I have founded and been president for the Swedish Akhal-Teke Association since 1997 until us moving to the USA. I learned a lot and had a great time being involved in a breed association that represented a small and new breed in Sweden. I looked forward though, in moving here to being just a breeder and enjoy not having to put the association first and enjoy being a member of an association and take part of its existing infrastructure. I am at this point very disappointed and also puzzled by the situation for the breed in this big country. I have found out that there are two associations, The Akhal-Teke Association of America and the Akhal-Teke Association of America. Until this day it has been impossible for me to find out answers to some basic questions I have to the two associations, for example how many Akhal-Tekes are registered in each association? No answer, I also applied for membership in both, but so far no response. I am really surprised to find out the lack of support you get as a breeder and for the breed from the two associations we have here. When I study other breed associations here in the US they seem to be very well managed and do a lot for promotion of their breeds. What went wrong?

1. ROBERT COATES09/01/2005 22:28:00

JESSICA ,
FEEL FREE TO CALL ME ANYTIME, AT 858 486-1750, AND I WILL TRY AND EXPLAIN OUR VIEW WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE ATAA AND WHY THERE WAS A SECOND ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE HAVE STAYED OUT OF THE WEB PAGES. NOT MADE ANY COMMENTS AND CONTINUED OUR BUSINESS AS USUAL.

ROBERT COATES
PRESIDENT
AKHAL-TEKE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

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2. Jessica 09/02/2005 10:46:50

Robert,
Thank you for your reply. As we have never met I must confess that I by some is considered the enfant terrible within this breed. They might be right I by according to myself I have a goal and I work to obtain it and I am not always diplomatic, I try to work on it and I'm sure every added year to my age will calm down my temper and improve my behaviour towards others.
Back to the issue, I think that your associations here in the USA have a lot of work to do when it comes to transparency and quality assurance. I cannot see why such a simple question as how many Akhal-Tekes you have registered cannot be answered in an open forum such as the mailing list where i posted this question weeks ago. Both your assocations promote yourselves as breed and registering associations, saying that you take on a big responsability. Here in the US the breed associations are under no supervision or control by the government and I therefore must be even more transparent than the associations that are forced to work with quality assurance by their states or government.
These are to me very important issues and I will do hope we can continue to discuss these issues creatively.
You are welcome to visit us any time here in Florida, and I will contact you whenever I will go to California to visit my babies.

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