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[RC] Winning vs Losing - Bruce Weary

        Winning isn't always defined as coming in first. In fact, I
would submit that in our sport, it most often does not, nor does
finishing last constitute losing.

  Consider the following examples of Winning but not Finishing First:
1) Finishing in any placing with a healthy, happy sound horse that is
ready for more.
2) Forfeiting your placing or even your completion because you choose to
search for a lost horse or help an injured rider.
3) Finishing last alongside a newbie to the sport who is now hopelessly
addicted to endurance riding.
4) Finishing dead last on a horse you have restored back to health and
fitness from devastating illness or injury.
5) Finishing last your first 100 miler.
6) Finishing last on  ANY 100 miler

7) Finishing last  on the last 100 miler of your career.
8) Finishing dead last on Tevis. (I'll take it!)
9) Making it to the starting line of Tevis. Everything past that point
is gravy.
10) Looking over your shoulder to tip your hat to Lake Tahoe on your way
to Auburn. Whether you make it or not.

 Examples of Finishing First, but Losing:
1) Having a horse back at the trailer that loses interest in eating,
drinking and his environment, head down, and unwilling to move. When
people ask how he's doing, you say, "Great!"
2) Doing it too fast, too soon, with too little preparation on a horse
that's too young.
3) Commenting afterward that "Second place is really just first loser."
4) Picking up the pace after the vet tells you to slow your horse down.
(Seen this one lots of times.)
5) Retiring a horse at a premature age due to too much of #2.
6) Not thanking your horse afterward.

  I have 9,000 miles of endurance rides under my belt, and only one
First Place. I'm just happy every time I get to "swing a leg over" my
horse.
  Everything else after that is just gravy.           Dr Q


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