endurance prospect, etc.

["Whitney Bass" <bass@bigsky.net>]

Tom, your post brings to mind why I often consider changing sports.  In
other equestrian sports (jumping, dressage, 3-day), you can be quite sure
that the winner is the best horse/rider team on that day.  They've trained
and prepared, they compete and do their absolute best they can on that day.
 In endurance riding, instead of being assured that the winner is the "best
on that day", you can be assured that "winning" rider is willing to ask
more of his/her horse on that day than most all others.  So if I (and
others) tend to look down at those who go hell bent for leather in order to
achieve that win, don't assume that we are "losers", assume that we
perceive those actions as a mistake -- one that we would not like to
duplicate, or even have to watch again.  I consistently top ten all rides I
enter, and keep my horses metabolically and physically sound for years on
end (I'm not thinking just 5 years or so, I'm talking about a career) -- I
consider myself a fairly successful endurance rider.  So, then, why don't I
go for the win more often?  Because I know, after YEARS of observing, that
I am NOT willing to ask of my horse what the "winners" are willing to ask
of theirs.  So, it often makes me consider changing to a sport where the
win is achieved by training, conditioning, partnership, and greatness.  Not
to say that winners of endurance don't have to have all of that, too -- I'm
just saying, that in most cases, any of 5 horses could win a particular
ride, and the win generally goes to the team with the most competitive
rider, the one who is willing to ask that much more of his/her horse.