Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Steve (and all)

Personally, I prefer (and use) the PR box concept for all entrants, 
which rewards those who present once they have determined that their 
horse is down and penalizes those who haven't.  We did provide courtesy 
checks outside the box, but the frequency was way down from before we 
went to this concept.

I'm not going to add vet checks or pulse checks on the LD.  We're not 
having trouble with people racing at my rides anyway, based on the 
small sample of 7 rides managed so far.  If I had added a check, we 
would have had even more overtimes than we already did at the recent 
Bar H Boogie.  I remember completing an LD in 7 hours and being in the 
top 5 or so...that ride had *3* vet checks--the total time was due to 
extreme heat upping the degree of difficulty, just as it did at BHB.  
Turning a moderate (advertised moderate+) into a difficult ride.

On the 50s, at Norco anyway, we do put a 5 minute stop and go 5 miles 
from the end.  That has helped some riders identify whether or not 
their partner was ok or not.  Though, in one notable case, alarm bells 
that should have gone off didn't--you can't mandate awareness, dang it.

Lynne (PS)

On Apr 4, 2004, at 12:26 PM, Steve Shaw wrote:

> I don't have any problems with LD's and expansion of these within 
> AERC. Though why would anyone drive for 4 hours, take off time on a 
> Fri. , pay the entry fee and then be done so quickly?
> I think that we do need to ENCOURAGE LD's.
>
> At the same time we can control it.  1) Ride Mangers could charge more 
> for the LDer's, giving them an incentive to do the 50 miler. 2) Slow 
> down the event by putting in more Pulse gates. You don't have to have 
> a vet at these, just a P/R crew. Think about having one or two vet 
> checks and two more 'gates.' Make a low criteria. AND enforce a finish 
> line pulse for placement. I personally feel that ride managers should 
> mandate that LDer's do their own pulse checks before presenting and be 
> given a return time penalty if presenting when not pulsed down.
> IMHO
> Steve

============================================================
Riding alone is when you teach a horse all the "tools" and "cues" he needs
to handle the trail, to hold a speed, deal with hills, etc. It's also where
you develop the "bond" that causes him to "defer" to you before losing his
cool.
~ Jim Holland

ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/

============================================================