As co-chair of the NC committee, I welcome all your comments on how we can
improve
the NC ride qualifications and format. I would like to say though,
that we already have a
multi day champion (and top 10) in all the wt. divisions that we give to
the riders who
receive the most points in all the accumulative multi day rides. We already
have a 100
mile champion (and top 10), that we give for all their accumulative 100
mile rides. We
have regional champions in each wt division, that are for all
accumulative miles
and points. Endurance is many things, it is not only accumulating
miles on one horse,
it is also a race, that is why we give more points placing first and in the
top ten. The NC
ride is the only ride that you can enter and actually be rewarded
nationally for doing well
in head to head competition. We have not thrown out "To Finish is
to WIN" concept. This
ride will give special prizes just for qualifying and entering the
ride and very unique awards to EVERYONE that finishes as well
as awards for the winning champions. I think it
is unique that we as a sport can recognize horses that have
talent to finish mile after mile
as champions as well as the horses that have the talent to compete
in head to head competition and win. We are a lot like marathon
runners, some go fast others just go
to complete but to finish is to win for them also or they would quit after
the first runner crosses the finish line. We all have personal goals, some
to go many miles, others to
go faster, others to go compete in the NC, others just to go out
camping with their horses and riding a well marked trail but we are ALL
endurance riders, thus endurance has
many faces, not just the one we like to do. AERC has been getting behind
the NC
with funding the vetting crews for the last two rides, they are not just
giving lip service,
$7,500 is more than just lip service to me. Some want us to make the
qualifications
tougher, but it can be hard to persuade a ride manager to put on a
quality ride with a
handful of riders because of tough qualifications. I am not
saying the NC ride is perfect,
far from it, but you can help give us some guidance without always being so
negative
toward the AERC BOD and we will listen. (We are your
representatives.) You can write
me anytime with your suggestions or thoughts, we are
listening.
