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[RC] Completions at WEC - Ridecamp GuestPlease Reply to: kim kimfue@xxxxxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== Joe, So if I am understanding you correctly it is OK at this level of FEI riding to have a 73% DNF as long as veterinary controls are in place. So because of the high stakes of competition more riders will ride over the edge and it is up to veterinary control (not the riders themselves) to catch horses before there is serious damage or harm is done to the horses. So I guess my next question is what is considered "harm" to horses at this level of competition. In AERC, we are able to look at a horse's lifetime record after a pull to determine if we "harmed" our horse if ride ride over the edge at a single competition. At this level of competition is it just the completion or placing at the single event that is considered successful or do we look at how many races they are able to compete in after an Olympic level competition? Do we look at how many horses are hooked up to IVs in the treatment tent at a ride? Do we look at the lay up time a horse needs until it's next race after a lameness pull? What exactly is considered causing "harm" to the horses and how do we determine that fact at this high level of competition? Is it just a crap shoot or luck that the ones that finish finish and the ones that are pulled are pulled? I know there is added pressure at these races BUT no one is forcing any rider to ride beyond their horse's ability...I cannot believe that most of the 120 pulled horses because the riders were riding on the edge. This certainly does not sound like the circumstances with the US Team members from what I have read. I know this occurs at most high levels of competition but most of those high level competitions the human is pushing himself over the edge not an animal. I know that this probably happens in other high level equestrian events but most of those events do not have the combination of intensity/speed combined with distance. Perhaps endurance horses at this level are more prone to "harm" because of this combination. Regardless, I still am not convinced that a 73% attrition rate is OK at this level with such experienced horse/rider teams. Also, when you mention the 20% completion rate at the ROC were there any unusual weather or terrain conditions that may have been responsible for the high pull rate? The conditions at the WEC sounded ideal from the reports on endurance.net and it sounded like the only technical part of the trail was the sand which I assume ALL participants were aware of long before race day. This is an interesting discussion and I welcome any dialog on this. Kim Yes, you are bringing the best and most experienced riders and horses to the event. However, you are also putting them under the greatest pressure. When the stakes are high and the caliber of your competition is high, you have to make a greater effort to succeed. That means pushing the envelope, riding "closer to the edge." When the riders do that, more of them are going to go over the edge. This is not necessarily a bad thing, if there is good vet control and the horses are not harmed -- that is, if they are pulled before there is serious damage. But however you feel about it, this is a fact of life at the highest levels of competition in any sport. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 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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