Sometimes I get to write about news that is obviously a big deal, and other times I write about things that, like the tip of an iceberg, don’t look like much but are indicative of some bigger things.
In a press release sent out Tuesday eventing, PRO announced that Craig Thompson has stepped down as PRO president and that Phillip Dutton will be taking his place:
“…Phillip Dutton has been appointed President of the Board of Directors following founding board member Craig Thompson’s decision to step down as president. In a letter to the Board of Directors and Riders Advisory Board, Craig cited his desire to focus his time and energy on his family and evolving business interests. He will continue to serve on the board as a member of the Executive Committee.”
This situation is a bit above my pay grade, but I’ll just say that Phillip is a good leader with some very smart ideas for PRO, and this move will help PRO to move more smoothly. PRO has changed a lot since Craig organized it as a group of 25 original riders, and some questions remain about the role of PRO within eventing–as in people regularly ask me “what is PRO’s role in eventing?” But, that’s a post for another day…
In other news, with less 100 days to go, World Equestrian Games ticket sales are 55% below expectations. Fox 41 in Louisville published a quick storythat the COTH linked to which said:
World Games Foundation CEO Jamie Link said the event is “seeing the effects of the economy.”
Organizers expected to sell 600,000 tickets by this time. But only a little more than 260,000 have been sold.
Everyone in Kentucky and the eventing community, including Eventing Nation, is 100% supportive of the Games, but this story is a big problem. I know a lot of riders who won’t be making the trip to the WEGs because of the expense, and those are the horse people who everyone hoped would show up for sure. We still have a long way to go and hopefully sales will pick up.
Lastly, check out more video of Luhmuhlen, again with a horrible soundtrack:
