Re: Difference between LD and other distances

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

At 02:08 PM 10/13/00 -0700, DreamWeaver wrote:

>LD riders have no reason to bitch.  The AERC recognizes them and gives them 
>more awards and recognition than 100 milers get.  Look in EN, they are even 
>listing riders who have received one LD BC award in the standings in each 
>region.  You don't see very many people doing 50's who get listed with only 
>one BC.  You don't see many people listed in the regional standings with 
>only a couple hundred miles either, but you can be National Champion on the 
>LD category with only 500 miles.  I have had at least two years where my 
>second string horse has done between 500 and 725 miles and **did not even 
>rank** in the standings in my region.  I guess if I had wanted recognition, 
>I should have done it 25 mile at a time instead.
>
>Anybody that can do simple math can go to aerc.org and look up a horses 
>RIDE HISTORY.  Who cares how it is separated.  You can add it up anyway you 
>like.  The horse doesn't care.  Pity the poor person who does, they just 
>don't get it.

This was not my point...and I'm sorry it sounded as if I was "bitching" --
I wasn't (noted by my injection of emoticons <g> -- and I don't think
anyone else was bitching either.)  I would just like to see Total Lifetime
Mileage to mean exactly that -- not some of this and some of that -- for
both the rider and the horse.  I wasn't writing about recognition, prizes,
standings, respect of lack there-of, or any of those things that seem to
get lumped into this -- that wasn't the issue.  I was just saying that, if
you pay money to ride miles as a member of an organization, there should be
a column that has a true total of "miles actually ridden" under the
umbrella of the organization...not a total of only certain distances and
*that* claimed as "Total Miles".  Yes, I *know* you can look it up and add
it together (duh! -- and it STILL wouldn't be considered lifetime
miles)...and yes, I *know* the horses don't care (another duh!) -- it's not
done for the satisfaction of the horses to begin with.  Why can't it be
done the other way around...Total Miles and then have that number divided
up into Endurance and LD? 

Please keep all of the other aspects clear of this singular item...I don't
care who gets the most prizes, BCs, and so on...and I don't care if LD is
looked down on by some -- as to be of so little importance that it can't
even be counted for total lifetime miles...I don't care if some choose to
ride LD forever and never ride anything further.  I would just like to see
miles ridden with this organization counted for the grand total.  If I
never ride another LD in my lifetime, I will still feel this way.

Sue (donning my flame suit) 



sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.