Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

My reply in blue...

 

An interesting discussion for me would be the expectation that at rides that are actually promoting themselves as a "race" like FEI rides do, should those managing and promoting this type of an endurance ride assume more responsibility to assure that "race" conditions are as ideal as possible so riders can safely try to accomplish goals like COCs, rankings, etc? 

 

Do more - as compared to what?  Are FEI riders more important than run of the mill regular endurance riders, and thus more deserving of having plenty of drinkable water out on trail, etc. than regular riders?!?

 

Regardless of the lower completion rate in 100s compared to other distances, I do find it interesting that on a flat ride with non technical footing that the completion rate would be in the 30% range....I believe I read that the FEI completion rate was around 27%.   

 

Actually, I guess I don't find it all that surprising, although I must confess I've never been to one of these FEI races.  Take a flat race track that was selected for maximum speed, bring in some riders who desperately need to get their COC/ranking/whatever, and then give them some very fit horses.  That track had *nothing* to slow them down, nothing to make them have to slow down and navigate some technical stuff here and there so that the horses got some brief breaks.  Two friends of mine did the ride (non-FEI; both completed), and said that they never felt that they hurried, and they finished in 5th and 6th, I think it was.  Interestingly, the 5 non-FEI riders had an 80% completion rate.  Something to think about?  Maybe they didn't feel that they "had" to go balls to the wall?  And if memory serves me, I think the 4 non-FEI riders all finished in under 13:20 (isn't that the COC time?).

 

I just know that if I wanted to and was expected to get the fastest performance out of my horse, I would attempt to do it in as ideal conditions as possible.  And if I were to have to travel a fair distance like so many FEI riders have to, I would want assurances that these ideal conditions were in place and that attaining my goal was even possible on the course designed.   

 

I would want this at ANY ride I attended!!!  I wouldn't return to a ride that did a half-assed job of taking care of horse and rider.  I don't expect red carpets and champagne, but I do expect a trail I can follow, that is the advertised distance, enough water for my horse (barring unforeseen circimstances like Kim described), and good vets.

 

In endurance riding, dealing with circumstances that occur on the trail are an expected (or should be an expected) facet of the sport and riders are expected to deal with them.  In endurance racing,  I am not sure that it is realistic to expect riders/horses  to accomplish set goals such as COCs, ranking, set times for 100s,  and deal with the natural or non natural circumstances that can occur on a course.

 

Why not?  As you so eloquently describe, that is what endurance riding (and racing) entails.  If these people who are going to that competition in Malaysia are going to be operating under different, more coddled, conditions than we endurance riders are, perhaps we need to change the name of what they are doing, as well as their event.  We're doing endurance riding, with all of the facets Kim describes above.  Maybe the winner of the upcoming event needs to be called the World Long Distance Racing Championship.

 

JMHO,

Dawn Carrie, Texas

On 1/2/08, FXLivestock@xxxxxxx <FXLivestock@xxxxxxx> wrote: