The proposed rules were run by the high performance riders this week, and Robert Costello, the active athlete representative said the riders understand the proposal is "aimed at really getting people's attention, like 'Wow, I've got to ride a little more thoughtfully.'"
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- USEA President Kevin Baumgardner
- © 2008 by Nancy Jaffer
O'Connor noted, "I am pushing this very hard." He pointed out that while the top professionals are "making our courses look easy, beautiful and fun to watch" at the other extreme, "you get guys not as competent doing it by aggression or being too slow, and they're the ones affecting the sport."
While qualifications to move up the levels are already being increased for the 2009 season, "riders are talking about trying maybe to make them harder even still."
Kevin Baumgardner, president of the USEA, noted about the proposals, "These are obviously just a first step and not intended to be comprehensive rule changes. They highlight something we think is paramount right now, making sure we protect horses and that everyone who goes out on course realizes they have a paramount obligation to their horse. This is just one piece of the puzzle. These proposals are obviously a start, but there is much more to be done."
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