First, we must thank all the active members and zone reps for their time, attendance and ideas during the many meetings throughout the national convention held in Reno in February. The committee meetings provided the opportunity for as many as possible to hear some of the issues and thoughts circulating in our sport today. Without the education and input from our grassroots members, and their region representatives, progressive change would not be possible.

Following are a few of the main issues that AERC International specifically focused on over the series of meetings and "working lunches" that took place amid the blackjack tables and electronic slots.

1. 2005 Pan-American championship venue awarded to Argentina. USA looks toward a CEI**** North American Championship as an on-continent alternative. For the first time since its beginning in 1997 at Bend, Oregon, the Pan American championship has been awarded off the North American continent. The 2005 Pan American championship will be hosted by Argentina in April 2005. A team, which will be selected according to the priority rules of the USEF Criteria to Compete Abroad, will represent the USA. This squad will be selected from the existing National Team, the reserve pool of listed nominated riders who have qualified and the top 10 U.S. finishers at the 2003 Pan-American Championship.

The organizing committee at Fair Hill had also submitted a bid for the opportunity to host the 2005 PAC and is now being approached to hold a North American championship as an alternative on their original date in October 2005. A North American championship would mirror an on-continent Pan Am as an FEI four-star regional championship involving the selection process of teams from all five U.S. zones as well as the Canadian zones of East and West. (Watch future issue of EN for more information.)

2. FEI approves the use of national passports for USA CEI*** events; applications available at www.usef.org. In answer to the higher fees of an FEI passport, the USEF has come up with the option of a national passport for a lesser cost, which will serve in place of the FEI passport within the U.S. borders. An FEI approved passport will still be required to travel to Canada or overseas. At this time the national passport is available for $50 and can be upgraded to an FEI passport if required for an additional $250. Both passporting options require the horse have a lifetime recording with the USEF and follow the same diagram and description guidelines. For more information contact Lynn McCoy, director of FEI services at USEF, by e-mail at lmccoy@usef.org.

3. AERC International works to redefine its role, and proposes a more active involvement in the promotion of international endurance and FEI events within the United States. The AERC International Committee met numerous times, officially and unofficially, to discuss current issues concerning international endurance in the United States. The echo again and again from the committee members and constituents is the lack of FEI sanctioned events on the upcoming ride schedules (therefore making qualification for nomination, etc., very difficult) and the costs associated with hosting an FEI ride, specifically the up-front fees required so far in advance from potential organizing committees.

The simple facts are if we want an FEI ride in 2005, it must be submitted for calendar approval this year . . . and early!

With initial fees adding up to around $500, due eight to 12 months in advance of the event, understandably ride managers hesitate to jump in with both feet. Worries of hidden costs in the form of ever-lurking "late" fees, poor attendance and mountains of paperwork have kept too many interested rides off the FEI schedule.

AERC International has put together a group of zone reps and active members to create solutions to these very problems.

AERC-I would also actively promote the FEI calendar to increase attendance numbers and interest. Also available through this committee would be direct, friendly, knowledgeable assistance to help wade through and understand all the forms and requirements on paper and dates that they must be submitted.

Additionally, experienced FEI ride manager of the Biltmore Estate Endurance Challenge, Anne Ayala, has compiled a complete "How To" CD handbook on hosting an FEI event for prospective ride managers and organizing committees. With this kind of active involvement from familiar faces, the sometimes overwhelming task of organizing, funding and advertising an FEI event will be less of an obstacle for individual ride managers.

4. An FEI-sanctioned championship series is in the works for 2005 with goals of higher attendance numbers and scheduled events. Why even do an FEI ride? Most riders only attend FEI events because they need to meet certain qualification criteria in order to achieve their goals of Pan Am or world championship nomination. To give competitors incentive to compete in FEI events for the sake of the event itself, the idea of a championship series has been introduced and met with enthusiasm.

In the planning stages now, conceptually the series would have at least one ride in the five FEI zones and highest honors, awards and recognition would be given to horse and rider teams placing well in multiple venues.

The idea would promote the American ideal of endurance that embraces taking care of the horses during competition so they are willing and able to compete again and again. While still in the infancy of the planning stages, this brainstorm of AERC International Committee members is exciting and innovative.

5. France introduces sanctions with penalties for riders and horses with multiple or metabolically-related eliminations. The French Equestrian Federation has started enforcing sanctioning criteria that requires riders and horses be subject to competition penalties in the event of elimination due to metabolic factors or multiple eliminations for any reason. France employs a qualification policy in which riders of FEI events must first complete lower level rides before being allowed to enter three- or four-star events.

In the instance of a metabolic pull a rider must re-qualify for FEI ride status and the horse would be assigned six to 12 months of rest. Additionally, multiple consecutive pulls for any reason within a period of two years brings the same sanctions.

To date in 2003 eight riders and 18 horses have been sanctioned in France. How would a similar proposal be met in the U.S.? How would it affect our sport? Food for thought while you fill out those passport descriptions and plan your FEI schedule!

Report from AERC International Committee to the BOD

1. Appoint an individual to the committee as the International Financial Secretary. Motion to nominate Betty Baker, by Julie Bullock, seconded by Sue Phillips.

2. Budget was approved: current balance is $27,202.68.

3. Bids from organizing committees for next PanAms. Argentina and Fair Hill submitted bids. If given to Argentina, AERC International will approve Fair Hill to become the North American Championships (October 15, 2005).

4. Motion made to change zone boundaries between Pacific North and Mountain. Motion will change AERC procedures to match the boundaries voted on about eight years ago. Changes are to include all of Oregon in Pacific North and all of Idaho in Mountain Zone.

5. Rewriting International procedures: due to change in federation, AERC International recognizes the fact that procedures may be outdated, so a subcommittee was formed to look at the current AERC International procedures. Theresa Cross was appointed as chair of this subcommittee. AERC International Committee will recommend for approval to the AERC BOD appointees for the USEF Technical Committee (2005).

6. Proposal to set up a committee to promote FEI rides. Zone reps will provide technical support to ride managers within their zones that run/stage FEI rides.

7. Zones were recommended to revisit their selection procedures in order to streamline the process to save national selector costs, i.e., using a point system. The zone reps will query other riders in their zones, poll their members and make their own decisions. ĞRussell Broussard, Chair, International Committee, February 29, 2004