Re: NO dogs at Limestone Challange

["ruprecht" <ruprecht@tidepool.com>]

Limestone Challange, we counted 10 dogs, and they were all loose.

The Ruprechts three, or maybe four.

----- Original Message -----
From: <BMcCrary27@aol.com>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2000 9:12 AM
Subject: RC: NO dogs at Limestone Challange


> << I'll be interested to see how many dogs you end up with in camp.  I
> attended
>  > a ride a few weeks ago where the entry very clearly stated "absolutely
no
>  > dogs...leave your dogs at home!"  Even though I was driving 6 hours
alone
> to
>  > the ride, I left my dogs at home.  I really enjoy having them with me
when
>  > I'm travelling alone and for some odd reason they do make me feel safer
and
>  > help to keep me awake on that long drive home after riding 50 miles
(the
> Jack
>  > Russel sure can tell a good joke :).  When I arrived at camp there were
> five
>  > or six dogs romping around and to make it worse, they weren't even on
>  > leashes.   The unfairness of it just made me mad.  I'd love to see ride
>  > managers (as though you don't have enough to do, eh?) enforce the "no
dog"
>  > thing when it is stated on the entry -- deny entry to people who can't
even
>  > follow that simple of an instruction.  This is a pet peeve of mine --
> people
>  > who think the rules just aren't intended for them. >>
>
> This is one of the ongoing challenges to ride managers.  There are very
good
> reasons why some ride managers do not want dogs or cannot have them in a
ride
> camp:  Park rules or personal requirements are among those.  And other
riders
> are not always as enthralled with YOUR dogs are you are, just as they are
not
> always enthralled with YOUR children.  I must express gratitude to our
riders
> and guests at Castle Rock just this last weekend.  The dog situation was
> pretty much quiet.  In the past we've had all sorts of trouble caused by
dogs
> and their owners' attitudes.  We began banning dogs, but there are always
> those who will not listen, do not follow the camp policies, and bring dogs
> who run loose, bark all night, etc.  This year we offered a compromise:
dogs
> were allowed and a special area was designated for camping with dogs, an
area
> that was a bit farther away from the main central section of camp where
the
> food was served and the vetting was conducted.  We reuired dogs to be
> confined in a trailer or motor home during the event, dogs were not
allowed
> in the main camp or at the start-finish line.  They were allowed to be
walked
> on leash, outside of the main camp area.  I know dogs were brought, but I
> will have to say that I personally did not notice a problem with any of
them,
> and several riders thanked me for designating a special area for camping
with
> them.  A nearby resident had a newborn foal and very young kids (goats),
so
> there was another very good reason for keeping dogs under control.  If
guests
> continue to comply with our requirements, things will continue smoothly.
I
> can live with the dogs as long as they are not in the main camp, at the
> start-finish line, or running loose.  It is EXTREMELY difficult to send
> someone home if they brought dogs, because it would take a police force
with
> search warrants to deal with this.  And frankly, a ride manager doesn't
need
> this extra stress; there are better ways to expend energy than going on
dog
> patrol.  All I can say for myself is that if everyone handles this as well
as
> they did this year, it's going to be OK.  If things get out of hand again,
I
> would seriously consider cancelling the ride and spend my time riding
other
> people's rides or just planting flowers and going for pleasure rides.  The
> mericifully few who defy rules and policies are not only making it tough
for
> ride managers but are making OTHER riders angry.  Anyone who reads this
and
> is guilty might just think a little bit about the price of their defiance
or
> determination to have their own way.  WE have found a compromise, but
state
> agencies will not offer one, so it's your choice folks....you either leave
> your dogs at home, or you don't attend the ride. (I love the expression,
> "Just which part of NO don't you understand?"
>
> Barbara McCrary
> RM, Castle Rock 50 & Swanton Pacific 100
>
>
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