Discuss this article on the forums. (2 posts)

I think this proposal is one of the greatest opportunities Western Riding has ever had to gain the recognition we deserve.

The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) has sent an invitation to all the major western organisations in the UK with a proposal to create a greater voice within the formal equestrian structure for all western riding organisations. This proposal was generated from within the BEF and not from BR. The Board and Chief Executive were becoming increasingly aware of the growing discipline of western riding and are anxious to progress a stronger western community.

Carol Gatt and I were invited to a meeting at Stoneleigh to discuss the way forward for the BEF’s proposal of representing the western community in the UK alongside all other disciplines at the very highest level. Do you as a member know of the proposal and its content and implications?? 

The structure at BEF is that one and only one member body will represent each equestrian discipline. British Reining is a full member body of the British Equestrian Federation. Reining is an FEI recognised sport and knocking at the door of becoming the next Olympic discipline and as such British Reining is the western riding member body of the BEF and nothing will ever change in that respect. Therefore, even though BR is smaller in number, the only path for other western associations to access the BEF is via ‘affiliation’ to a member body i.e. BR. It would appear that the interpretation of the affiliation proposal is misunderstood by many and I would like to take this opportunity to both clarify and inform anyone who would like to express an opinion on the subject or has the opportunity to vote on it at their AGM.

A great deal of the misunderstanding seems to come from the lack of information as to exactly what benefits are available to the western community and what is involved in an affiliation structure? All sport in the UK is currently in the fortunate position of attracting considerable new support in preparation for the forthcoming UK Olympics. Significant elements of this support funding are set to filter down into all sports including equestrian and this will be channelled from Sport England through the BEF. The larger amount of this funding will be for creating benefits to equestrianism in many formats and not simply giving cash to Member Bodies of the BEF. I strongly suspect that there is little understanding of these benefits. 

Facilities 

Clearly our most crucial issue is facilities. Given the huge problems we have had recently with facilities for Western riding as a whole, this cannot be ignored. To further exacerbate this, facilities at Moreton Morrell are due to close lock, stock and barrel and merge into new developments at The Agricultural Showground, Stoneleigh and worsen the surfaces/facilities situation. This is exactly one area where co-ordinated pressure from a joined up community would carry weight…..but only a lobby that will be represented within the formal equestrian council in the UK will have any effect...i.e. the BEF via BR.

I am involved in the Facilities Strategy at BEF, our facilities/surfaces issue I can assure you is always on the agenda. Currently I do not consider that I should only lobby for reining alone. I would welcome the opportunity to be formally representing ALL western disciplines/associations which would carry far greater impact. We are developing the concept of ‘Western Centres of Excellence’. Facilities will be monitored and accredited, anyone requiring tuition or wish to learn how to ride and join our sport with a fully qualified UKCC trainer will soon be able to visit the ‘National Facilities Database’ online to view recommended western centres in their area. BEF member bodies (and their affiliates) will be able to get themselves on the database. Participants will be able to promote themselves as accredited facilities on the National Database. This is not only a benefit to members, but also a way of raising our profile and standards. In terms of gaining support funding, I have personally put forward four separate and private western facilities at strategic points across the country to BEF to be formally recognised as requiring development assistance in all its forms….all four have been accepted and named in specific BEF documents as being ‘in the pipeline’ for development support. Would you like your facility put forward?? So far, these have not been reining only facilities, but western riding in general. 

United Kingdom Coaching Certificate (UKCC). 

The launch of the UKCC is now well underway. It did create some concerns initially but applications are now booming. Courses are planned for the whole of next year with the first pilot schemes already under way. The UKCC will ensure that equestrian coaches are delivering safe, high quality, rider centered coaching. Ultimately this will lead to success by helping to raise performance standards and increase enjoyment of riding, ensuring that the UK becomes recognised as a world leader in western coach development.A UK level 3 western coach will hold the same level qualification as a premier league football, Rugby or Cricket coach. Something that I still believe has to sink into western trainers in the UK. The true danger is that many of us are afraid to step forward to raise western riding to these levels. Let’s not forget, Reining is currently holding it’s breath for the decision as to the next Olympic Equestrian Discipline, if reining is in………… the whole western way of riding comes with it!!!!!!
It has taken considerable amount of time to develop this coaching system alongside the vast staff resources of some of the other disciplines, consequently all syllabi are the intellectual property of the Member Body, in this case BR, as such UKCC courses for non-BR members or non-affliated societies will consequently be more expensive. 

Publicity and media coverage 

To publicise our sport, and to date I have done this for ALL western disciplines and societies not just Reining, much of the new BEF literature now features western in all its forms. The new UKCC leaflets feature reining horses, this has never happened before and something entirely new…...The new 120 page BEF brochure ‘The Equine Industry in the UK’ carries a complete explanation of all disciplines in the UK. BR’s three page section features generous sized pictures, two are of top reining horses and riders, and the third, on its own page, features an AQHA member, on a trail course at Arena UK, Grantham. This brochure is being produced in tens of thousands, in four different languages and sent all over the world.

The ‘Facilities Strategy Brochure’ (can be viewed on-line) carries a full explanation as to our requirements for a complete standalone Championship Western Facility. Western riding in the UK would never get this sort of media exposure without access to the formal equestrian channels in the UK, once again via BEF/BR. There is to be a new BEF DVD and member bodies are already being asked for suitable footage of their discipline to be included. Yet another opportunity for the whole of western riding to be represented around the World via the BEF and not just reining. 

Training Grants 

Through Sport England/BEF, BR receives substantial grant funding for training and increasing participation, we have received another generous increase for next year’s program. Many NON BR members have already benefited from this funding including a heavily subsidised clinic at Sovereign Quarter horses this October, and three days of youth clinics at the Mendip stud in August, these fortunate youth riders had a whole day experience of general western riding for £5!!......

BR is already investing heavily in the whole of the western community. 

BR was given a large grant towards developing a ‘Road Show trailer’. WES and AQHA have been invited to share the trailer at shows for the greater benefit for all and to jointly publicise each of our associations. For 2007/8 we have been given another grant to encourage new riders into our sport. Next year, BR will give out ‘western taster vouchers’ from the road show trailer at selected shows. These vouchers offer a free lesson at the nearest western facility to the show…….as a member of an affiliated association and facility owner, this could be your chance to gain new riders at your facility, subsidised by BR.

We recognise that few riders new to western take up reining directly. In essence, by investing in western we are channelling riders through western and some hopefully into reining, but in the process the general western riding community benefits. BR does not receive huge chunks of money that it can spend how it wants. We negotiate for involvement on specific projects for which we have to sign contracts and, to ensure further funding, show annual performance results. A structure representing more than one organisation accounting for larger membership would hopefully bring benefits at a greater level. If these projects were to include affiliated organisations, then those organisations would be included, consulted and involved in the project. It is not, as has been suggested, that BR want more membership to get more cash funding which it won’t pass on. That is not how it works and is just scare mongering.

Societies do not ‘merge’ nor ‘join’ each other. What this affiliation structure means is that each association sits down together and decides on a code of practice and maps out the format of how they agree to work together. Each association can negotiate separate and different terms if necessary and are for the organisations themselves to set and agree. Any western society who affiliates to BR would remain completely autonomous and neither BR nor the BEF would have any say or influence over how each society was run. The cost of affiliation would be kept to an absolute minimum and some of BR’s current funding is to help towards affiliation costs and promoting working together. In any instance, the benefits of affiliation would far outweigh any costs involved 

Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) 

LTAD is about defining and supporting the best environment and activities for a given youth riders in your association as they develop (youth team?). It offers insights into optimal training programs to help aspiring young riders to achieve their true potential.  It offers assistance not only to riders, but also advice and support to their parents, family, coaches and others, in order to best enhance their equestrian development. Connected to LTAD is the emerging concept of LTED (Long Term Equine Development). Here the BEF intends to map a parallel plan to LTAD, but for your equine athlete.

2012 Olympics 

Facilities that will remain after the Olympics are set to become what is known as ‘The Legacy,’ that is all the Olympic facilities are to be constructed in a fashion as to be available to all respective sports after the Games. With a significant ‘Western’ lobby it is entirely practical that we could have a significant  affect on the use of those facilities for western alongside all other disciplines after the games finishes. Above are just a few of the advantages to progressing western riding as a discipline in the UK via affiliation to BR. There are indeed numerous other incentives running alongside these on a much more ‘everyday’ format, too numerous to list here. I am disappointed that even those societies such as WES-AQHA-PH.UK who purport to want to create a greater western lobby in the UK, not one has contacted BEF or BR to get more background and more information on the proposal in an effort to better understand what the BEF’s vision of an affiliated structure means to western, ESPECIALLY ON BEHALF OF THEIR MEMBERS !!  Remember, this is the formal equestrian assembly in the UK seeking a way to get western riding better represented…This affiliation structure is the only format the BEF are happy to embrace.

AQHA.UK recently applied to BEF for consideration for membership and was refused, as a Breed Society they were directed towards affiliating to ‘British Breeding’. WES is considered to be a riding club, not a sport. There has been much talk about creating a new Western Alliance. It will never gain BEF membership, as only one member body from each equine sport is ever recognised. What is the point of creating further societies involving further costs, more administration, only to create a toothless Alliance that will not have any standing within the formal equine structure in the UK to move western forwards? If you feel as passionately about your sport as I do, if you are a trainer or instructor who earns their living from western equestrianism, or if you are just a hobby rider who wants their style of riding to be respected and not ridiculed, then you need to contact your particular society and encourage them to at least meet with representatives from the BEF and BR to discuss the affiliation process in more depth. The only way forwards is to create a fully working western community which has influence through the British Equestrian Federation.  Affiliation via BR is the only practical answer.

David Brimson.