Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Thanks Louise. Thinking of most of the riders that I know in the central region. Those who ride purebreds or part breds, most of them are AHA members, I think, or have been until they gave up.  Those of us who breed horses, and lots of us do, certainly are AHA members becuase, as I said, it's the only game in town for registry.

 

chris

firedancefarms <firedancefarms@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Ah, what a catch 22!  AHA tells us, and has been telling us for 20 years, that if we have numbers, we will get benefits.  Something has got to give, as people aren't joining because of no benefits and no benefits are given because people aren't joining!  Our region has very high numbers in our regional ride, and we have worked hard to promote AHA.  Our youth team has won two out of three years against the show horse people in the AHA youth team tournament.  We have a huge distance club in TX.  I feel in our region we have done our part in increasing numbers, and what did we get?  An increase in fees!  So how do we justify to all of these people to join?

 

IMO, AHA is going to have to make a leap of faith.  They are going to have to make the awards program affordable, they are going to have to have to award weight divisions as "regional classes" and have a fair division between half arabs and full arabs.  Why not try this for two years and see the numbers?  Put the awards reasonable and fair, advertise as such and see what the numbers do?  If the numbers don't increase, go back to the way it was.  If it does, wah-la.

 

I know I am preaching to the choir here, but honestly, I haven't a clue who to send this to that would make a difference.

Louise

Louise Burton
Firedance Farms Endurance Arabians
http://pages.prodigy.net/firedancefarms

Kansas State Motto: Ad Astra Per Aspera.. to the stars through difficult....

BayRab Acres
Paola KS
913-731-5947
http://pages.prodigy.net/paus