To all the athletes and leaders of the ECF Member Nations
To all the athletes and leaders of the ECF Member Nations
May I ask the representatives of the nations to forward my message to all your members.
Dear athletes, dear friends.
In my capacity of Chairman of the ECF, I offer my apologies to the athletes, leaders and accompanying people who made the trip to Cirencester in order to take part to what should have been a festive event, the 15th Europe Canicross and Bike-Jöring Championships. As it turned out, they took part to an outrageously lucrative « CanineMAX » activity for the benefit of Richard Cook and his commercial company Canix.
It was to be expected, but not to that extent !
The ECF was ridiculed !
My aim and the board’s aim (Yvon Lasbleiz /Vice- Chairman – Martin Droeschout /Secretary – Willy Charmillot/Treasurer) and Miroslaw Piecko’s aim (Head of the Technical Commission) was to let the competition run its course and that the titles would be awarded with the sole purpose not to penalize the athletes. We accepted humiliations in order to protect you.
At the end of the first day, the Technical Commission already reacted firmly.
As the medals have now been awarded, it is our duty to sanction at last Richard Cook (manager of the commercial company Canix) to have transformed a respectable and venerated ECF event into a mere money-making machine.
Moreover, Richard Cook has not paid the ECF !
I inform you of it that I am submitting to the Nations’ voting Richard Cook’s (and his company Canix’) expulsion as a member of the ECF, for the reasons below :
1) Richard Cook is the manager of the commercial company Canix. He confessed this on the occasion of the GM held in the UK, on 21 April 2012.
Yet, according to our articles of association, a nation shall be represented by a federation.
2) Richard Cook has not been elected by the UK athletes; he has as a consequence no right to represent them.
He secures his dictatorship by sanctioning the UK athletes who thwart against his wishes : fines or exclusion. He refused the entrance for the various European Championships to the athletes who rebelled against him.
3) He refuses to pay to the ECF the amount he is owing by statutory agreement, i.e.
€ 472 (€ 2 x 236 adult competitors entered in the European Championship).
1) Moreover, there is also a thick file concerning the numerous shortcomings and irregularities committed during the European Championship he has just organised with and through CanineMAX and not with and through the ECF. You will have the opportunity to have a look at this file as soon as possible.
It is clear that we have been insufficiently vigilant and I offer my apologies therefore. But in our defence, you must know that we have been fooled. It is after the Baraque Fraiture event (Belgium in 2010) that we began to understand his functioning. Unfortunately, the 2012 European Championship had already been granted to him.
I express the hope that the UK athletes will at last create a real Canicross and Bike-Jöring Federation. This will allow them to elect their representatives who will subsequently be invited to seat on the occasion of the future General Meetings held by the ECF.
Let us meet again in one year in Switzerland (Porrentruy) to compete in an excellent atmosphere on the occasion of a great, friendly and festive ECF event, all displaying sportsmanship.
Yours sincerely,
Jean-Pierre Talbot (Président ECF)