Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Continued from part one........

The single AERC Championship ride winners up to 5th place in each weight division in a single 100 mile ride and a single 50 mile ride got awesome awards. That is the AERC ride they put on and the AERC spends more money and on organization on that single ride than award winners riding all year long. They got really nice trophies about 2 ft high. A large one for 1st place and smaller ones for the remaining 4 in each weight division. First place and BC received special awards as well. Plus they all received a nice blanket and a jacket too can you believe that! They receive better awards than Regional and National Standing riders simply for getting int he top 5 of a single ride that nearly takes anything to Qualify. The ceremony spends more time on that single championship ride than the national award winners overall. This to me is really really wrong. But we decided we will go to that ride this year.
Hall of Fame horse winner Zianete owned by Jackie Brumgardner did not have a single picture to display. Nor did they have a picture of Earl Baxter for Hall of Fame rider. Slides should be shown for something like this..... from his child hood to the present time. That is a hudge achievement and should be treated in a better manner than just calling out his name. This is a lifetime of achievement! Grant you his friend did have a touching speech for him and took a few tears from my eyes but there should have been puddles.

Limited Distance Junior division award plaques were larger than the National Junior award plaques.  LD mileage juniors ride at the most 200 mile in one season. National junior riders ride nearly..... or over 1000 miles in one year......My son rode 1100 miles this year.  All the National Junior plaques were the same size, a little 5x7 plaque no difference in size from 1st, 2nd 3rd etc. Limited Distance Junior first place received a 8x10 size plaque, the others received a 5x7.
My son got a 5x7 little plaque for First Place National Junior Mileage Championship that is no difference in size from second place. This really bothers me. We point chased with second place and there should be a difference in the size of plaque. All Juniors need to be rewarded better than this anyways! A little tiny plaque for riding all year long and missing football and other school sports having to study harder to travel. Missing school makes it hard for them to keep up on there grades they work hard. They have to find time to condition there horses and keep there grades up and that limits there time to do anything else. It is not an easy thing for a kid they could be doing something else. The AERC Junior committee should be doing something about this. Big trophy's and jackets should be given to National #1 Juniors you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
I know it may sound like I am a complaining mother and I would like to see how the rest of you feel about this sort of thing. I would like to know your thoughts I really think we need to speak out and change some of how the National Award Ceremony is being done. I for one want to see if I can Sponcer the Junior division awards. Trail-Rite Training Center can sponcer the awards for that like Easyboot dose for Pioneer. I would be very happy to do that. My son only has another 1/12 as a Junior so I am not considering this solely for his benefit. That is not important to me..... I really feel all juniors should be rewarded for doing this sport how else can we keep our kids involved. Kids are kids they will loose incentive at this rate!    

AERC needs to work on there organizational procedures better and we need to speak up. AERC has trippled in size in the last 3 years it's time to stop running the national awards ceremony like a single endurance ride award banquet.
Sorry I don't mean to complain and I hope this doesn't offend anyone. I know all of you on the board and committee work very hard! I love our association! AERC is a big part of my life! I am grateful for the organization! This spot consumes all of my life practically for those of you who know me knows this! I would like to thank AERC for everything it offers us! However I would also like to see some changes and see better credit and awards given to the riders that achieve what I think represents the sport (Miles) :)
I would be very happy to be on the Junior committee board next year BTW!