Development: A Dialogue
The key to development is perceived by too many people to be copying what has been done in developed nations. It is my belief that this is the reason why all kinds of development projects have failed…
Clean Sport: Ethics, Perception and Pragmatism
It is clear to me that everyone involved in our sport should want this major theme to be handled in a way demonstrating unity…..
Policy Development
How do you choose a point on the horizon where you want to be in a couple of years time? I found out there is one very effective method: first listen well…
The General Management Of People: Delegation & Empowerment
The essence of good management I learned (sometimes the hard way) is to first find good people, and then grant them the freedom to carry out their job most effectively…
Motivation for FEI Presidential Candidacy
I am honoured to be nominated by my National Federation as a candidate for the position of the President of the FEI….
Clean Sport: Ethics, Perception and Pragmatism
It is clear to me that everyone involved in our sport should want this major theme to be handled in a way demonstrating unity.
The issue of clean sport, however, is tackled from very different approaches. That explains to me the differences that have erupted from all the discussions.
I think we would all agree that it starts with a) ethics – that is to say how we are allowed to work with our horses and how to maintain fair competition.
Most would also agree that b) the perception of media, the general public and government regulators, is just as important. How we handle clean sport has great consequences for our image. We must, however, understand that if we find a proper way of solving the issue, we can presume we will be able to explain it to the outside world. Instead of us trying to interpret what we believe the outside world thinks we should do; and then implant those views into our sport.
Next to ethics and perception c) pragmatism, or common sense, seems to be at the front of a lot of people’s thinking. On the one hand we have to ask questions like: “What do rules mean in case we have to maintain them, in case we have to control whether they are applied?” and “How do we act against violations?” On the other hand the pragmatism translates to questions like: “How can we work with our horses, give them the proper treatment they deserve, and still compete with them in a manner fair to the horse and other competitors?” That is also an economic question. Everyone understands that a top horse is a valuable possession next to a cherished living being. Pragmatism is therefore important, but not a stand alone item.
People coming from only one of these three aspects (ethics, perception, pragmatism) will not help us any further. And many seem to pick only one angle. It needs a holistic approach to bring these issues together and come up with a solution that is ethically based, accepted by the outside world and operational for riders, owners, veterinaries, officials in the field.
Not easy, but doable. Let’s do it fast.
You, dear sir, are potentially the answer to my prayers with regard to equestrian sport! I believe we need strong ethics balanced by a huge dose of pragmatism- two qualities sorely missing in the FEI.I am very supportive to your platform thus far, and if David O’Connor endorses you it says alot to me. As you may have gathered, I am an avid supporter of eventing- as an owner, rider, and fan. I look forward to hearing more from you. I know how badly we need real change.
Thank You,
Della Williams