RE: Dead/Alive -TEVIS RESCUE Part 2

["Bob Morris" <bobmorris@rmci.net>]

Safety is a universal buzz word now days. It is in the same group as apple
pie and motherhood. NO ONE and I really mean no one can fault it or deny it.
A point in case that is very immediate to me. Boise was a military base when
the west was won. The Army practiced artillery firing into the foothills
from 1870 to about 1935 (aprox) Now the Government wants to spend 2.2
million to clean up the scrap because some one might get injured. 130 years
and no reportable incidents BUT. The Government considers the risk to be
less than half of being struck by lightening but will spend all that money
to do the job. Mind you it will not get done before 2002 or 2003 (if then)
but the danger still exists so they say.

Safety at the Tevis could, with outside influence, become a big money item.
If the issue is pressed the Agencies could impose stricter regulations,
require increased insurance and/or deny the event on the grounds of the
safety issues. Safety is a personal issue in endurance riding. You are the
ultimate, responsible end of the chain.

Remember,  one of the drawing points of endurance riding is the team effort
of you and the horse against the trail. No one forces you to compete. You
make the decision. If you feel the trail is to tough then you are not tough
enough for the trail. Go ride in the ring or some place else. When the
majority of the riders complete a ride but a few complain about the trail
(the NC rides) then you know that  some of the riders just were not ready to
ride the ride. No one forced them to compete. No one promised them a rose
garden. No one promised them they would even survive the ride.

Sorry, but the generation now riding leads me to believe they do not know
what hardship is and they do not want to learn. Failure is the one most
positive way to learn.

Bob Morris

-----Original Message-----
From: Bette Lamore [mailto:woa@stormnet.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2000 10:39 AM
To: Lif Strand
Cc: Ridecamp
Subject: RC: Dead/Alive -TEVIS RESCUE Part 2


OOPS
That was supposed to read, "If there were NO emergency services for the
Olympics.."
In the heat of passion my brain went faster than my fingers. Realized I
sounded a bit snitty, Lif. No offense meant, but geez, I don't think PR
should EVER be a consideration where safety is concerned. I guess that
pushed my button.

Bette

Lif Strand wrote:
>
> I don't know of any ride that says they will provide rescue services for a
> horse entered in a race.  I have never presumed that there would be.
>
> Tevis is a race with steep climbs and that is not a secret.  Accidents
will
> and can happen.  I figure that when a person enters any endurance race,
> they should approach it the same way they would a long conditioning ride -
> that is, the person who is on the horse assumes responsibility.  Come to
> the race prepared to help yourself & don't rely on RM to provide a safety
> net.  It says on the Tevis webpage, (second sentence!) "Participants in
> this event do so at their own risk and must pay an entry fee. They must
> also sign a waiver of liability...".  Perhaps Denise's story is a good
> reminder of what "ride at your own risk" means.
>
> I have to add that I can't think of worse PR for our sport then to have
> emergency services standing by at races.  Lif
>
> ______________________________________________________
> Lif & Paul Strand  STRAND ENTERPRISES fasterhorses.com
> providing you with alternatives for your life
> Web Page Design * Computer Graphics * Internet Research * Fine Art
> Blue-Green Algae & other complementary health options
> Arabian Horses for Distance Riding
> fax: (561) 594-4609
>
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
> Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

--
Bette Lamore
Whispering Oaks Arabians, Home of 16.2hh TLA Halynov
(yes, REALLY!)
http://www.arabiansporthorse.com


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=