I agree 100% with Laura. As a back-of-the-packer, I know I'll probably never be up for any big awards outside of my state (which being Minnesota is not exactly an endurance powerhouse since we spend 6 months of the year drumming our fingers and waiting for the snow to go away). Does that diminish my enthusiasm for what I do? Of course not. The very first time I top-tenned in Minnesota about 15 or 16 years ago I didn't even REALIZE there were year-end points. When I got my nylon halter/bridle I kept thinking "all that fun, and a bridle too? I'm hooked!" I still use that bridle on my semi-retired guy to remind me why I'm doing this.
Chip (and Earen who, at 27, has plenty of heart left, but sadly not the legs)
