Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

> From my experience, distance riding... endurance, LD
and CTR are probably the least political of all horse
sports. Especially AERC sanctioned events. The horse
meets criteria or it doesn't. Not much debate there.
Sure a pulse taker could mishear or miscount a heart
rate, but it doesn't happen often.

The vets have the horses' best interest at heart.

Riders pretty much help each other as much as they
can.

No, it's not perfect. Like every family, endurance has
its wrinkles and warts. If you're looking for a
perfect system for competition, keep looking cause
there ain't one.

I like AERC events because there's somethign for
everyone. You can hotshoe at the front. you can doop
dee doo at the back and go for a trail ride, or you
can ride somewhere in the middle. You can ride your
own ride as long as you make criteria and time and
your horse is fit to continue.

I'm sure if you really looked hard enough, you could
find some politics at the rides, but I just don't
concern myself with that. I do the best on a given day
that I and my horse can do. That's what's important to
me. When the ride is over, I hang out with friends and
enjoy the camping.

Let me tell you one personal story about AERC riders.
I was doing an Ld (25 mile) ride in Oklahoma. About
the 8 mile mark, my horse and I parted company. He
headed down the trail in hot pursuit of the top 10
riders. I figured I had a heck of a long walk back to
camp.

I got about a mile down the trail and here came a 50
mile rider ponying my horse! She took time out to
catch my horse and bring him to me and she still tied
for 1st place!

She could have lost her placing stopping to help me,
but she stopped anyway.

That's the kind of AERC I've ridden in. I don't know
about your friend/acquaintance.

chris
--- Sharlene Roberts-Caudle <robertscaudle@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

> Hello all RideCamp,  I have yet to enter a ride, but
> I
> was in e-mail communication with a woman who lives
> near me--thought she might be interested in training
> rides.  She had only ridden 2 LD rides, but she said
> that there were politics involved and that
> disapointed
> her.  She stated that at one ride she was 10th, so
> in
> consideration for BC, another rider complained about
> something unrelated to her and she bot bumped to 11,
> then she came in first place but later saw someone
> else's name as first place, everyone else as a
> finisher. She stated that it matters whom you know,
> and that times can always be changed.
>
> I've chosen not to initiate a response as I find
> this
> emphasis troubling, but also I was puzzled.  For the
> 4
> or more years I've (mostly) lurked on this list, I
> have heard MANY issues and complaints discussed, but
> this particular issue is not one I've ever seen. 
> For
> this reason I'm inclined to dismiss her gripe as
> sour
> grapes.  Am I right?  Are rides judged objectively,
> fairly and honestly?  Has anyone else had this
> issue? 
>
>
> As for myself, when I finally do enter a ride I
> don't
> plan on this being an issue because I don't plan to
> top ten, but I am interested if this is the
> perception
> of others.
>
> Hope I don't start something :-)
> Sharlene
>
>
>               
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=====
"A good horse makes short miles," George Eliot

Chris and Star

BayRab Acres
http://pages.prodigy.net/paus

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