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Re: [RC] Racing - Truman PrevattBruce Weary DC wrote:I would have to disagree with you, Jeanne, on your statement that the LD/BC award doesn't promote racing ( which I understand as traveling faster than all but as many as ten other horses in the ride in order to be considered. Some rides could have of up to 75 horses or more). The fact that a pulse criteria must be met at the finish line is just another safeguard that has been put in place to help ensure the horses reaching the finishing line first (another good definition of racing) aren't egregiously overworked and in metabolic danger. Why is there virtually no protest over that particular rule, if there is no racing going on? As long as a rider is trying to get to the finish line fast enough to be included as a candidate for BC, thereby excluding all the *slower, nonracing* horses, there is racing going on. Fine for riders and horses that are truly prepared to do so. A potential quagmire for those who aren't. Bruce Weary In any distance the RM can choose to offer an award called BC based on any criteria he/she wants to choose - rule 9.2. They can even limit the horses standing to those with three white feet if they want. As Joe pointed out, however, this is not the AERC definition of Best Condition and if the AERC scoring system is not used, the AERC will not recogonize the results. Part of the equation of Best Condition in the AERC definition is related to the stress undergone by the horse. In CTR stress is taken into the equation by demanding all horses undergo the same stress - that's why all have to finish in a narrow time window. Speed is even a factor in CTR - just in a different manner. Many vets that do CTR judging will tell you it is almost impossilbe to pick a clear winner without getting into preferences, e.g. " I like the way that horse moves better just because I live horses that move that way better." They will also tell you the reason is 25 miles is just not far and the speed they go is not fast enought to separate them in the judging. In the AERC it is recogonized that stress is part of the equation of how a horses "condition" at the end of the ride stacks up to another horse's condition at the end of a ride. The score on the veterinary parameters will reflect aount of stress on the horse from speed and/or weight carried. If RM's If you take stress out of it - then you don't have a BC by the definition of the AERC. As far the sixity pulse - we started using that as a standard finish line for the LD long before the AREC. I believe the NW has also been using it for a while but Heidi would need to answer that. The experience in the SE is many times people running for top 10 are sadly disapointed when someone who may have been on the trail 15 or 20 minutes longer walk right up and pulses down in 9th or 10th place and then wins LD. It happens quite frequently. The sixity pulse changes in name of the game in "racing." It puts taking care of your horse in the equation. Truman =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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