Re: [RC] Why would somebody do this? - FXLivestock
In a message dated 4/6/2009 10:07:07 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
katswig@xxxxxxx writes:
must confess, I find this statement to be rather odd. Why would
somebody who has an ROC qualified (and completed) horse (i.e. top ten 100
miler) take it to an LD ride...and "win" it?
I think this goes back to how one views LD rides. From my
perspective, I would never take a 50 or 100 mile horse in an LD to
officially place, win, or show for BC. For me, LDs and the
recognition awards are for horses that have not competed at the 50 mile or above
distance. I don't think it is fair for a seasoned 100 mile horses to be
competing against horses that are just starting in the sport or that do not do
distances above the LD level.
I remember a few years ago at the Malibu ride, I entered my going 100 mile
horse in the LD as a conditioning ride because I wanted to support the ride and
the 50 mile distance was too long because this horse was entered in a
longer distance ride (a 65 or a 100) the following week. My horse placed
in the Top 10 and I asked that she be moved to 11th place so it would give
another horse a chance to show for BC.
I know I am not the only person who feels this way. At a recent ride
I was crewing for a rider in the 25 who was riding a very experienced 50/100
mile horse but was entered in the LD because this rider was coming back from
knee surgery. She elected not to show for BC even though this horse looked
fantastic because the horse was an experienced 50/100
mile horse.
Some of us were brought into this sport when the general consensus by our
peers at that time was that LDs were training rides, were for novice
horses, or were to bring back more experienced horses to competition that had
been laid off. Maybe the majority of AERC members don't feel this way
anymore, but because of my background I find it hard to feel I have accomplished
much if my experienced 100 mile horse would win BC in an LD where the majority
of horses have never gone beyond the LD level. I would really feel bad if
because of my placing in the Top 10 with a very experienced horse, I took away
the opportunity for a novice horse who placed 11th to get to show for BC.
This is not to be a put down to LDs. In my mind it is more about
trying to make a level playing field in the LD division which in our sport is
"entry level" for most riders and many horses. Just to give a little
analogy, in AKC dog agility the novice division is (or was) divided into two
groups. Novice A was handlers who had never earned an agility title and
Novice B was handlers who had earned a title. I don't want or expect AERC
to establish a system like this but it is something that I do personally put to
practice when I ride LDs.
