Ridecamp: Re: [RC] The Way We Win

Linda Flemmer wrote:

>  How do we satisfy
> that need to excell individually without the "ride
> ranking" that runs into the problems outlined above?

>From Matthew....

You cannot "win" an individual ride -- you will be paid in individual
recognition for sustained achievement on a cumulative basis, and the more
consistently you run high, the higher your personal reward and the greater your
personal eminence.

You have to prove your prudence over the course of the season and career and not
your chutzpath on one ride. It's about sustained stewardship, that puts the
horse's needs first. Because the fundamental concept of endurance riding was to
display the endurance quality of your horse--it wasn't about how fast you can go
but how well you can demonstrate that you have a superior horse without hurting
it. This is about getting into the Hall of Fame.

TWWW takes nothing away from those who are trying to prove the quality of their
horse and their horsemanship.  People whose ego runs ahead of their stewardship
have no place in endurance riding, and you don't have to change the sport to put
a steering current on the people who are in it for their egos. Just 'pay' them
to do what you want them to do. All of the people who gained top five placings
in the Old Dominion began the day with no expectation of a placing. The winner
went out to finish the day with a healthy horse. The two horses in front of her
all day had ambitions, and were metabolically fine, but both were lame at the
finish.

Folks, help us find ways to describe these concepts. I'm not preaching a
doctrine, only pointing out to you that endurance was conceived as a horse and
rider team effort and when you reward the rider more than you reward the horse
you have strayed from the basic concept. And we all need to talk about it until
the solutions are obvious and acceptable to everybody. Never to those who ride
for their own ends....or who ride today's ride for their own egos.  And it ain't
far off...Dane is no fool. He knows that this is getting damn close to the fire.
We had hoped to have years to work it out, but all of the auguries are for an
imminent wreck if we don't turn this ship away from the iceberg.

Would you join the steering committee to get us to the place where stewardship
over time, with the speed entirely at the discretion of the rider, is the reward
for both superior and elite performance?

Matthew Mackay-Smith, DVM
White Post, Virginia


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