Finish Lines

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Mike Everett qbmike@hotmail.com
The biggest hazards in all my endurance experience has been at the finish area. Not always because of the placement of it but by the lack of ride management to have adequate supervision to keep people away from the area. A couple of times when I have been racing in we had to pull up because the riders that had just finished in front of us were standing right across the line with horses and all giving their card to the timer. Absolutely no respect at all for the area. Sometimes there will be people,cars, dogs and etc. hanging all around the line. The people know that horses spook,kick and haul tail to the finish. Nobody should be allowed on the course to the finish or even close to the edge for that matter. Most of the hazards that I see are from other finished or pulled riders and crew that have a lack of respect for the races at the finish area. It is definately ride management responsibility to keep this area safe for all concerned. You do not see people hanging out in the end zone at the Super Bowl or people hanging on the inside rail at the Kentucky Derby. I do not think the security would let the preacher on the track at the Daytona 500 or let someone sit in a chair at the stripe. Put the finish line on a one lane trail if you have to but do not put it in an area where people and their things can get in the way. If the decision is made to place the finish in a congested and questionable area then the ride management should be responsible enough to have adequate personnel the handle the total finishing area. It is without question that there will be accidents but ride management is responsible for their own finish line security. It is easy to point fingers but the best thing to do is to accept responsibility and go on. Mike Everett