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Re: [RC] FEI Championships - rides2far

Steph,
   AERC rides may have a 60 % completion but AERC rides encompass 
ALL levels  of riding, all levels of horses.  I really don't know why

you 

wouldn't  expect a ride that has the very best horses a nation has to

offer 

and the  very best riders a nation has to have a better completion

rate.

If I were a rider in the WEC now, I would not know what the heck everyone
wanted from me. On the one hand I'm condemned for not going for a sure
thing completion, on the other I'm told I've "embarassed my country with
my effort" when I didn't win a medal. Make up your minds. Which is it? 
If you have that many horses being pushed to go for the WIN they *have*
to take some chances. Doesn't mean they have to risk their horse's life,
but it may mean they roll the dice on a lameness,,,doesn't mean they have
to take the risk on something like a sore tendon...but may go faster
across rocks and risk a bruise.  

The riders at an average AERC 100 haven't had to travel half way around
the world, disrupt their schedules, be stabled in strange situations,
shod by strange farriers, and then asked to represent a whole country
full of armchair quarterbacks who are going to second guess them on
everything they do.  They haven't had a season of rigorous competition
leading into the race just to qualify to be there.  I have no intention
of judging our team.

I am not thrilled with the ragged edge that the "winners" now have to be
willing to ride to be first. If you want to change results, change
incentive...or you could make qualification criteria such that the "I
want it now" instant gratification types don't have the attention span to
hang around for. Not necessarilly 2500 miles, but quite a few rides
together. If you require that that rider ride that horse, it cuts down on
the number of horses a rediculously wealthy rider can afford to run
through since he would have to qualify them all himself. It would also
eliminate the buying of the horse the week before the race which is
pathetic to me.

Angie

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