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[RC] thoughts on 100 milers - Cindy CollinsThese are miscellaneous thoughts, so please bear with me. I've been reading all of these posts for days and just been so busy at work that I haven't had time to post. First, on a personal level, I, too hate the FEI rides and would not go to a ride that was jointly sanctioned IF I could find one that was just AERC. When I went to Ft. Howe last year, it was beautifully marked (except for the night section and that's always tough and I wouldn't ever throw stones on that one!). The ride managers and vets were friendly and helpful, BUT I just hate the whole format. I hated the segregated parking. I really hated that you couldn't bring your horse back to your trailer at vet checks. I had a friend there who didn't have a crew and is older and she swore she'd never go back just because of not being able to take her horse to her trailer. It was very cold and raining by the end of the day and it just wore her out. I had a fabulous crew and he was totally stressed out by the rules. It's just not my idea of fun. But, keep in mind that I think the Duck's rides are the best...obviously, I don't like a lot of structure! On why some folks do 100s, some only do one, etc....If you love to do 100s, and especially if you're a back of the packer like me and you still love 100s, the rest of you shouldn't even try to understand unless you have a Phd in psychology cause it probably IS a mental health issue! That said, all I can say is that the sense of accomplishment I feel when I do finish is beyond anything else I can imagine in this sport. I am so proud of my horse and so proud of me! However, as has been stated, there are many reasons why even those of us who love 100s may not ride one in a given year: starting a young horse, health problems, other endurance goals that particular year, horse with injuries, money problems, etc. Statistics just can't tell you that. For example, last year I didn't enter the BigHorn 100 (a very rare occurrence) cause I was riding the '04 XP at that time. I also had some serious health issues. On the idea of incentives, it is true that I, obviously, don't ride for awards, but it's still fun to get them! I loved the ROC format...especially in the early days when the trails were tough (no 8 hour 100s back on those trails), the qualifications were tough, and you knew that you were competing against the very best in the sport. Just to finish WAS a huge accomplishment. One idea that hasn't been brought up...I don't think, is the idea of a rider mileage award for one day 100s. For example, an award for every 5 100s completed by a rider on any horse...this would be a part of the mileage program and would be something you could set goals for during your entire career. You could get recognition or a certificate (maybe a small write up in EN) at certain levels...riders who have finished 10-one day 100s, 20-one day 100s, etc. like we do for horses with 3,000 miles. Just some other thoughts on 100 mile riders. I do believe that we are the foundation of the sport. Another example to draw upon is that in running, there are vastly more folks who run 5K and 10K races (I'm sure they pay the bills), but the marathon is the magic distance...the ultimate goal of the sport. So, keep the traditional one-day 100 miler, over rugged terrain, the ultimate goal of our sport. Cindy =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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