Re: [RC] A New Endurance Ride Concept - Beth Walker
I have to side with most of the rest :: boring. ?If you want a spectator sport, there has to be something more than just a horse trotting for umpteen miles. ?In NASCAR - let's be honest - it is the crashes. ?In dressage, it is the difficulty of the test. ?In cross-country jumping (closest match) it is the the fences -- you don't see the spectators gathered around the straight bits of trail, they are around the jumps where all the excitement is??(crashes).
In order to make endurance into a spectator sport, you would have to introduce something like "difficult terrain" - periodic "Cougar Rock" obstacles, etc. ?To my mind, that requirement would make those events into something else entirely.
On Dec 9, 2007, at 3:05 PM, Paul wrote:
It has been stated many times that Endurance Riding will never be an Olympic Sport.? The main reasons given are that it is just too spectator and television unfriendly. Unlike marathons, which can be run in urban locations in front of thousands of spectators, we traditionally have rides in remote rural areas. Occasional access to indoor plumbing is about as close to civilization as we usually get.
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When reading about Wendell Robie again, it inspired me to approach the problem from a different perspective.?Besides originating the Tevis ride, he once set a world mileage record by riding a series of horses in short loops in an indoor arena. Instead of trying to lure spectators en-mass to the woods, and convincing broadcasters to set up 40-50 cameras, maybe we should create an event more friendly to their specific needs?
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So here is a concept for you to consider about a different type of Endurance Ride.?Think of it as NASCAR on horseback. We take a one mile oval?horse track, and do loops. 25 times around for LD riders,? 50 times around for a fifty mile ride, and so forth. Obviously this type of ride would not be for everyone. ?Those who just want the quiet and serenity of riding in the remote country would not enjoy this. Those who want to work on their ride pace and trying to do "negative splits" over a uniform surface would benefit from this type of event. Those who want to polish up ride tactics, such as stalking etc, would find this kind of ride useful.
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From an equine safety standpoint, this event should be far better than any other kind of ride. Every horse would be in view of the spectators, vets and crews 100% of the time. Horses that began to show a minor injury would not be ridden the extra miles back to camp as on a regular ride. No rocks. No holes, tree roots, concrete, asphalt, or automobiles. No single track trails to get caught behind slower horses.?
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From the people standpoint, there would be no hunting for a place to pee in the woods, as you would pass a porta potty once a mile.? Crew would be there to assist every mile as needed.?
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Would it be boring to ride?? Would anybody come watch? (a few folks do turn up?weekly to watch a bunch of good old boys?drive cars round and round an oval track for 500 miles)?Who knows until we try it?
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So what are your thoughts about this??
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It is not totally idle speculation. There is actually a track in Oklahoma available to do this. They are not only willing, but eager for us to come. The question is will any riders come?
