Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Excellent post, Kim.  That's one of the things that is so wonderful about endurance...there is something for every "kind" of rider - those like me who are just riding for mileage, those who are paying more attention to time and placings (whether as a measure of how well their horse is doing, or as competing against others), and those who are going for the win. 

 

Just because I, personally, am not racing doesn't mean that I don't admire the heck out of those riders who do regularly complete in the top ten or top five, while consistently doing so with sound, happy horses.  I know it takes a lot of time and commitment to do so...and those riders who do this while putting their horses' well-being first have my respect.  I would hate to see the time/competitive aspect of endurance removed. 

 

That said, I think we should recognize both the quality AND the quantity of the performance (to disagree with your post a bit).  Quality - speed, placing, top tenning, particularly over a challenging course.  Quantity...longevity, those horses who continue to go down the trail for many years and many miles.  And happily, AERC does both.  :)

 

Dawn Carrie, Texas

 

 

On 9/13/07, FXLivestock@xxxxxxx <FXLivestock@xxxxxxx> wrote:

I like the "race" aspect of the sport.  Placings and time are an important aspect of endurance to me even though I really have never started a ride to go "win".  Part of the challenge of this sport to me is taking my horse to his highest potential on a given day, during a given ride season, and ultimately his whole career. There is definitely a time aspect involved.   If mileage were the only measure of accomplishment in this sport, I would probably find something else to do. 

 

I know that the Duck does not promote "racing" at his rides but there are riders who are definitely "riding for placing" (PC term for racing acceptable for AERC) at the rides I have attended. I have ridden in or close to the Top Ten at his rides in the past and I found them just as competitive as some of the one day 50s I have attended. I think that the one major difference is the experience and level of horsemanship of riders at his rides. This probably accounts more for the postivie statistics at XP events then the non racing atmosphere.  I would never compare XP rides to the organized pleasure rides I have attended.  Just look at some of the winning finishing times at many of the multidays (not just XP rides) and you will see there are definitely riders not just moseying down the trail to earn mileage credit.

 

I think that there needs to be a balance between racing and longevity.  I do believe that the technical trails offered at some endurance rides do provide a platform for this balance.  I don't think there is any better feeling then finishing a technical rides in the optimum time for your horse and have them look and feel great at the finish.  Placings really do recognize this accomplishment.  Why not honor the horse and rider that can finish the Tevis Cup or the Old Dominion before the rest of the field? 

 

I think that the key to success for endurance is balancing the importance of winning, placements, mileage, and longevity. We need to emphasize of the quality of the performance not the quantity.  That is why BC is such an important award in our sport.   I also think we need to try to stay away from groomed courses, trails, etc. that allow the racing/speed aspect of endurance to outweigh the the importance of strategy, horsmanship,  etc.  I see a tendency of riders liking or choosing easier rides over more difficult rides and that in itself will allow "speed" to become much more important in determining recognition.  I don't think that is really the direction that AERC should take.  On the other hand, if you take out the speed element completely the only way to gain recognition is through mileage.  That in itself can create a whole set of issues as some remember the year of the great trailer race for mileage.  Take away any recognition or competitive aspect of endurance (speed and mileage) and you really no longer have a sport.  You have a group of like minded trail riders that meet up on week ends and ride far and long.....  This is not a bad thing but it is a long way from where we are today.

 

BTW, I thought John Teeter's post on race/ride was right on the mark.

 

Kim Fuess

AERC #6649

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