Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

It is difficult to discuss an issue when some of the participants persistently 
present arguments that are not relevant but sound as if they are.  The issue 
being examined here is whether or not the Tevis Ride Management has the right to 
impose on some riders, but not all, a time penalty.  If you want to broaden the 
scope of the issue, fine.  Make it whether or not any Ride Management has the 
right to impose any penalty on some riders but not all.  But citing factors over 
which no Ride Management has control is not broadening the scope of the 
discussion.  It is just adding red herrings and confusion.  Rocks, heat, dust; 
riders blocking trail, getting thrown, taking a wrong turn; horses falling off 
cliffs, running away, kicking other horses, none of these things are under the 
control of Ride Management and are therefore NOT valid points in this discussion.

If WSTF designates a starting line and a starting time, and they do, and they 
allow all the participants to sort out amongst themselves who will cross that 
line first when the trail is opened, they are not in violation of AERC rules, 
regardless of the resulting chaos.  However, if WSTF forbids selected riders 
from starting at the designated starting line at the designated time the race is 
to begin, without compensating those riders by factoring those minutes back into 
a rider's time at the end of the race, then WSTF IS in violation.  That the time 
penalty is only a minute or two is irrelevant because if it is NOT a violation 
of AERC rules to impose a 1 or 2 minute time penalty, then it's not a violation 
to impose a 5 minute one, or 15 minute, or 60 minute penalty.  Either they are 
all violations or none are.

BTW, if on average Endurance horses start rides traveling 10 miles per hour for 
the first mile or two, they will cover 1/2 mile in 3 minutes.  Thus requiring 
one group of horses to start 3 minutes after another group is like having a 
second starting line for the privileged group a 1/2 mile closer to the finish. 
I wonder how happily most riders would accept being required to go 50 or 100 
miles while a select few were permitted to get the same completion for traveling 
1/2 mile less.  Should be okay, right?  After all, 1/2 mile differential at the 
start would be infinitesimal.

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