MAY 2000 BACK ISSUE
Part of Horse Previews Magazine website. Posted on 05/05/2000; 2:00:00PM.
Reining Approved By FEI
National Reining Horse Association PRESS RELEASEOn April 14, 2000, Reining was approved by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the international governing body of equestrian sports, at the 2000 General Assembly meeting held in Mainz, Germany.
As a result, Reining will take it's place on the international equestrian stage, along with the six other disciplines already sanctioned under FEI guidelines, Dressage, Jumping, Eventing, Driving, Endurance and Vaulting. The only western event to be approved by the FEI, Reining classes will become part of such competitions as the Pan Am Games, the World Equestrian Games, and others.
It will allow spectators in many countries to appreciate the athleticism of horses trained in a discipline based on ranch work in the American West, with such dramatic and audience appealing hallmark maneuvers as spins and sliding stops.
"This will enhance the western horses worldwide, " says Don Burt, Chairman of the United States Equestrian Team's Reining Committee. "In terms of the exposure, acceptance, the level of training-- everything will explode. Reining is now a truly international event and, when you start riding for your country, everything takes on a whole new meaning." Because FEI rules allow only horses six years of age and older to compete, new venues for reining horses will be created, and riders and owners will be able to showcase the longevity of horses trained for this event. "People will see that the older reining horses have a lot of staying power," says Burt.
"Bringing out the longevity in our horses will be a big benefit." Prior to the approval process, FEI representatives viewed a video demonstration of reining featuring highlights of Reining competitions both historical and from recent NRHA Futurity competitions. In the video, such top competitors as Bill Horn and Dell Hendricks gave attendees exposure to Reining at its ultimate. Later during the six-day meeting, the AQHA and the NRHA jointly hosted a gala dinner and boating excursion for the attendees.
In the closed-door session, motions concerning Reining were put forth by Alan Balch, President of the American Horse Shows Association, Jane F.Clark, Vice Chairman of the United States Equestrian Team, and others.
The motions, previously approved in principle by the executive committee, were carried overwhelmingly by the full assembly. The long awaited approval process brings to close a lengthy process marked by hard work by many individuals and organizations.
In the US, it began with work by the National Reining Horse Association and the American Quarter Horse Association in combination with the United States Equestrian Team and the American Horse Show Association to bring the sport to international spotlight. "This is a result of what can happen when groups work together for a common cause, " says NRHA President Frank Costantini. "Research suggests that 80% of Americans ride western," says Balch. "Ranching takes place throughout the world and it's appropriate that the FEI disciplines should evolve from that industry." Reining is a superior type of horsemanship. Jimmy Williams, the great California teacher and trainer, trained his jumpers based on `cowboy dressage.' The inclusion of Reining as an FEI discipline brings us closer to the idea of `one sport indivisible.'
The National Reining Horse Association is the governing body of the sport of reining responsible for enforcing the standards of competition, promoting the sport, and educating its members and the general public about the proper performance of the reining horse in the show arena. NRHA sanctioned 317 events internationally in 1999 and distributed 3.6 million dollars in competition purses.
