Any time BC is based on the top 10 in any way, you are
encouraging speed, which may, or may not, be in excess of what the horse is
capable of doing. I think any emphasis on fastest time in any way, shape
or form, is not productive from the standpoint of protecting the horses for
which LD was created...the young, the old, and the recovered-from-injury
horses.
BTW - If people are worried about LDs being "races", then change the top
10 / BC award for an LD. There could be two awards: highest vet
score, and make the "top 10" a different score: overall vet score +
placing points based on order of finish. BC would then add the BC exam
to the "top 10" horses, and BC would be the top score in that.
