What the Rules say (was Finish Lines)

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

K S SWIGART     katswig@earthlink.net

The rules say the rider is responsible:

“The AERC services the requirements of the competitor by promulgating 
and establishing rules and regulations, recording and publishing 
results of events, and providing awards; but the competitor is 
ultimately responsible for self and mount before, during and after an 
endurance ride.”

However, ride management may take whatever measures it likes to 
increase safety at a ride:

“AERC Rules and Regulations provide minimum conditions and directives 
for managing and competing in AERC sanctioned endurance rides.  
Additional measures may be taken by any ride to provide greater safety 
for equine and rider.”

The only thing, with regards to the finish that is required of Ride 
Management by AERC rules is:

“5.4 There must be a pre-designated marked finish line perpendicular 
across the trail.”

What state laws say depends, I would guess, on what state you are 
talking about and who the land owners are over which the course passes.  
The extent of legal liability of the ride manager would also be a 
function of the legal relationship between the ride manager and the 
land owner/s.


With regards to an account of what “actually” happened.  The closest 
thing that I have seen to that is the ride manager’s post that was sent 
last week (msg # 291) that started this whole discussion up again.  
However, it is important to understand that even that post is just one 
person’s point of view.  Another person’s report might differ 
significantly depending on all aspects of his point of view (where 
he was standing, what he was watching and when, and the sum of 
all his life’s experiences which makes each of us see the same things 
differently).  If there even is such a thing as what “actually” 
happened (i.e. if there is such a thing as truth independent of the 
observer), then what “actually” happened is unknowable.  There are no 
facts, only observations.

Whether there even is such a thing as truth independent of an observer 
would be a long philosophical discussion with no answer that is totally 
beyond the scope of this list.  Einstein would say there isn’t.:)

kat
Orange County, Calif.