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[RC] WEC Completion Rate - Ridecamp Guest

Please Reply to: Kim  kimfue@xxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Stagg,
  Perhaps the completion rate is not much different BUT shouldn't the 
completion rate be higher because the caliber of horses and riders are assumed 
to be the best the world has to offer.  As I recall, there has been many heated 
discussions on this list about the low completion rate at the Tevis and at this 
year's National Championship.  Why are we so critical about a 70 % pull rate at 
Tevis or the NC if there is the same pull rate at a World Championship.  The 
qualifications to get to the WEC are much stricter then either the Tevis or the 
NC.  I can't get over the fact the 73% of the world's best horses (which are 
all experienced 100 mile horse/rider teams) could not finish the course because 
of lameness or metabolic failure.  Is this low number acceptable in 
International Riding???  Again I ask the question ( and this is an honest 
question) What does this extremely high DNF percentage at the Olympic level say 
about endurance riding to the rest of the equestrian world.  Is it OK that 73% 
of the horses entered could not finish because of physical/metabolic breakdown? 
Again, I am not being critical about the strict criteria used for vetting but 
something is not right when there is this kind of attrition rate with the best 
horses and riders the world has to offer.  This was a 100 mile course that may 
have been technical because of the sand but all the horses entered were 
experienced 100 mile horses that had to qualify with an FEI COC.  Shouldn't 
more horse/rider teams of this caliber be able to complete?  Again, with all 
their experience at this distance why the high failure rate?  At the Tevis and 
the NC horse/rider teams are not required to have the extensive experience that 
FEI teams have at this level.  I would expect the DNF levels at Tevis and the 
NC to be higher just on this fact alone.  Please tell me where I am wrong in my 
thinking.

Kim Fuess



WEC completion rate was 36%.
This is not that much different from the completion rates
at several of the recent Tevis rides and AERC National Championships.
So we may need deeper analysis to understand all of the factors.

Completion Rates - 2000 to 2004
Year        AERC National Championship 100 Mile             Tevis
2004                            36%                                             
                  53%
2003                            64%                                             
                  49%
2002                            38%                                             
                  43%
2001                            35%                                             
                  40%
2000                            59%                                             
                  48%

In the case of the Tevis, the toughness of the course is probably a major 
factor.
In the AERC National Championship, riders pressing for the best possible
finishing may be a major factor.  Note these two statements are spectulation.


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