[RC] first time rides (long) - Ridecamp GuestPlease Reply to: patti pattiloucks755@xxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== started back in endurance after an eight year absents.also starting with me, ( for the first time)my 17 year old daughter on my older experienced arab mare and her 16 year old friend riding a "new to the sport"9 year old arab gelding.We live in northern B.C.,making conditoning harder to do because of the weather.anyway,our first ride was in march,a 8 hour drive away.we were camped in a cow field where the cows had recently been removed,vets were held up so pre ride vetting was also late,making the ride meeting even later.days of rain just before the ride had flooded a major part of the trail and it froze both nights that we were there!BUT,ride managment were great,lots of fun and food.prizes for everyone,even our pitcrew recived something.it was a good experience for the girls first time ever ride. this past july long weekend we attended a big well established ride approx a ten hour drive away.beautiful ride,great camp,ride manager greeted us as we drove in a we all were given a token of the ride.lots of friendly people.very experienced vets.all in all a very well managed ride.BUT,the thirty mile riders were basicaly ignored.their name and ride time were called out at the awards,not even in the proper finishing order,and other than everyone of them recieved a glass with the name of the ride(but not which year you rode)only last place rider and first place rider recieved anything.my daughter and her friend had been as high as i'd ever seen them because they had placed 3rd and 4th and were so looking forward to the fanfair of the awards and getting up in front of all those awe inspiring 50 and 100 mile riders and recieving ther well earned applause for doing such a great job of riding their horses and bringing them in fit to continue and top ten.needless to say my daughter left in tears.which is why i'm posting this.the lesser milage riders deserve credit for a job very well done.i know that they were really hoping for at the very least a completion certificate to put in ther endurance ride album,something to show their friends that actually says the milage,time and placing.and yes,i will be sending this suggestion on to ride managment. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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