Re: RC: $20 Fee for National Championship Ride

[Jim Holland <lanconn@tds.net>]

guest@endurance.net wrote:
> 
> K S SWIGART   katswig@earthlink.net
> 
>It would be slightly inaccurate to say that it serves
> all the membership.  As near as I can tell from the reports, there was but
> one rider in the 50 mile ride from the Pacific South, the West, the
> Northwest, the Southwest, or the Mountain Regions (can’t tell for sure,
> since I don’t know which region the Canadians were from).
> 
> And while I cannot speak for everybody, I consider it unlikely that even a
> small percentage of the bulk of the riders that make up the hundred or so
> that attend every ride in this region would go out of their way to attend
> a ride that is half-way across the country—no matter what title they
> bestow, and no matter how swank the awards and no matter how much the AERC
> spends or asks for in promoting it.

The NCR is in the East now.  When it moves West, then not many of us
here in the East will attend, including me. However, some westerners
will go East and some Easterners will go west. I doubt that the intent
here is that the entire Endurance community should descend on this ride,
whereever it is.  I hope the committee responsible for this ride will
always choose a unique venue that offers great scenery, a challenging
trail, and the opportunity to test yourself and your horse over the
distance you choose.  If you had cantered  the trail above Cave Run Lake
with us at sunrise with the Kentucky hills ablaze in fall colors, you
would understand.....that alone was worth my entry fee.

> 
> The fact is there is no one ride or one ride format that provides
> something for ALL endurance riders.  Jim just thinks this one does because
> it provided something for him.  
> This year for me, it was the XP (and there
> were lots of people there and lots of people had a good time and "if you
> didn’t attend this ride, you missed a 'happening'").  However, I am not
> naive enough to think that this is within either the realm OR the interest
> of ALL endurance riders; nor do I think the AERC should have been
> promoting or funding it.

The NCR provided an OPPORTUNITY for ALL Endurance Riders. International
Competition, 100 mile rides, XP, Race of Champions, etc., are all
wonderful but provide no opportunity for many of us for financial
reasons, time, and the lack of a horse that can compete at that level,
etc. We're back yard horse people who compete the best we can. To win a
Regional Award is a big deal for us.

> 
> I can understand why it is that some people like
> rides that have different formats than the rides that I like.  By all
> reports from the people who did attend the NC ride this year, they had a
> good time (and I may be wrong, but I find it hard to believe that getting
> a canvas bag for an entry packet instead of the typical manila envelope
> made any difference to how much participants enjoyed the ride, but as I
> said, I could be wrong).

I agree.....I would have enjoyed the ride just as much if the award had
been the usual T-shirt....but a NC Ride should have a LITTLE extra. I
was planning to attend, even if my horse couldn't go. Good party!
> 

> While it may be YOUR ride, it certainly wasn't mine.  And I know plenty of
> people in my region who had as little interest doing in this summer’s XP
> as I had in doing this fall's NC ride.
> 
> So, since there does appear to be some people in the AERC who are
> interested in this ride and this ride format, I see no reason that the
> AERC should ask for an extra $20 from them to attend the ride (having
> different sanctioning fees for different rides doesn’t strike me as
> particularly "fair"). However, spending upwards of $6,700 in awards for
> the tiny fraction of the membership that attended one ride out of the
> hundreds that were held this year doesn't strike me as particularly fair
> either.

I don't think the AMOUNT of money is the issue....the fact that AERC is
charging the NCR instead of contributing is why some of us have our
panties in wad over this.  I'm sure the financial committee COULD have
come up with a "reasonable" budget? $6,700 sounds like a lot of
money.....but I had no part in organizing the ride or the award
decisions so can't address that.
> 
> Rides that want to present nice awards for the people who attend their
> rides can do so.  I am no more or less appreciative of the managers of
> this year's NC ride than I am of the ride managers of Tevis and the
> Biltmore (both of which, I believe had more attendance), the Duck and
> Randy Eiland (both of whom probably also had more people attend their
> rides), the Old Dominion, the Big Horn, but also the Far Out Forest, the
> Chicken Chase, the Texas Bluebonnet and every other local ride whether it
> has 2 or 200 attendees.
> 
Agreed.....
> 
> So, I will make everybody in the AERC a deal.  I won't ask for special
> funding, promotion, and awards for the rides that I prefer to attend if
> you don't ask for it for your preferences.  Understanding that endurance
> riding is many things to many people and not all people share my
> preferences.
> 

The membership voted that they WANTED a NCR.  You can deal yourself out.
I agree that you can't please everyone, but this IS a democracy. I
assume you voted AGAINST having an NCR? That's OK....your right...but
the MAJORITY voted FOR it.

> p.s.  There does appear to have been some misunderstanding for this year's
> event as to just what the responsibilities of the ride managers was and
> what the responsibilities of the AERC was; and that is unfortunate (and
> probably reflects the fact that, indeed, the NC ride is not a ride for ALL
> AERC members, or it wouldn’t generate such controversy as well as
> ambivalence and inconsistency in determining what is the "right" thing to
> do).  

Aye, there's the rub! Since the members voted to have a NCR, the BOD
committees should have worked closely with the Ride Manager to be sure
they had the sponsors, support, and set an appropriate award level and
budget. Perhaps if they had, we would not be having this controversy. 
As I understand it, a vote by the membership is a directive to the BOD.
Let's just fix it, move on, and do better next time.


>There is no way to have one single ride that serves all the members.

Depends on what you mean by "serves".  If you means "likes, can afford
to attend, and has a horse to compete", you're right. However, the NCR
is the ONLY ride that every Endurance Competitor has the OPPORTUNITY to
participate in. The fact that you don't care to attend is a personal
choice. I physically CAN'T participate in the XP or Internationally. 

In this country, opportunities abound, such as the "RIGHT" to vote...but
you don't have to avail yourself of them. However, you can't tell the
government not to use your tax money to provide the rest of us the
opportunity.

Please don't overlook the fact that this ride will hopefully encourage
our LD riders across the country to move up to Endurance, which will
also benefit the membership in general. Don't look at it as "just a
ride".  There are intangible benefits to AERC here as well.


Jim, Sun of Dimanche, and Mahada Magic