponsorship, in the same way as last year I sponsored every BR rosette presented for any BR class any BR show, QH2000 show, WES show, Appaloosa show, not forgetting the championship Sashes and the Championship Belt Buckles for the BR year end awards.

Lets not forget that although BR is the only western member body with a seat at the BEF, this money will ultimately filter down through Western in general. It has always been my intention that wherever possible I consider myself as representing ?Western? as much as possible. Much of this new money will go towards things like: the training and development of Western Coaching qualifications, facilities, Judging training, even the provision of horses and money for their training, affordable horses for people stepping into Western for the first time and providing transport to and from shows and events the list is endless.
As a great many of our shows provide classes across several different societies the cross over of benefits to our great sport is obvious.

Yes Richard, I was a member of the last council?..the one that you resigned from.

You can't be fuelled by bitterness. It can eat you up, but it cannot drive you.
Benazir Bhutto

I am not a citizen of Athens I am a Citizen of the World

Aristotle

I can see there are one or two disagreements here! The problem stems if we are heading this way from Plato's Cave.

One or two of us have gone out to the International ciruit and have seen a mucher better world. We return and tell everyone else about this wonderful world. We are dumbfounded that not everyone wants to share our new world and cannot accept that this is possible.

The truth some people are happy with the way things are, why change anything everyone used to be happy. Some people want us to be out kicking American Butt. They want change they cant understand why every body else isnt enthusiatic about taking on the world, improving the standard of our sport in this country.

They are all right!! change should not be avoided, however we need to manage this change embracing all the foundation people within our sport (if it were not for them we would not be where we are now). To develope as a community we have to take business like approach. Forget personalities, we have to drive forward. Mark said to me last week that even Shawn Flarida would struggle to make an income in this Country. True no one is going to get rich competing for Great Brittain. As for the comment that riders bought their places on the team. Yes they all did. I know how much money it takes to send a horse to Europe, I know how much it costs to maintain reining horses. Of course these positions were bought (loss of earnings as well) In deed I am guilty of partially funding one of the team members (cheques in the post honest). There is no such thing as a free ride. So all these guys funded their way to Germany, "bought their positions". Jealous then go out spend 60K on a reining horse ride it for about nine hours a week solid for 18 months, spend thousands of pounds of entry fee money on classes to prepare your horse. Then there is a good chance that you wont be selected.

Then you can have a chance (a chance) at buying your place on the team.

Who should have been selected for the team?

David G? Mark? Rossane? Francesca? Doug? David D?

In my book all of them.


So my point is lets all do the best we can with what we can afford, dont hold back people who have more than us, dont knock the founders or those that have less than us, appreciate the effforts of the volunteers, learn to embrace the whole of our community and move forward not backwards.

Just think it was a shame that BR wasn't represented on the BEF stand at the equine event recently as it has been in the past.
I appreciate that these things cost money even if subsidised, especially when you add on people's time/hotel/transport costs - altho I know that David Deptford had offered to do a stint on the stand in between manning the AQHA stand.
Anyone coming to the event with a possible interest in reining had the choice of quizzing AQHA or being tempted by Janet Western's lovely goods in the shopping mall, but getting the chance to join BR? Nope!

[quote author=REINMAN link=topic=488.msg570#msg570 date=1166033255]

This sort of negative posting and arguing is exactly the sort of thing I relate to when mentioning ?comments like? etc in my initial posting. However, I can understand RA?s disappointment as the fact that this funding comes via ?Sport England? and will only be available to equine disciplines in England and not one penny will go to Scotland???Where does RA live and represent?.yup you guessed it SCOTLAND!!

Is Scotland not part of BR !
[quote author=REINMAN link=topic=488.msg570#msg570 date=1166033255]

This sort of negative posting and arguing is exactly the sort of thing I relate to when mentioning ?comments like? etc in my initial posting. However, I can understand RA?s disappointment as the fact that this funding comes via ?Sport England? and will only be available to equine disciplines in England and not one penny will go to Scotland???Where does RA live and represent?.yup you guessed it SCOTLAND!!