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[RC] How I was(n't) recruited - k s swigartAngie said: Think back to 1997, any of you who were around, and tell me how you found this sport if you weren't recruited. In 1990 there was an article in Practical Horseman about Lari Shea riding and winning the Tevis Cup, and I thought, "that sounds like a sport for me." So I checked out a book from the library (written by some english woman--Ann Hyland I think) about endurance riding (which was endurance riding british style) and followed some of the conditioning suggestions, and contacted the AERC (which I think was referred to in the PH article, but perhaps not) and got a copy of a calendar (and asked them if I could bring my stallion, since most other trail riding organizations disallow it), and chose a ride (Eastern High Sierra Classic) that seemed to fit into my schedule and looked like an interesting place to ride. Called the ride manager (Jim/Jackie Bumgardner) and asked how to enter the ride; they sent me an entry form. I mailed it in, borrowed a truck and trailer, and showed up at the ride....with a conditioned horse, but totally clueless about absolutely everything else (I had never camped with a horse). When I got to the ride, I quizzed the person parked next to me (who also happened to have a stallion) about just about anything he thought I needed to know. He told me what he could, and gave me a copy of a different article from Arabian Horse World about Remington Steele doing Tevis. I told the ride managers that I had never done a ride before, please tell me what I needed to do. I told the ride vets I had never done a ride before, please tell me what I needed to do. I showed up at the pre-ride meeting and whispered in the ear of the person next to me, "What is P&R? And what does 'no inversion' mean?" (remember this was back in 1990 when they still did have R requirements). I didn't find anybody to be unhelpful or unresponsive, cliquish, or whatever. I asked and people answered. However, I have also never found anybody at any of the horse shows I have attended to be that way either, or anyplace else is the world for that matter. If one approaches just about anybody about just about anything with the attitude, "I am ignorant, and you are an expert, can you please tell me what I should/shouldn't be doing?" that such people are more than willing (in fact eager) to share their expertise with you. All that is required is to be genuinely interested in their expertise. The WORST that they can do is say, "Go away and leave me alone." But I have YET to have anybody ever do this. Of course, you have to do it at a time when they aren't obviously busy with their own thing. You can even do this to Hilda Gurney at a dressage show, just so long as it isn't when she is about to get on and ride. kat Orange County, Calif. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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