I ain't old but I agree with MB. Also Bruce must be smoking something
funny - "distant riding" has already been taken a long time ago - 30 or
40 years before any endurance ride was ever conceived. The Florida 3
day 100 CTR was first run in about 1947 and it based based on rides
that had existed in the North East.
There are sanctioning organizations with "distance riding" in there
name, e.g. SouthEast Distance Riding Assoc., that sanctions both CTR
and endurance. AERC has missed the distance riding boat.
I thing the AERC would be better off to address the real problems - not
worry about semantics. Endurance riding is a fine name and I would
resent spending AERC money to change the bylaws to change endurance
riding to distance riding. We have a lot bigger fish to fry.
Truman
marybenstover wrote:
Being one of the old (67) and infirm (many fractures , other
injuries, osteoarthritis and a titanium hip) I hope to complete at
least one more 50 to officially get 8,000 miles. I would also like to
do more 100's (Tevis not being one of them). I have always considered
100's generally easier than 50's. Don't laugh, I didn't believe it
years ago either when Becky Hart told me that but it is true. I rode
one and she crewed for me. I rode the last 45 miles alone and in the
dark and had a great time.
I would hate for this sport to change its name to Distance
Riding. If you want to do distance riding there is always NATRC and
CTR. While I have not done CTR, I have done NATRC. There is a place
for everyone. Everything in life seems to be getting made easier so
people's feelings don't get hurt. Too bad. Life is not fair. We need
to stop dumbing down everything in life from kid's sports, school
grades, etc. If I can't do endurance again, too bad for me. I don't
expect the entire sport to change because I whine that I can't do it
the way it is. Come on now, I actually rode around for about 5 minutes
a few months ago on a lead line because Ildi was afraid I would get
hurt and would not let go of the lead line. I fell off the horse
trailer getting on and she was freaked. But that is another story.
Bruce is right, however, in saying it will likely take another
generation. The old timers will never allow the
sport to change to "distance riding."
My goal is to ride the Big Horn 100. I don't know if I ever will
but I don't expect them to make it shorter or easier in any way just
because it would be hard for me. However, I do expect Tom Noll to
sponsor me.....................mb
-- "There is always a well-known solution to every human
problem--neat, plausible, and wrong
"There is always a well-known solution to every
human
problem--neat, plausible, and wrong." H. L. Mencken
