Re: [RC] Treatment/Nat'l Champ. Quals - Truman Prevatt
This was most likely an anomaly. This is the 6th running of the NC and
I don't believe there has been such a problem prior. Before we throw
the "baby out with the bath water" some understanding needs to be
developed as to why this happened.
Many factors could have come into play, from hotter than normal
weather, a course that combined with abnormal weather presented a high
risk situation to the horses, insufficient water on the course for both
drinking and sponging, etc. There is a reason this happened this time
and didn't happen in NM (2 years), Kentucky (2 years) or NV.
Truman
As long as NUMBER OF MILES completed is the barometer as to
whether a horse is qualified to COMPETE in a National Championship
Endurance RIde, I believe those horses will continue to have problems,
regardless of venue.
I am sure not every horse and rider showed up at Warner Springs
with the "intent" of Top Tenning or Top Five, but as long as SPEED is
used to gage the TOP endurance horses in the country (at rides such as
a National Championship), DISTANCE horses will (sometimes) find
themselves competing in an arena and an effort foreign to them.
Could be, eh?
~Frank
-- "It is necessary to be noble, and yet take humility as a basis
"It
is necessary to be noble, and yet
take humility as a basis.
It is necessary
to be exalted, and yet take modesty as a foundation."
