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[RC] NC - Praise for a job well done - Steph Teeter(forwarded for Bill Taylor) ------------------------------------ From: William J. Taylor [mailto:wjt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] Steph and John. I just returned home from the National Championship and am disturbed enough by some of the posts that I'd appreciate an opportunity to share my thoughts with you. If, for whatever personal reason, anyone chose to attend, they would have been treated to world class horses and horsemen sharing a historic trail in a beautiful fall forest with any of us mere mortals who made the effort to get there. I volunteered in both rides taking pulses at the gates and go at Veach and Edinburg Gaps. Although the arrangement of vet checks may puzzle those who only experience the event on a computer screen, it makes good sense once you see the trail. It is a tough but doable course that is an excellent test of endurance and requires thoughtful preparation, careful riding and that element of luck Julie Suhr taught us is necessary to finish a national caliber event. Bob Walsh and the Old Dominion Group have a great deal of collective experience with this challenging trail and it shows. The vet check arrangement provides a way for thoughtful riders to gauge their horses' progress on a tough trail and to keep less thoughtful or unlucky riders from taking a compromised horse into a remote part of the mountain area where access is difficult. The organization of this ride, the vets and volunteers rival Tevis, as it should since the trail is challenging and road access is not always available. It was a treat for me to see the horses at the pulse gates where there was no crew access. The horses that were prepared, well ridden and lucky were easy to spot (even in the dark) and most walked through with little time lost on their way into the tough remote sections. Others had to wait until their horses met criteria and a few were pulled at spots where they could be quickly hauled to Doctor Lynn Johnson's mobile treatment clinic. From my point of view the ride was well planned and well managed. I am bewildered by some of the complaints about the ride format from a vocal minority of riders who are old enough to know better. Polite constructive criticism is fine but this was simply embarassing. I can report that a majority of the adults present at the ride appreciated the opportunity to be there on a perfect fall weekend and thought management did an outstanding job. There were prime examples of both good and bad behavior. At one end of the spectrum were Bob and his group, the quiet, competent, gracious Crandell family and most of the riders and crews. There were also a few snivelers. Please don't judge the quality of the event by their whining. If my youngest daughter had been there she might remind the snivelers that she learned from the playground you don't always get your own way. If you don't like the rules you're free to go home. If you don't agree and still want to play with others, you should just put on your big girl panties and deal with it. While we're on the subject of children, ones that qualify by age not behavior, it was a delight to be present for the rides by juniors Joni Buttram and Josie Whelan. They each endured more than most adults would tolerate and both were cheerful, polite and smiling. I want to be just like them when I grow up. They are the future of our sport and the future looked good at the NC. Bill Taylor =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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