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[RC] Temptations - Ridecamp GuestPlease Reply to: kim kimfue@xxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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I really don't have a problem with anyone selling their horse or themselves for
the big bucks, the glamour, the prestige as long as they are honest about it.
It is hard to deny that our horses become a "livestock commodity" when high
dollar amounts are offered. But don't tell me you are selling your horse
overseas because he will be retired in a green pasture after his racing career.
Be honest and say that your beloved endurance horse has become a commodity at
the "right price". If you are invited to the President's Cup and are choosing
to go because you want the honor of "participating" in such a prestigious event
even though you don't have a chance in hell to be "competitive" that is ok also
but please explain to me why participation is so important when the hosts do
not respect "participants" and close down everything after the first three
horses come in and start the "Cup" presentation while several horses are still
on the course. Tell me how that shows respect for the participants and
participating. If you are going because it is a free trip, for the freebies
and gifts, or for the opportunity to sell your horse....be honest about it. No
big deal. Just call it like it is.
What I see in this "extreme" end of endurance is more of a racetrack mentality
when it comes to the horses. The horses are a commodity. This is big business
whether you are selling or leasing horses, consulting for wealthy owners,
training for wealthy owners, etc. We keep hearing that the UAE endurance
"racing" barns are full of prospects. I would love to know how many horses
must be "tried" before one is able to complete a 100 mile race in 7 hours.
Sounds allot more like the Thoroughbred race track mentality of buying, trying,
selling, racing horses then what we know as endurance riding. If the majority
of endurance riders think that this is OK and want to support it in ALL the
different ways support can be given that is OK also. BUT do not condemn the
race horse or show horse industry and think we are any better then them. There
has already been one allegation of illegal substance use that tainted the WEC
this year and this is the highest level of the sport....I am sure this is not
the only instance of illegal substance charges at the championship level.
Perhaps this is just the natural evolution of what happens when "big money" and
"big opportunities" become available in any sport. I keep hearing about the
"growing pains" endurance is going through and maybe this is just part of that.
If the majority of endurance riders are OK with this direction that endurance
is growing let's really learn more about it and dissect it just as we have
dissected limited distance and multi day venues. Is this good for our horses?
How do we judge that this is good for our horses.....longevity, better
performance times, better soundness both metabolic & physical?
I want to know what can be gleaned from this "extreme" venue of endurance
that will benefit the entire endurance community. Certainly, most endurance
riders both here and abroad do not aspire to this level of riding. If we are
to accept this as endurance I think all endurance riders should be benefiting
from what is learned both successes and failures in this extreme venue. What
research will be done or shared with us on taking extremely fit animals to the
extremes of the sport? Certainly metabolic, lameness, and even strategies in
crewing such as successful or not successful methods of artificial cooling
could be learned from these events. Look what we learned from the Atlanta
Olympics in recovery strategies. If bloodwork was done on every metabolic pull
at the presidents cup there certainly should be a wealth of information to look
at. Instead of focusing on the culture, wealth, 5 star hotels and fabulous
parties and gifts I for one would like more "horse" information. I would like
to see real longevity studies done to see if the same horse can come back year
after year and be successful at a sub 8 hour 100 even if that horse races only
ONE race a year. As an endurance rider I want to know if these are truly only
one race wonders or if by careful management (racing fewer races a year) a
horse can perform these incredible times more then once. If this venue is to
be accepted and is here to stay by all means let's learn all we can from
it.....it's not like there isn't the means to do this.
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