Re: Change in ride requirements

[Tami Lange <tamitl67@yahoo.com>]

Nancy,  I couldn't agree with you more.  If it is an
elite ride for only those with XXXX thousand miles,
then so be it.  I have kept these messages from all
but one of the girls that hope to go to Nationals this
year (the one friend I have included wants to quite
AERC because of the poor treatment the more mile
riders are giving the newer riders...I truely hope
more of the new membership stick with it...remember
this is just a civil debate, when you go to a ride 99%
of the people will be kind and glad you are there).  I
have told the girls/women though that the horse/rider
miles might change to 500 miles.  Everyone is fine
with that.  We will probably ride two less races if
the goal of Nationals is gone, but hey, we will have a
great, fun ride year.  (I will not be riding because
after Oct. 12th I had so much fun I offered my horse
to a youth from my church equestrian team to campaign
her this year).  I hope to be there as crew and
support for my six friends that are hoping to go.  But
we will see.  Thanks for your message.  Tami   
--- nancy Kucera <nakdvm@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hello Tami:
>   I don't know exactly how I feel about these ride
> requirements, and I guess 
> it's mainly because I don't know what it is that
> AERC hopes to accomplish by 
> having a National Championship Ride.  If it is to be
> a more "elite" ride, 
> then by all means toughen up the requirements for
> entry.  However, assigning 
> an arbitrary distance covered by the rider and horse
> does not seem to be a 
> good way of doing this.  Perhaps making it more
> contingent on how many best 
> conditioneds the horse has won, or by increasing the
> amount of top ten 
> finishes the pair has won (after all, one time in
> the top ten could be a 
> fluke) would make better sense than just 500
> lifetime miles.  Someone could 
> do 10 fifties and barely finish and still qualify
> for the National Ride.  I 
> guess if they increase the requirements, I may not
> be able to participate 
> next year (I was finisher #17 this year), but that's
> OK.  I'm in it for the 
> fun, certainly not to make my living at it or to
> bask in any limelight, so I 
> really don't care.  All I know is that we had a good
> time and I was really 
> proud of my horse; if the powers that be don't want
> us novices to compete, 
> so be it. I'll just take my horse to closer rides
> and let all the "serious 
> competitors" slug it out amongst themselves while us
> beginners go and have 
> fun. Just some of my thoughts (the horse didn't have
> much to say).
> Nancy Kucera
> 
>
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