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I am highly concerned about the “resignation” of Mike Tucker from his position as Chairman of British Eventing. For the time being I have given this website over to expressing this, through the publication of the following letter, sent to both the Board of British Eventing and The Horse& Hound magazine with a view to raising my concerns among the membership and supporters of British Eventing.
There are links at the bottom of this page for those who would like to send their own messages to either British Eventing or Horse & Hound concerning this matter. CLICK HERE to go straight to them.
Open letter to
The Board of
British Eventing
17 September
2005
Dear Board
members
I am extremely
disappointed that the board of British Eventing has forced, or accepted, Mike
Tucker’s resignation as Chairman. Though not privy to their deliberations, nor
the Windsor Event finances, I would be astonished if there were any question of
financial impropriety on his part.
Apparently the
financial loss was considerable – it drew much head shaking among the
cognoscenti at Blenheim – but I cannot believe that this loss has so damaged
British Eventing’s finances that the Chairman should go.
I am not suggesting
for one minute that serious mistakes were not made, nor that there aren’t
lessons to be learned.
But there is a
difference between ensuring that Boards and Directors are held properly
accountable and making an individual a scapegoat.
Mike Tucker has
not brought about the financial ruin of British Eventing. On the contrary I
would bet that he has done much to bring money into the sport over the years.
I wonder if the
Directors were unanimous about what should be done as they considered the issues
at stake - namely the financial losses, the management of the event itself, and
the effectiveness of the Board’s oversight?
I understand
that Mike did the decent thing and offered his resignation? But I do not think
that the other Directors should have accepted it.
Given that they
did, could it be that they were more concerned with protecting their individual
reputations, as Windsor could be argued to have been an issue of collective
responsibility for the Board?
If one balances
Mike’s contribution to British Eventing with Windsor this knee-jerk reaction is
neither fair nor strategically good for the sport in the long term.
Mike
Tucker’s enthusiasm, energy, leadership and vision are just the kind of
qualities we should have in a Chairman. If we sacked everyone who took a risk,
or made a mistake, the sport would have few participants.
Wouldn’t it
have been better if Mike had been given the chance to explain what had happened
at the AGM, with the support he deserved from Board, and apologised if necessary
to the members?
Wouldn’t it
also be better for the Board to stand up and to admit that mistakes were made
of both management and oversight, but that lessons had been learned?
Can I be the only person who thinks
that Mike Tucker should be re-instated and given the opportunity to sort the
problem out? I hope not.
For the reference of the membership I
have sent a copy of this letter to The Horse and Hound magazine, and put a copy
on my website (www.richardconstant.com), to make people aware
of my views and concerns on this matter.
I urge the
Directors strongly, as a member, and owner, and an enthusiast of the sport, to
reconsider your decision and bring Mike Tucker back.
Yours
faithfully
R A M Constant, MBE
To download a copy of this letter in Adobe PDF
format please CLICK HERE.
If you would like to express
your own concerns over this matter to either the Board of British Eventing or
the Editor of the Horse and Hound please feel free to use the links below :
To send an e-mail
about this issue to me, Richard Constant, CLICK
HERE
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