Klaus Balkenhol's Wonderful Letter to the FEI

(Translated from
the German)

Originally Sent Feb. 3 2010
Federation Equestre International
Avenue Rumine 37
CH ˆ 1005 Lausanne Rosendahl
SWITZERLAND

February 3, 2010

Dear Sirs and Madames:

We submit herewith some comments concerning your upcoming roundtable
discussion, scheduled for February 9th, at which you will be
establishing a final plan for the handling of the topic of
Rollkur/Hyperflexion.

Those of us who have signed this letter wish to point out sharply that
new or amended rules with regard to the accepted classical precepts of
riding, which are contained in the guidelines written down in your
Handbook, are absolutely superfluous and therefore unnecessary. These
precepts, which the FEI has up until now felt obliged to uphold, are
already fully developed, tried and tested! They are already recognized
world-wide as authoritative, and as fair to the horse. Based on
centuries of experience, they offer a stable and secure foundation even
for today's riding.

No changes may be made that constitute a burden to the well-being of the
horse, either physically or mentally. If you accept riding in
hyperflexion as a permissible training method, you legitimize aggressive
riding. We protest that in the strongest possible terms!

As horse people, we expect the FEI to maintain unaltered their
regulations, which have until now been valid, resting as they do upon
the classical precepts of riding ˆ for the good of the horses and
the continued good repute of international equestrian sport.

The undersigned support this statement:

Klaus Balkenhol (Olympic medalist)

(Joined by, in alphabetical order)
- Laura Bechtolsheimer (British Record Holder, 3. Europameisterschaften
2009)
- Wilfried Bechtolsheimer (Trainer)
- Ingrid Klimke (Olympic medalist)
- Ruth Klimke (Vice President of the German Riders Union)
- Beezie Madden (Olympic medalist)
- John Madden (Trainer)
- Debbie McDonald (Olympic Bronze medalist)
- Susanne Miesner (Trainer)
- George Morris (Chef d'equipe USEF show jumping team, Olympic
silver medalist)
- Martin Plewa (former German national Three-Day Event trainer, Director
of the Riding and Driving School of Westfalia)
- Michael Putz (Trainer and judge)
- Klaus-Martin Rath (Trainer, member of the Dressage Committee of the
German Olympic
Committee)
- Matthias Alexander Rath (German Meister 2009)
- Hinrich Romeike (Olympic medalist)
- Hubertus Schmidt (Olympic medalist)
- Günter Seidel (Olympic bronze medalist)
- Christine Stückelberger (Olympiic medalist)
- Paul Stecken (Trainer)
- Hans Günter Winkler (Olympic medalist)
- Harry Boldt, Dressur. Doppel-Olympiasieger, früherer Bundestrainer
Dressur, GBR
- Beatrice Büchler-Keller, Swiss, FEI O-Richter
- Nadine Capellmann, Dressur, Olympiasiegrin
- Carsten Huck, Springen, Olympia Bronze-Gewinner
- Michael Klimke, Deuscther Meister, Dressur
- Ann Kathrinne Linsenhoff, Olympiasiegerin, WElt- und Europameisterin,
Mitglied im FN-Präsidium
- Michael Robert, Olympia-Gewinner Bronze, Trainer