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"You say you want a revolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know you can count me out
Don't you know it's gonna be alright
Alright Alright"

As one that grew up in the South on the cusp of one of the greatest
changes in this country and one whose uncle was on the front line of
pushing the revolution of cultural change in Mobile, Montgomery, etc.,
in the 50's - I can tell you change can't be stopped. As one that grew
up in a county where we had one black high school and one black
elementary school where all the blacks kids were bussed to - today I
look out to see a black man who was first in his class at Harvard Law
school running for president! And folks I ain't that old. Then myself in
the middle of the cultural uprising in the 60's and proudly being a foot
solider in the sexual revolution ;-) . I like to watch change unfold. In
reality change is brought about by response to balance forces no
different than change in the physical world is brought about response to
balance forces.

Change is a constant. There are always three groups - those pushing
against change of any form or any sort, those pushing for change for the
sake of change and those in the middle. Or as said King Whitney, Jr.
"Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To
the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get
worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better.
To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make
things better." History shows us it's better for change to evolve
sometimes a "revolution" is necessary.

The world is changing, economic realities cause change. Endurance riding
is not an island unto itself it has to react to the forces in place by
changing demographics of it's membership, changing land use issues and
yes changing economic realities brought about by forces out side of it.
If endurance riding didn't need to change we would not need a board of
directors. A ship in perfectly calm seas with no currents doesn't need a
captain.

I've been at this sport for 20 years - that makes me a pioneer in
Florida since that's about the time the first endurance ride was run in
Florida. We have seen tremendous growth and tremendous change. We've
gone from a few rides with 15 people total to 8 to 10 rides last year
with over a 100 people each. We have more LD's than any other distance -
always have probably always will. The LD's have spawned unparalleled
growth in the sport at all levels which is true throughout the SE
region. LD's have been a fundamental, critical and instrumental part of
the growth endurance in Florida. So while there are old timers not all
old timers have the same "old time experience." I think that is
something lost - something that needs to be recognized in this
discussion. Don't lump me with a "Western old timer" - my experiences
are totally different. That's not good nor bad - it's just different. I
am also one to embrace change because most change is good.

None on the things I see talked about, LD placing, LD BC, etc. is new
here - it's been integral since the sport I began riding in the SE. I
had placement on my first LD ride in Jan 1988 (11 in the LD - 4 in the
50). I was dead last on my first one because it almost killed me. By
golly on my next LD a month later, my horse and I nailed the 25 miles in
2:40 with four of us having a balls to the wall race the last 10 miles -
man was that fun! Our horses - they were great wanted to keep going - in
fact all four went right though camp for about a quarter mile till we
could manage to pull them up. We had the 60 pulse to finish in SERA (it
was in place in 1988 when I did my first ride) while most on the AERC
were hoping LD would just go away I am sure - it hasn't and it won't.

However, at the same time - there were 4 one day 100 mile rides in
Florida this year and will be four one day 100 mile rides in Florida
next year. We've had a baseline of three and sometimes four as long as I
can remember. That's only one state in the SE region! How many do they
have in the West region? I think what the Florida example and the SE
example shows is we can all work together to make it an enjoyable sport
for everyone! Maybe, just maybe acceptance across the board by all -
leads to support across the board by all. What a novel concept. Or as
another Beatle sone admonishes "Come Together..."

Truman

Bruce Weary DC wrote:
> Hi Carrie--
> There is a difference between asking questions aimed at becoming 
> better informed, such as, "How does the present point system work?", 
> or "How and why did the present point system evolve to what it is 
> today?" versus questions from relative beginners that ask, "Why can't 
> we have more points and privileges than there already are?" The former 
> questions seek to understand, while the latter question implies no 
> interest in why things work the way they do, but rather an interest in 
> how to change them to suit certain member's preferences. Many of us 
> "old timers" remember and understand why things work as they do ( and 
> have for a long time) and we also understand that time and experience 
> help to make that reasoning clear. If some people respond with some 
> exasperation, it may be because, like many topics on RC, this one 
> comes up cyclically with newcomers questions aimed early on at finding 
> ways to change our award system to suit them before trying to work 
> within it and understand it fully first.
> Creative ideas come from everywhere, incuding newcomers. But a lot of 
> creativity and "field testing" has already gone onto our current 
> system, and though endurance riding is much more about personal 
> satisfaction and goals setting, our awards system is not designed to 
> be exclusionary. Though imperfect in some folks' minds, it attempts to 
> reward the level of effort given, whether that be in how many miles 
> are ridden in a day, or on one horse, in a year, on a mare, by a 65 
> year old rider, or any one of many award categories.
> One of the most common complaints about the annual convention is how 
> LONG the awards ceremonies last, becuase there are so many awards to 
> present, both at the national and regional level. That should be a 
> good indication as to how much effort our tiny sport gives to 
> recognizing the exploits of it's members. Bruce Weary

--

“He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a
monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also
into you.” Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil



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