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Re: [RC] LD vs 50--Let's ruffle some feathers - Jon . Linderman







As that trend increases the numbers of riders competing in LD, the

current second class treatment is not going to be acceptable and AERC is
going to have to address a number of

issues that have not been adequately addressed in the past.


In any of the rides I have been to this year I never witnessed nor
experienced, nor participated in 2nd class treatment or "LD
discrimmination".  Completion awards at most rides were the same for 25's
and 50's & the "job-well-done" attitude was doled out equally for 50's and
25's on single and multi-day rides.  Sure my friends who more frequently do
50's might chide me to do more 50's than I have done, but I see it as
encouragement, not discrimmination or harrassment.  Frankly, I see so
little bad in our sport as a whole that I just choose not to root around
for percieved problems or wholesale trends.  I take care of my horse, try
to learn form others, help or offer advice if asked, and enjoy myself.
Perhaps some professional callings predispose us to looking for negatives
in people, mine doesn't.

As for whether moving to 50's should prohibit you from entering
LD's.......phooey!  There are a host of reasosn why people might choose to
run a horse in an LD who has experience in a 50: training the horse over
that distance, coming back from injury or lay-off, lack of time to train,
etc, etc.  My horse injured his frog in his last 50 a month or so ago.  If
I had an LD to ride him in before the next 50 I am planning to do this
weekend, I most certainly would have taken advantage of that opportunity to
evaluate his health under a competitive situation.  As it was I chose to
ride him in a 30 mile CTR, just so I could see how he did in coming back
from his injury.  I know that I have not taken my horse in back to back
50's yet and you will probably see me early in the coming year run him 50
one day 25 the next to see how he responds.  Its my way of being
conservative and progressing my horse as slowly as I see fit.  I think it s
a perfectly appropriate use of competing in an LD w/an expereinced horse.
Christ, the AERC started with a handful of rules, mostly designed to
articulate the health & well-being of the horse.  The last thing we need is
a host of new rules and regulations burdening RM's who are already
over-worked and under-appreciated.  And I completely disagree that the
people "causing" problems in LD's are regulars in 50's and above who drop
down to race a 25.  Horse manure!  Maybe there are isolated incidents where
somone caused you concern, who regualry rode in 50's, but generalizing this
as a problem, and generalizing percieved behavior to a particular
group........gee isn't that discrimmination?

Ride & have fun anyway you choose to do it w/in the rules.  And BTW balance
on a horse can be drastically improved when you don't have a chip on your
shoulder!

Jon


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