Ok, I am probably going to regret writing this but Steph wanted a discussion and she seemed to think this was OK to post on the list. I hope it encourages discussion of the topic of competition and where it fits in our sport.
To begin with, I believe that AERC does a wonderful job in their "point system" for year end awards. I like the fact that a rider who does several rides can actually compete with a rider that wins and does fewer rides. The best part is that the horse that can win and do lots of rides will always come out on top. Just as AERC has the motto "to finish is to win" the bylaws indicate that their will be a winner based on speed in endurance events. In other words....an endurance ride is a race. I like what Heidi wrote...To win you must first finish.... What a great line!
Now, there is a subtle under current in AERC that I believe has trickled down to influence some of the membership. I do not know if this is the current policy for AERC but as of 18 months ago there was a policy that AERC would not use the word "race" in their official materials. I found this out when I submitted an article to EN titled "Using Negative Splits to Improve Your Finishing Time". It was rejected because the article used the word "race" and the article promoted competitive riding or racing and that topic was not acceptable material for EN. This really surprised me and I contacted members of the board and the Chair of the Ed Committee, Stagg Newman. My reason for pushing for publication was that AERC rides are actually also a race and almost all our awards are based on points which are earned by placing. It doesn't make sense not to publish responsible articles on riding competitively or "racing". To his credit, Stagg agreed and the article was published. Perhaps AERC policy for publication has changed but I still don't see the word "race" used in AERC materials. Again, my experience was 18 months ago and this may not be current policy. Perhaps this is also no longer the case as I noticed that one of Deb Bennett's topics at the convention is on winning. I love reading about mileage teams and decade team but where are the articles on the riders that consistently win or place in the Top 5 with several different horses over their careers?
I certainly don't want AERC to only value winners with no regard for anything else like some other venues outside of AERC endurance. I like the fact that AERC has incorporated longevity into the equation better than any other equestrian sport. But I don't like the subtle insinuations that some how winning is not a worthy goal to strive for. I also don't like the fact that I feel pressure from some of my peers to give an explanation because I am competitive. I hate the fact that I see competitive riders and they don't want to admit they are competitive and make excuses when they happen to do well because it isn't PC to say I'm going to win or I am going to Top 5 or going to Top 10. (no, it's not just psyching out tactics) I hate the attitude with some riders that "if you are going faster than me you are going too fast". I hate the fact that some riders don't realize that pushing to the limits (not over the limits) does increase the risk of a DNF and riders should not be judged strictly on a pull record or as Bob mentioned the letter grade on a vet card.
Just a few more points to stimulate the conversation.
