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Re: [RC] Olympics and endurance? - Susan Young CaseyIt's not a question of being positive or negative. It's a question of being realistic. In this case, the negative, bad sportsmanship WILL come out (on the Olympic level...as it did at the WEG) and a horse will suffer the consequences. Now, how will that affect us here at home? AERC endurance will not work on the Olympic level. UAE endurance would. However, we've seen what happens there when horses/riders aren't ready for that kind of competition. Like most of us, we ride our own ride. Our kind of riding wouldn't make an Olympic sport and I'm not sure I'd want it to. I guess if I were riding at that level (i'm not, and may never be) I wouldn't care if I had spectators or not, I would simply be glad I was able to compete at such a high level. There again, that's not the point. The point is would SPECTATORS be willing to PAY to watch? It's the spectators that make it possible for the athlets in ANY Olympic sport to compete. If an event doesn't make money, they don't have that event. Also, if TV audiences don't watch that event, it's not shown and that exposure isn't there so that the average Joe at home STILL doesn't know about endurance. That's just being realistic. I think with every change, there's probably almost always something negative. Of course there is. My Daddy says, "There's always one!" Ice skating has taken a beating with all the cheating...HA! AND beating! However, there will always be those of us who watch it because of the beauty and athleticism of the sport. The majority of skaters and judges are fair and honest people. They will overcome the cheaters of the group. We've overcome things like Catoosa. But, it was a hard row to hoe and many of us don't want anything like that happening again. We're just being realistic. ===== Susan Young Casey, Princess of Pink, LIW, RRHA, RHS Semper Obliquo (Always aside) Glenndale Grace Farm, Ft Gibson, Oklahoma U.S.A. "Ride on! Rough-shod if need be, smooth-shod if that will do, but ride on! Ride on over all obstacles, and win the race!" - Charles Dickens (1812-1870) __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Shopping - Send Flowers for Valentine's Day http://shopping.yahoo.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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