I used to be the one who just showed up and paid my fees and
did the ride and went home and who didn't give a damn about what it took to
put it on...i was selfish in this regard. To those that do this today I
say...Take a Look at yourself in the mirror and see your selfish side. Why
do people put their hearts and their souls into putting on something like an
Endurance Ride? Its not for the money. Its not for esteem. Its
for the Love of the Sport, and if you people don't see this you are more selfish
than i ever was in my deepest depths. Jim, if you went thru just a small
part of marking trail and have never managed a ride, i'd say its time for people
to send you their 'Constructive Criticism' for managing a ride of your best laid
plans when you have to consider not only trail, but landowner permissions,
awards, sanctioning, Vets, Volunteers to P&R, Scribe for the Vets, find
housing, pay all the fees and write the checks, weather, advertising, radio
control, food, tents,timers oh yea i forgot the porto-potties and the time
it took to take it all down and put everything away... Because in an
Endurance Ride the first thing to consider is all things are subject to
change. You could not pay me $5,000 to manage an Endurance ride after my
experiences managing the Ft. Valley rides for 3 years and creating the Double
Dipper. Its a thankless job and if people keep up this crap there will be
more Lynnes and who is gonna suffer? You Guys. tom
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