Ridecamp: [RC] Very Young Riders

>> Say (for example) a junior rider has to have at least 100 miles of LDs
to be eligible to enter a 50 mile ride? (and) A junior rider has to have
at least 400 miles to be eligible to enter a 100 mile >>>>ride?Anybody
have a problem with this idea?

Yeah, some competitive mom decides that as soon as that kid's out of
utero it's time to start racking up some qualifying miles. :-P  I've
sposored lots of jrs and am "campaigning" one now. I'll make a
confession...SPONSORS ARE COMPETITIVE TOO. I may be out of the points
race for a certain year...but hey...sponsoring the top dog kid's the next
best thing...and you get to bring home so much *stuff*! Besides, we're
talking about people who believe in hereditary attributes passing on from
the best to the best.  If my kid's good, makes me look like a "good
producer" >g<

>>2)    if not, the parent is assumed to be competent of making this
decisionfor the child.  This happens with AERC when the >>parent signs
the waiver forthe child.

Didn't I hear on NPR this summer about a ski accident where it was ruled
that a parent cannot sign away a minor's right to sue? 

I doubt anybody's kids started riding sooner than mine. I sat Josie on a
pony the day I brought her home from the hospital anticipating a time
like this when I could say I did. >g< She had a tiny little Thelwell pony
that she dragged and rode everywhere unassisted when she was 2.  When she
was 4 she could shinny up a 14.2 pony's leg and manage to get on it's
back bareback (I have proof on video) She counted the days till she could
do her first ride. Thank goodness SERA made a rule she had to be 8. Saved
me a LOT of argueing.  Then, guess what? 8 rolled around and I took one
look at that little kid who could do a jump course, go on trail rides
with me, all sorts of things and decided there was NO WAY I was ready to
risk her hide at the start of an endurance ride yet. She did her first
ride which was a 50 when she was 10. That felt very early to me.

On the maturity of bones thread. Angle is everything when it comes to
joint health. I've found a narrow horse is far easier on the knees.  Can
you imagine having legs the length of a 3-5 year old and doing the
Chinese splits over the saddle, then trying to bend between the knee and
ankle to turn the corner down the horse's side...then posting on
that...for 18 hrs? Scott, Joe has sponsored a lot of juniors and he's
done a lot of 100's, I think he knows of what he speaks.

 The surgeon who advised SERA said long term repetitive motion on the
growing joints was dangerous. I believe he came up with the age of 8.  I
started a very fast growing, tall junior at age 11.  She damaged the
growth plates in her ankle, and began to have to ride with an air cast.
I've heard another famous AERC child star had the knees of an old woman
while in her teens.  One of my students just set a Junior Olympic World
Record in Weight Lifting. However, he can't play for our high school
football team because he messed up something in his leg while his joints
were immature.

If an adult hurts, they can adjust their pace. A junior is stuck with
their sponsor. How many sponsors tell their kids they have a "no whining"
rule?  Can you imagine going down the trail *knowing* you needed to
change something but having to shut up and prove you were tough?  I
really hate to let anyone else sponsor my child and one reason is that I
know she wouldn't complain if she were in trouble.

Finally, yes Virginia, it is a race.  At Hahira a few years back a woman
started in the back of the 25's with a string of tiny kids like ducklings
obediently following her down the trail. It was the *cutest*
thing....until they were on single track coming in to the finish at the
same time the leaders for the 50 came racing around the curve for the
finish.  Scattered them like quail.  Maybe somebody else is vain enough
to want to say, "My kid did it the youngest" but as my students say, "I
ain't feelin' that.

Angie

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