Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

> How about if we add another pulse criteria?  Since the longer
> distances have an hour between finish and completion check, have the 25's
> reach a pulse of 60 at or before 30 minutes and 44 at or before 1 hour.
We already have another pulse criterion.  The LD's have to meet pulse before
their time ends.  And that takes a BIG element of "race" out of the events
for the unfit horses.

Is this a tempest in a teapot?  We used to see major problems with what we
now call LDs back when rides as short as 25 miles were allowed for overall
points.  (This was also in the days before Fit-To-Continue, which further
added to the lack of control on short distances.)  Then for a time AERC
simply did not sanction anything less than 50 miles.  Period.  Then LD was
born--with a different philosophy and eventually with the additional control
of the clock continuing to run until the pulse comes down.  We cannot get
rid of abusive riders, but we seem to do a pretty good job of containing
them on LDs.  The few "career racers" on LDs do seem to be doing them on fit
horses, and the majority of LD riders, in my experience, are not racing.
FWIW, at many rides, the front-running 50's are FASTER than the
front-running LDs, and it is a "fast" LD where the front runners even equal
the 50 pace.

And if front-running LDs are "mowing down" slow 50-milers, that is a ride
management issue--RMs need to look at course design and starting intervals,
and eliminate the problem.  It isn't necessarily just the fault of the LD
riders for "going too fast."

Heidi


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