[RC] Fast LDs and the lack of 100 mile riders - Mike & Laurie Hilyard
To me, these are two sides of the same coin.
If I consistently ride my horse 10 miles two days a week - say Saturday and
Sunday, I will have plenty of horse to clip off a 25, but not nearly enough
horse for a hundred. Not everyone is going to prioritize horse
conditioning before jobs, family, or even Star Trek reruns. If they are
riding shorter distances, they are showing good sense. Are the actual
number of 100 milers down, or are they just spread over a lot more rides?
I can't imagine having enough time to condition a horse for that, even if you
could maintain it once you were there by other rides. . .
Of course, anybody who remembers seeing me ride
(before the kid was born, who blew horse conditioning right out of the water in
terms of priorities), knows I was never out to top 10 - not being the turtle was
an achievement!
Laurie Hilyard, Clare, MI (whose first 50
back in 1993 took me 11 hours to complete - talk about
endurance!)
