Re: [RC] 30 minutes - not workable for many rides. - Carolyn Loedeman
I agree wholeheartedly, and if it ain't broke,
please don't try to fix it!!!! And yes I do go up early alot of times, but
I do ride Appaloosa's and if its hot it takes alot of water at the end to help
them, and the 60 HR sometimes is a hard one for the non arab types.
Subject: [RC] 30 minutes - not workable
for many rides.
The 60
minute window is often absolutely critical to certain rides to
provide a workable window of time to riders to travel safely
to the vetting area when the finish can only be located a fair
distance from the vet area/base camp, without the rider being
disqualified for being "over time".
I've been
to several rides where it can take up to 30 minutes to walk from the finish
line to the in-timer, that finish line being in an area which does NOT allow
for any kind of vetting station due to the terrain or the trail. I've
also been to a ride where there was a huge lineup at the finish for riders
being weighed for top ten (mandatory at this one particular ride whether
the rider was planning to stand for BC or not), while the final
vetting was 3/4 of a mile away, uphill. At those times 60 minutes
feels like 20 seconds.
Thus, it
needs to be understood that the hour window isn't there solely for the
horses -- it is often critically necessary for many AERC rides to
deal successfully and safely with the vulgarities and inflexibility
of trail location and distances. . To reduce that time
would be counter-productive in too many ways, including financial, for
many rides.
Those rides
that don't have this issue, because the finish is in base camp, are lucky
to provide an excellent opportunity for riders to practice good horse
management -- cleaning up their horses, feeding and pampering them,
letting them rest and relax before having to meet the final ride
obligation in presenting at the final
vetting
The 60-64
pulse works fine, and so does the 60 minute widow at the finish of the
ride. Leave it alone.
