Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

This isn't a new concept.  There was a ride a few years back on a race track.

 

I'm sorry...but it'd be such a boring ride I'd throw myself to the ground!  Think about it: if people really wanted to ride in an oval for 50 miles on a race track, wouldn't someone have done it already?  It's not like endurance just sprang up yesterday. 

 

I think utilizing a track for the beginning and end of a ride is an excellent idea.  I think utilizing a track for the entire ride is something I wouldn't want to do.  Of course, I could be in the minority.  But, if enough people wanted to ride like this, they would have already done it.

 

Jim Baldwin's ride a few years back was almost entirely viewable by anyone in camp.  How many of those folks sat glued to their seats watching the trail?  It was cool for awhile but you can only watch so much of horses trotting around before your eyebrows start to itch!

 

How many of us gripe about doing the same loop 3 times?  Now, let's do the same loop FIFTY times?  I'm not saying a ride like this wouldn't take off.  Remember, flat track racing got started much the same way NASCAR did.  They moved their horse races from the streets in and around town to a nice track.  If you'll notice, not even 4-miles races are popular at flat tracks.  The TB can be conditioned to run that far; it's just boring and thus not popular and the main tracks.
Paul <Paul@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

RE: I can not think of any thing more boring to watch or ride.

 

NASCAR.... A bunch of cars go around and around the same track for 500 miles. How can you tell who is winning? They get lapped by each other, take pit stops... Boring!!  It is noisy and smelly! It will never catch on..:) Who would want to watch that?  Not me, but somehow a few hundred thousand folks show up at a track just about every week to watch. I hear they even show it on TV every once and while. Not too shabby for what started out as a bunch of moonshine running  Good Old Boys running dirt roads in their souped up hot rods.

 

The ride you described in Alberta was more like a typical Endurance Ride from a spectator standpoint.  The horses come into camp and then disappear again for 13 miles. I am not talking about a 24 hour Endurance test. My concept is to travel a set distance ( 50 -100 miles), over a visible course.  Instead of 12 or 15 or 17 mile loops, it would have a 1 mile loop.  It couldn't be more boring to watch than our regular rides. I am positive it will be more fun for the crews.  Instead of waiting for a rider to appear out of the wilderness, they can watch their rider all day long and anticipate what will be needed at each vet check. Heck, the rider can call out to them what to have ready at the next lap. As for it being boring to ride, we won't know until we try it.

 

We talk about " Team riding"  during International and competition, but when does the "team" practice?  How do they practice? This type of event could help with Team riding.

 

PS: I will never be an FEI/National Championship type of rider that could really benefit from this type of event. My personal preferences are long scenic rides with no repeat loops. ( OD, Tevis, etc).  My sole interest here is in growing the Sport. 

 

Paul N. Sidio

Spokane MO

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