AHSA RELEASES STATEMENTS ON EQUESTRIAN SPORT GOVERNANCE

The American Horse Shows Association (AHSA) today released two statements on the governance issues facing equestrian sport.  The first (1) is a memorandum to the AHSA Board of Directors and other leaders of the organization detailing the letter received by the AHSA and United States Equestrian Team (USET) from Sandra Baldwin, Chair and President of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

The second (2) is a memorandum to leaders of the USET in advance of a meeting scheduled for its Trustees this evening, Wednesday, March 7, 2001.

These documents are available on the AHSA website at www.ahsa.org  by clicking on the Equestrian Governance page:  

(1)   USOC  letter

TO:                  Board of Directors

                        Board of Governors, National Hunter/Jumper Council

                        National Western Council

                        Zone Committees

                        National and International Equestrian Affiliates Council

                        Athlete Leaders

FROM:            Alan F. Balch

SUBJECT:        United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Equestrian Sport Supervision

On Monday, both the AHSA and United States Equestrian Team received a letter from Sandra Baldwin, President and Chair of the USOC [attached].  It is good news for the sport.

While the USET’s  formal challenge of the AHSA’s NGB status is underway, “the USOC will continue to recognize the AHSA as the National Governing Body for the sport of equestrian.”  The USOC expects the AHSA and USET to maintain the status quo of our relationship “to the greatest extent practicable,” now that the Operating Agreement has expired.  The USOC will provide the AHSA, as NGB, the USOC funds that have been sent directly to the USET under the terms of the Operating Agreement.  Then the AHSA will forward those funds to the USET for approved USOC programs, as we did prior to enacting the Operating Agreement.

We are also pleased that the USOC has not found it necessary to intervene directly at this time, but will closely monitor activities in the sport, as the AHSA requested it to do.  There will be weekly meetings of the AHSA and USET Executive Directors attended by the USOC’s Managing Director, Sport Resources.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me directly if you have any questions or concerns.

(2)   USET letter

TO:                  United States Equestrian Team Trustees

                        USET National Advisory Council

                        Equestrian Athlete Leaders

FROM:            Alan F. Balch, AHSA President and USET Vice President

SUBJECT:       Equestrian Sport Governance

Attached is my communication today to the AHSA Board of Directors on the same matters we received a commentary on yesterday from the USET leadership.  

Also attached is a letter sent by Robert Standish to the USOC Executive Committee prior to the meeting of the Membership Committee.  Of course, the Membership Committee and the Executive Committee could not possibly have known that the USET leadership had no intention of withdrawing support as it threatened, and in fact had a plan in place to approve a $7 million budget for 2001.  Fortunately, the USOC had the insight to understand that the USET existed for 46 years before the Operating Agreement, assisting the AHSA in its NGB duties.  As we have stated before, the Operating Agreement formed the basis for much of the USET’s challenge of the AHSA, so the AHSA had no choice but to let it expire.  The AHSA’s governance of the sport has never been based on “whim,” nor does it seek “to strip” from the USET any of its assets, as is clear from past experience and from our proposals.  However, the AHSA must be prepared, and is prepared, to assume greater direct responsibility for any matters it must, given the aggressive actions of the USET and any dictates that might be forthcoming from the USOC.   

A National Governing Body (NGB) is just that:  a body that governs a sport nationally.  Our national sport is broad and diverse.  It doesn’t just begin and end where international competition does, any more than Track and Field does, or Soccer, or any other sport included on the Olympic program.  Sports with large, diverse followings have large, diverse NGBs, which ensure success at the top international level. 

This is one sport, and we believe it ought to be governed as one sport.  We ought to have an appropriate, professional, segmented organization to assure broad-based development, and fund-raising, at the same time as increased focus is devoted to exceptional talent.  One assures the other. 

The USET’s historic role has been in the service of some of our country’s most elite international athletes in 6 of the 7 FEI disciplines.  However, of all the equestrian athletes competing internationally last year for the USA, an Olympic year, more than 88% were not supported by the USET when they competed in foreign international events.  Only 11.7% of international athletes for the USA in 2000 were part of USET sponsored tours, including the Olympic Games.  As NGB, the AHSA is specifically authorized to sanction amateur sports organizations such as the USET, and others, to sponsor athletes to compete in international athletic competitions.  We will continue to do so. 

There are thousands upon thousands of our athletes aspiring to its top international levels, and our best international equestrians compete constantly at other national levels as well, simultaneously.  Nor do our athletes all think alike on these governance matters.  A large block of 60 of the most accomplished riders in Jumping on the West Coast have endorsed the AHSA consolidation plan.  So have many other riders and drivers, in response to the USET pressure for “voting,” which many were misled to believe came from the USOC itself.  Differences of opinion among our athletes must be respected.  The USET’s decision to pit athlete against athlete is divisive and harmful, when our top athletes are expected to compete together in teams representing our country. 

With each passing day, it is increasingly evident that neither the sport nor the USET will collapse now that the Operating Agreement has expired.  Therefore, it is now also clear that the AHSA in no way “forced” the USET to commence its litigation.   The only “irreparable harm” the USET will suffer is that which it is inflicting upon itself.  The USET leadership ought to recognize now that the human and financial resources being devoted to this litigation would be much better dedicated to the athletes and their programs, by both organizations.  The same is true of the resources the USOC must now utilize for this matter.  The AHSA’s proposals for governance in the future are based, in the best possible case, on a combination of the sport’s strongest assets, and collaboration between organizations in getting to that point.  All that stands in the way is the USET’s continuing litigation, to which the AHSA must necessarily respond.