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Re: [RC] Start times - heidiJust wondering why riders all leave at the same times in a big pack and race, couldn't they be started one at a time in one or 2 minute intervals, to avoid a rush. I know there are always those that race, but really you are racing the clock, as your time is what counts. In carriage driving and eventing they are sent out on course from a count down and very rarely have to pass anyone, but I know in endurance when everyone rides their own ride there will always be the slow ones and fast ones, and middle of the pack. Let the fast ones start first, the ones who are slow go last, and the rest in the middle in one or two minute intervals, in groups of 2 or 4, or whatever? Would that be too much work to have a starter person? We have an official clock, the starter gives you a start time, a 30 second warning, and then counts down from 10 seconds, and off you go. Is that too much, or would it not work at all for endurance? Endurance is not about racing the clock. It is about placing on a given trail under a given set of environmental circumstances relative to how the other horses place. You cannot do this with staggered starts. If you are riding for a placing, there is no point in trashing your horse to beat a clock "just in case" a horse that started later than you might be able to do it faster. Part of the strategy of placing is being able to evaluate how your competition is doing. That said--the majority of endurance riders don't race. They DO sort themselves at the starting line accordingly. Many of us planning to ride slowly aren't even mounted up yet when the leaders start out. Marathon runners sort themselves at the start this way as well--the slow ones don't want to be run down by the fast ones, so they get at the back of the pack in the start. So to answer your question--no, that would not work for endurance. Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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