Can you please post this for me about the GRD ride fees. I am not subscribed on ridecamp anymore.
Here is my understanding about the GRD ride regarding the fee structure. As mentioned in previous posts, this ride is being put on for FEI riders as a one time event for those who need to qualify their horses. This ride is also being held about 5 weeks before one of the oldest 100 mile rides in the Pacific Southwest region, the 20 Mule Team 100. There is no question that holding two 100 mile rides in the same geographical area (less than 20 miles apart and same terrain) and so close together time wise is going to hurt the established 100 mile ride. Most 100 mile riders who have only one horse would have to make a difficult decision on which ride to attend.
Those needing FEI qualification are going to go to GRD regardless of the price and date and will fore go most non FEI 100s this year. At $600 it is cheaper for those on the West coast than traveling to the east coast (Florida) to get a COC and certainly less time consuming. For those who think this is outrageous, I paid around $400 for a late sanctioned FEI ride 75 miler in August in CA. It is/was outrageous, but if you want to play the game on the west coast it is a lot cheaper than having to travel half way across the country. This is the FEI game with new qualifying requirements.
So maybe having the same fee structure does discourage AERC riders from attending. But, I know that GRD ride management wanted to do everything possible so the 20 Mule Team 100 numbers would not be down this year. The GRD in January is a one time event. I would hate to see ride managers for the 20 Mule Team 100 drop the 100 mile distance for future years because 2010 numbers are low. I know that was a definite possibility. Do we really want to risk losing another established 100 mile ride in the PS region?
The problem is that FEI rides are required to be sanctioned with AERC rides. Too bad there is this requirement. I think ride management came up with a great solution to provide FEI riders with a venue and not infringe on the 20 Mule Team 100. This was not about keeping AERC riders out because they are AERC, but about working within a system that has some very stupid rules about sanctioning. I know that the intent was not to offend the AERC ridership but respect an established AERC ride. As a 100 mile rider, I respect the decisions management made. At least as an AERC rider, I have a choice to attend either ride in 2010 (if I want to pay $$$) and know I will still have the 20 Mule Team 100 to attend in 2011.
For those that want the GRD course and not pay FEI prices...ride in April or in the Fall. I still maintain that it would be so much better to get rid of the rule to mandate FEI rides be sanctioned with AERC rides and let individual ride managers make the co sanctioning decisions like they do with CTR, AHA, and RAT. It certainly would create less havoc in situations like this.
