In a message dated 5/14/2004 9:20:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time, Bruce Weary writes:
The ride lengths in endurance riding are titled so, not to be exclusionary, but to clearly identify the differences in the preparation, training, and "enduring" required at each level, and thus the recognition commensurate with each level of achievement.
Long after the "recognition" is garnered and the buckles and the buckets and the bucking buddies have started to fade into memory....THE MILES ridden remain so very fresh on my memory and cause that inner feeling of accomplishment to happen which turns into smiles at the oddest times of any given day..
I am certain that THAT is very true for most people who ride horses at endurance events, be they 25 milers or 100 milers.
That said, I will say this...there are folks who ride 50's and 100's who are NOT "endurance" riders. We have all seen them at rides. To define endurance riders simply by the NUMBER of miles ridden would be akin to calling anyone who sits on a horse a horseman. There are folks whom I know personally and have ridden thousands of miles that I would never confuse with endurance riders. They're just "riders" in my book.
Conversely, there are folks who ride 25 milers who are true "endurance" riders and true horsemen and women. The care and preparation of their horses and themselves is admirable and worthy of the respect of the horsemen and women who do this sport.
Sometimes it is not the distance which defines who we are, it is the "method" and what it takes to participate at any level.
