[drivingpairs] "selection" of 2003 World Pairs Team, LONG
- From: Mike & Marjean McIntyre <Tenpenny@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "INTERNET:drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 17:40:24 -0400
Here is a post that I have sent to the CD-L driving list, and have been
asked to cross post here, as obviously this does involve pairs. The pai=
rs
drivers are asking that anyone and everyone take action NOW to try and ge=
t
this outragous situation corrected. If you have questions please feel fr=
ee
to contact me. Sorry about the long post, but I think it will give you t=
he
whole story. =
Marjean =
Well, it has been an interesting evening. I have had several phone calls=
and some emails from people that are directly involved in this situation,=
and have the facts, as they have been relayed to me. I am not just blowi=
ng
off steam, or going off half cocked over some rumors.
The selection committee is a function of USET, but USAEq ultimately
approves it.
For the record, the USET selection committee for pairs was comprised of:
Jimmy Fairclough, chairman
Natasha Grigg
Lisa Singer
Boots Wright
Kelly Valdes
Jack Wetzel
Jill Ryder
Tucker Johnson
Diane Trefry
Ed Young
Hardy Zanke
9 Mos. ago, Lisa Singer and Natasha Grigg were recused from the committe=
e
for an apparently conflict of interest, Natasha owns Larry's horses, and=
obviously Lisa is a pairs driver. This left 9 on the committee.
Apparently this morning, literally, Jack Wetzel, Boots Wright and Kelly=
Valdes were removed from voting for the pair's selection because they wer=
e
pony drivers. This left in essence, 5 people making the team selections=
,
instead of 11, Jill Ryder, Tucker Johnson, Ed Young, Diane Trefry and
Hardy Zanke. Do we really think only 5 people should be making this kind=
of decision, when there was suppose to be 11?
Now this immediately raises two questions for me. What is the conflict i=
n
having a pony driver involved in the selection of the Pair Team, and what=
is the conflict in having a pairs person involved in the decision regardi=
ng
ponies???????? Maybe we need to disqualify ALL drivers, and then there
wouldn't be anyone left to vote.............
But more importantly, why were these people removed literally at the tim=
e
of the vote? They were all competitive drivers when Lisa and Natasha wer=
e
recused. Why was it not done then if it was such a big conflict of
interest? If it had been done then, they could have appointed replacement=
s
and proceeded with a full committee. But true to USET form, they try to
pull a fast one, in secrecy at the last minute. Kelly Valdes, who is not=
independently wealthy, drove all the way to Blainville in Canada and camp=
ed
in a trailer at her own expense to observe the pairs. And then this
morning, she's told her participation isn't needed?
The USET has struggled for years with the problem of dealing with things =
in
back rooms and behind closed doors in secrecy. It has been determined in=
courts of law that they have on more than one occasion violated their own=
by laws and done things that were not permitted. We have been promised
with great fan fare that things were going to change with the new
leadership. That things were going to be done right. They were going to=
restore their credibility. So lets look at what they did for the sport o=
f
driving today.
They recessed three of the remaining committee members at the time of the=
vote. They ( Fairclough, Johnson, Ryder and Young) then voted to not fie=
ld
a team of pairs drivers for the world championships based on the statemen=
t
that we didn't have "qualified" drivers. They do field a team of
"qualified" pony drivers. Okay, lets say that we are really all-stupid a=
nd
naive enough to buy this argument. We have two pairs drivers who have
already competed in 4 and 6 world championships respectively. One has
placed in the top 12 twice and won all 8 of the selection trials she
participated in, never scoring higher than a 140. The "qualifying score=
"
is 160 or 165, depending on what you are driving. All three of the pairs=
drivers had repeatedly scored under 165. On the other hand, we have no
pony driver selected that has ANY international experience, and we can't
even field a full team of our own, with our own equines, because we didn'=
t
have that many even trying to make the team, let alone getting
"qualifying" scores. I am NOT trying to knock the pony team. But really=
,
guys, look at the facts. The excuse that they decided not to send a pai=
r
team because they weren't qualified just doesn't fly. At least have enou=
gh
respect for us to tell us the truth. If it was money, say it was money a=
nd
select your team and tell them if they are going to go, they are going to=
have to raise their own money. But don't demean the process and us by
lying to us.
How can they expect drivers to be interested in spending two years of the=
ir
lives, and tens of thousands of dollars to qualify for the right to
represent our country when they play these kinds of games and toy with
their lives in this way? I can't imagine how those pairs drivers are
feeling at this time. Mike McClennen is STILL driving home from Canada,
only to be told, sorry, we appreciate your efforts driving to the east
coast for literally DAYS each way, but it was all really for nothing?????=
?
You must be kidding. How can they expect people of integrity to serve on=
these committees and get caught in these appalling situations? Mike may =
or
may not make the team, but he certainly has a basic right to be treated
with honesty and respect.
The USET is struggling to get back a small portion of the credibility the=
y
have lost over the years. Their fund raising is way down, because people=
don't trust them any more and are refusing to support them. Do you wond=
er
why????
What can we do to help these drivers that are victims of this outrageous=
situation (who ARE asking you to help) ?
We can send emails and write letters to Alan Balch, AHSApres@xxxxxxx and
David O'Conner, OCET93@xxxxxxx or better yet, FAX your letter in to
859 231 6662 They are in charge at USAEq, and they are the National
Governing Body with final say as to whether the pairs go to France. The
USET is also apparently saying that this decision has been accepted by th=
e
executive committee and is final. Well guess what guys? In the past,
they have been caught with their hands in the cookie jar, just like now,
and have reversed the decision already accepted by the committee, so it's=
NOT final. Ask Mr. Balch and Mr O'Conner to show the entire equestrian
community that a new day HAS dawned. That this type of secretive, backro=
om
maneuvering will no longer be tolerated. Demand that the committee, the=
FULL committee, reconvene and start over. And then if the full committee=
decides the same thing, they can tell us the truth as to why, and then w=
e
can vote with our money.
But we ALL have to act NOW. We only have a few days to let them know tha=
t
we expect to be heard, we expect to be treated in a decent fashion, and =
we
aren't going to put up with their games and politics any longer. Obvious=
ly
this doesn't affect me personally. I don't and never will have the mone=
y
to compete at that level, even if I had the talent, but this kind of
damage to a sport I care so much about is just more than I can take.
WRITE YOUR LETTER AND EMAILS NOW. WE HAVE TO GET THIS DECISION OVER
TURNED.
If any of you are considering sending money to help the ponies, and/or
pairs if there is one, SEND IT TO THE ADS.....................it is tax
deductible and it will go to the drivers that you intend it for. It will=
not support these ridiculous games on the part of the USET.
Marjean
____________________________________________________________________
This is the letter I have faxed and emailed to Mr. Balch. The drivers ar=
e
asking you to fax your letters if possible, but if you don't have access =
to
a fax, by all means send an email. Your help really is appreciated by t=
he
drivers involved, and the powers that be feel we really do have a chance=
to make a difference. =
Marjean =
June 27, 2003
Dear Mr. Balch, =
I am writing to you regarding the selection, or rather the lack thereof, =
of
the 2003 World Pairs Championship Team that would have represented the
United States in France this fall. =
I am a nobody in the equestrian world. I don't have money, power or
privilege. I don't have influence with the powers that be. But on the
other hand, I am everyone. I am the person that used to pride myself in
having any small part of supporting our international competitors. I am
the person that has given up, that has had despair over the treatment of
our athletes and what the USET has come to stand for, but who IS praying
that a new day is on the horizon. =
What occurred yesterday is truly a travesty. True to the form of the old=
USET, last minute, backroom maneuvering took the place of honest, decent
treatment of the athletes that lead the way in our sport. If this is
allowed to continue, can we really expect the decent among us to continue=
to devote their time, their money, and truly, their lives to the sports w=
e
all so dearly love? Can we expect the honest people of integrity to
continue to offer their services to serve the organizations that supervis=
e
our sports?
For the committee to claim that they were not naming a team because of a
lack of qualified drivers is not only ridiculous, it is insulting to
everyone that cares about the sport of combined driving. Two of the
drivers competing for a spot on the team have a combined experience of 10=
World Pairs Championships. All three of the drivers under serious
consideration have many times, scored well under the "qualifying"score. =
They have prevented Lisa Singer, who won all 8 of the qualifiers she drov=
e
in and never scored above 140, from even going as an individual driver. =
She has twice in the past placed in the top 12 at the World Championships=
.
To say she is not qualified is beyond the absurd. And yet, on the other
hand, they did choose to select a pony team, when there is not a single
driver on any of the three pony teams that has ANY international
experience, and there is such a lack of depth from which to choose, we
couldn't even field two complete teams with drivers and ponies from the U=
S.
It is an insult to think that we, the public, are going to go along with=
such an absurd position. Don't demean us with such an obvious lie. The
drivers and we deserve better. =
Mr. Balch, I truly believe that today you stand at a fork in the road. Y=
ou
can choose to lead the USAEq onto the upper road. The road that is fille=
d
with openness, fairness and decency, or you will follow the other road. =
The one that the USET has been on. The road of secrecy, manipulation and=
dishonesty. The road that will take us farther down the deep dark hole
into which we have been descending, and from which so many of us
desperately want to escape. Not many people are given the gift of being =
in
a position to truly make a difference. To right a wrong. You have that
rare opportunity now. This is your opportunity to show the entire
equestrian community that the words you have spoken regarding a new way o=
f
doing business HAS truly dawned.
If you are going to take the high road, and lead the USAEq into the futur=
e
on it, now is the time. The rest of the disciplines are all watching. =
They are there, waiting to see if you do the right thing, and treat the
pair drivers with the respect and decency they deserve. If you are going=
to take the high road, you will refuse to accept the bogus decision reach=
ed
by the "modified committee" and demand that they reconvene with the full
committee participating and permit them all to do the job for which they
were appointed months ago, and to which so many of them have devoted so
much time and effort. =
I, and the rest of the equestrian community await your leadership and are=
anxious to see which road you choose to lead us down. =
Sincerely, =
Marjean McIntyre
Eagle, NE
Tenpenny@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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