Burghley
CCI****
Sunday, September 5, 2004
Carl
Bouckaert, who rides internationally for Belgium, but resides in Chatsworth, GA,
is the Event rider's representative to the FEI. Carl flew to England Saturday
evening, September 4th, in order to consult with the riders at the Burghley CCI****
regarding their requests made to the Ground Jury ( Mrs
Sue Baxter (GBR), Miss Jean Mitchell (IRL) , and Mr Guy Otheguy (FRA) and
the Technical Delegate, Guiseppi della Chiesa (ITA), which had been disregarded.
(Carl is pictured below, at the left, riding The Boomer at the North Georgia
CIC***, this spring.)
The
riders had requested that the steeplechase be shortened and that the second to
last combination, 27 ABC, table, to table, to picture frame be given an alternate
route.  The
two major problems were that the weather was unseasonably warm and humid and that
copius rain prior to the event had caused the drying ground to be holding and
tiring. The riders concerns were born out when barely more than 50% of the competitors
finished the Endurance Phase on Saturday and less than 50% finished the entire
competition.
At present, each FEI competition has a Rider's Representative. This person takes
rider's concerns to the Ground Jury and the Technical Delegate. There is no requirement
that these suggestions be acted upon. Bouckaert
plans to work on two suggestions that, when finalized, will be taken to the FEI
for possible rule changes. The first is the creation of a committee of three riders
to take rider's concerns regarding the Cross Country Course and other matters,
to the Ground Jury and the Technical Delegate. The second is a possible rule change
requiring the Ground Jury and Technical Delegate to act on the riders' suggestions
and be made accountable for their actions in other ways. It
is comforting to know that as Nathalie Bouckaert, Carl's daughter, was placing
first and second at the Kentucky Classic CIC**, her father was consulting with
riders at Burghley who were upset that their suggestions, which had been taken
to the Ground Jury by the Rider's Rep, Eric Smiley (IRE), had been ignored. Cora
C. Cushny, Editor
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