Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

> I was wondering how competitive 50 mile endurance is?
The real beauty of endurance is that one can be as competitive or
noncompetitive at it as one wants, and there is something in it for both
extremes.  There are people who are EXTREMELY competitive--and who do an
outstanding job of being competitive.  There are also a great many people
who are just riding to complete.  Some of those are "competitive" in terms
of career mileage or season mileage, and some are just out to "beat the
trail" by doing the mileage in the allotted time on a healthy horse.  But
unlike the show ring, ALL of those people are "winners" if they accomplish
what they came to do.  In that sense, endurance is truly a "life sport"
even though there are placings for those who do ride more competitively.

> Is there some vets that might favor some riders or timers?
> Like  say call your time a min . later ?
> or maybe give you a  B or A- insted of and A?
> Just thoughts ?
Not that I've ever found.  It is pretty hard to argue with the face of a
clock.  It says what it says.  And most times the timer is just responding
to hollered numbers--not to names.

As for the vets--some vets "grade harder" than others, but they pretty
much do it across the board.  What I call an A- "Doctor Joe" over there
might call a B+--but it is across the board.

> I was at a  Arabian horse show and someone had told a few people
> the reason I wasen't showing as much, was I was endurance riding . Well
> I had a man come up and ask me.
> IS endurance a as political and full cheaters as The  Arabian Shows?
Not by a long shot!  Cheaters on endurance rides are news!  The majority
of endurance riders do their best to do things as by-the-rules as
possible, which is why the sport is by and large successful running on an
honor system in many regards.

> I said there's not much room for cheating .Then I started thinking  well
> I don't know for sure I just like riding the  trails  camping and having
> fun I really haven't goten competitive in it.
There really isn't much room for cheating.  A damaged horse trying to get
through on medication usually can't get past the ride vets.  There are
cases of trail cutting from time to time, but usually management can
revamp the course or put out spotters if there is a consistent problem. 
But pretty much, you have to do things the way you ought to in order to
progress around the course in the right order and to pass all the vet
checks.  And although there are certainly strong personalities and folks
who particularly like or dislike specific other folks (as there are in ALL
aspects of life), I really don't see much politics with regard to
competition.  It just isn't a sport that lends itself to politics.  As a
ride vet, whether I like you or not, I can't much change how you go about
riding the course.  I can't make you cross the finish line sooner to get a
win.  And if I fudge on your horse's exam and let you out too soon, you
may end up at the treatment vet at the next check.  And if I am too hard
on you, everyone else in camp is looking over my shoulder, so that doesn't
work, either.  No, it just isn't political in the same sense that the show
ring is political.

Heidi


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REAL endurance is reading the LD vs. Endurance thread/debate every 3
months!!!
~ Heidi Sowards

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

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