... I am sure a lot of horses had issues out on the trail with not wanting to drink...
I found this not particularly the case with Steph's horse on Sunday, or my own on Monday. Rhett tanked at the first two in-camp holds (as much as we would let him of the cold stuff, and then warmed water during the (7 min ...:( actual hold time. Jose on Monday drank well at 4 miles (which he NEVER does) into the 1st loop, and continuously throughout the day. There was only on stop (the last on at 46 miles) that he didn't want to drink.
...FEI riders were trying to earn COCs,?place well for ranking, or complete in a certain time.? It is hard enough to try to finish 100s in under 10 hours when conditions are ideal and the course is designed to allow this kind of finishing time..
CoC time is 13:20 (about 8.5 mph on average, an average speed ?that the top 8 in the 50 ran). A 10 hour completion time was not the goal of most of the riders in this case. Only (maybe) Darolyn, CiCi, and Valery. And given Val's early 1.5 hr "handycap", she by far went the fastest of all the field.
..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??
Yes, this point is most important. The design of the course, phase lengths/number, and hold times are all considerations which need to be tuned to the expectations the event is setting. This ride was flat and fast course, but a 25 mile phase in a 100 (resulting in the horses going 40 miles with 1 20min break) might have been at ods with the expectations of the event (for example).
