EDITORIAL – Shame on Equestrian Canada for not letting Kyra compete

(Image: Jim Bradbury, courtesy Hayley Barrett.)

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

A BUREAUCRAT is commonly defined as an official who is —as the Oxford dictionary says — “perceived as being concerned with procedural correctness at the expense of people’s needs.”

Procedural correctness is at play in the case of 10-year-old Kyra Barrett of Pritchard. Kyra has been legally blind since birth and rides in show jumping with the help of her coach who stands in the ring and gives her directions, and who rides a guide horse beside her in cross-country.

She made the news a year ago when she was nine for her love of the sport and her hopes to be able to compete against sighted riders.

Earlier this year Equestrian Canada seemingly certified her as a para-equestrian, which allowed her to be scored along with able-bodied riders in cross-country, show jumping and dressage — called eventing.

But now, Equestrian Canada says there was no approval.

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Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and newspaper editor. He publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.