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Truman,

 

  Well,  I have about as piss poor memory cell as anybody.  Must be all those "Alabama Elytes" I have had.   I have been around longer than you too.  But, I remember some of those people.  I remember in 1980, the junior Champion was Lain, owned and ridden by Jerrylynne Gray.  He was a Morgan, and I don't remember how many miles that they did that year.  But I don't think is was more than 1000.  I "think" it was many less.  I placed 9th Nationally that year.  And I only went to 250 or so miles of rides.  You didn't have to do the "trailer race".  Nina Warren and Amir, that's another one.  Joe Long and Khalil, that's another one.  Those were just in the SE region.  I don't remember the years, but Becky Hart and Rio,  R. T. Muffin, and what was the little red horse's name....Diamond, owned by the lady that worked for Orthoflex?  He was in there somewhere.  At least as winner of the ROC.  OK, my memory is messed up here, but the point is....I remember NAMES.  I can't tell you NOTHING about the current format.  And if we did have something that was either meaningful, or had qualifications that were "something".....it might help bring back the 100 mile rides.  People would have a goal to shoot for.  Example that the NC qualifications are nothing:  Joni little gelding Cash.  He was qualified to do the NC 100 in the first 2 months that the horse EVER competed.  In only the minimum amount of miles.  He had one 100 in there, so he was ready to compete in the NC 100!!!!  It doesn't take much to qualify. 

Truman Prevatt <tprevatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I've been around for three different NC formats. The first was a "points
>  
> race" for the top. This became known as the "great trailer race" because 
> it was more about who could trailer the greatest number of miles than 
> who had the best horse. That was in the days when there were between 80 
> and 90 100 mile rides a year, vs. the 39 or 40 we have today. This 
> format would be even more an award for the best trailer and rider with 
> the most time to travel today than it was then. I don't remember the 
> name of anyone that won the NC in those days.
>
> Then came the National Championship Series - which was slightly 
> different but a trailer raise non-the same. One regional championship 
> ride each region. The rider with the most points in those rides was the 
> winner. I don't remember if there was an over all winner - but I do 
> remember that there were weight division winners.
>
> Then there is todays format which has a lot going for it IMO. First it 
> travels around - region to region. Second it is not a trailer
>  race.
>
> As far as remembering names. I don't remember any names from the "great 
> trailer race era." I only remember two from the NCS series since I knew 
> them both. I remember one from the current format. I think that's more 
> because I knew them than the fact that the national championship is such 
> a big deal that it sticks out. As far as ROC winners, I don't remember 
> any of the names.
>
> What seems clear is there is no consensus about how an AERC NC should be 
> selected. Every format has a sufficient number of detractors that one 
> has to wonder if the AERC should even be in the National Championship 
> business. The one thing about the ROC was it was a private ride. Some 
> years it wasn't even AERC sanctioned. It did not pretend to claim that 
> the winner was the AERC national champion. There are a lot of gussy 
> memories about how wonderful the qualification criteria were vs. the 
> criteria for the current NC. However, I'm not sure
>  that the 
> qualification criteria wasn't more of a marketing ploy - and a very good 
> one I might add - than anything else. Also with the decline in 100 mile 
> riderships today I'm not sure a ride with those criteria would even be 
> economically feasible.
>
> The thing to remember about the current NC is - it was based on the 
> desires of the riders. In surveys several years ago the riders wanted a 
> 50 and 100 mile NC awarded in divisions. I don't look at it as 10 AERC 
> NC's. I look at it as the AERC NC in the 50 mile HW division, etc.
>
> But given all the complaining about the - NC assuming it truly 
> represents more than a vocal minority - maybe the AERC should not be in 
> the NC business. The nice thing about a private ride like the ROC is 
> well it is a private ride. If people don't like it they won't go. The 
> AERC is not officially recognizing it as crowning their (and our) NC. If 
> we don't like how it is done - well that's our
>  personal problem not the 
> AERC's collective problem.
>
> Truman
>
> RDCARRIE@xxxxxxx wrote:
> >
> > A friend and I have talked a lot about this, and this is the format 
> > we'd actually like best. Not that either of us would ever be in the 
> > running for any sort of championship, but a format that rewards 
> > consistent strong performance over a ride season in terms of points 
> > would best determine a National Champion. Second choice would be 
> > something like the ROC, with ONE champion. Not even on the map is the 
> > current NC, with ten national "champions" that no one (except those 
> > ten and their families) can remember 3 days later.
> > Dawn in East Texas
>
>
> -- 
>
> ?With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things 
> and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil 
> things, that takes religion.? Steven Weinberg ? Nobel Laureate,
>  Physics
>
>
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