Indonesian horse riders lack basic skills: Expert<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian horse riders are among the best in
\nSoutheast Asia, but surprisingly they lack basic skills, an
\ninternational equestrian expert said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Wolfgang Niggli, former chairman of the international
\nequestrian federation (FEI), the world equestrian body, told The
\nJakarta Post after a three-day coaching clinic here that many
\nIndonesian riders are not familiar with basic training
\ntechniques.<\/p>\n
\"I can see that a lot of basic training skills are still
\nlacking. Maybe the basics are not known well enough,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Of 12 riders invited to the clinic only five turned up; the
\nothers returned home after the just-concluded 14th National Games
\nlast week.<\/p>\n
Niggli said, however, the riders have good prospects for
\nsuccess in international events. \"Look at Chiang Mai. If only the
\nIndonesian riders had had good horses, they would have won,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In the 1995 Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai, host Thailand
\nadopted a ruling saying that all participants had to use local
\nhorses. Indonesia blamed the regulation for its failure to win
\ngold medals in both the individual and team dressage events.
\nIndonesia had to be content with a silver and a bronze.<\/p>\n
Niggli, who prefers to come here by himself instead of sending
\nsomebody, said that the FEI issues passports for horses to enable
\nthem travel around the world for competitions.<\/p>\n
\"It is still difficult to do more because each country has its
\nown rules. We can't do much about it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Thailand and Malaysia have just opened their borders to
\nforeign horses.<\/p>\n
Commenting on Indonesia's decision to exclude equestrian
\nevents from the 25 proposed medal sports when it hosts the SEA
\nGames next year, Niggli said that the country will lose its
\nbiggest chance to win gold medals.<\/p>\n
\"It's a shame that the National Sports Council wants to drop
\nequestrian events based on medal-tally judging. It will also
\nprevent the sport's development here,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Wijaya, treasurer of the Jakarta Equestrian Association, told
\nthe Post that despite the absence of equestrian events in the SEA
\nGames, two series of the Volvo World Cup will be staged here in
\nSeptember next year.<\/p>\n
The first leg of the tournament will be held on Sept. 7 at the
\nArthayasa Stable in Cinere, South Jakarta, which is owned by
\nRadinal Moochtar's son Rafiq Radinal. The second leg will be
\nstaged a week later at the Ciater Stables in Sukabumi, West Java.<\/p>\n
The championships will feature dressage, jumping and
\nthree-day-event competitions. (yan)<\/p>",
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