Re: WEC team selections

["Arikara Appaloosas" <arikaras@iafrica.com>]

Lari,
Your post was great and well thought out!
Goodluck to all the WEC competitors!!!!!!
Regards
kathy(from South Africa)
Arikara Horse & Hiking Safaris
Arikara Appaloosa & Arab Stud
http://196.7.177.40/aht/
-----Original Message-----
From: Lari Shea <larishea@horse-vacation.com>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Cc: rk-ld.stewart@usa.n <rk-ld.stewart@usa.n>; TBen425@aol.com
<TBen425@aol.com>; truman.prevatt@netsrq.com <truman.prevatt@netsrq.com>
Date: Saturday, October 24, 1998 9:56 PM
Subject: WEC team selections


>Whoa, fellas.....now I understand how wars are started!   Perhaps because I
>personally know Tony Bennedetti and Rick Stewart are gentlemen of the
finest
>caliber, selflessly hardworking and dedicated to assisting  U.S.
>international endurance competition to be the best it can be, I did not
read
>the tone of their letters to be at all insulting.  Defensive,
perhaps....but
>then, they have been "attacked".  However, they did explain in detail, and
>in a manner that should convince most folks, that the selection process is
>well thought out and thorough, as unbiased as possible, and takes into
>account both past accomplishments and current fitness to compete at the
>highest level.  The fact that everyone does not agree in advance which
>horse(s) have the best chance of winning any given race is exactly what
>makes a horse race, folks.  No one would bet if everyone knew.
>
>Tony, I'll bet people would find it interesting to read the detailed
>lifelong statistics for both riders and horses chosen for the team and as
>alternates.  Tell the ridecamp readers exactly how terrific these folks
are.
>For instance, I remember when Darla Westlake was competing on RC
>Muffin,....they WON about 95 races, winning Best Condition more than 50
>times.  (Correct me on these figures....)  Muffy still competes
successfully
>with others in the Westlake family, and Darla is well on her way towards
>equaling his accomplishments with RamZ.
>
>I also remember being tied with Pam American Gold Medall winner Shirley
>Delsart and Dusty in 2nd/3rd place about 64 miles out on ROC one year.  I
>had a camera, and snapped some great ones of Shirley and Dusty as we
trotted
>along on top of a mountain.  Shirley told me to pass the camera to her so
>she could get my picture also. Having difficulty focusing as we trotted
>along, she shouted to me to pull up so she could get the shot.  There we
>stood on top of the world, passing the camera back and forth, posing for
all
>we were worth, when riders # 4-7 came around the bend.  They all were sure
>something must be wrong when they saw us stopped, but Shirley smiled and
>said "Hey, we're only here because we enjoy it, and if we can't take some
>time to make the memories, there's something wrong."  (She ended up neck &
>neck with Valerie and Cash right up until the finish!)
>
>Even at the level at which these top riders compete, they are still out
>there doing it only because they love it.   Let's brag on the these great
>horses and their riders, so that we get the national pep team warmed up
>before December 10th.   Our riders and their horses deserve our united good
>will and best wishes.  Disparaging remarks about the pairs selected and the
>process that did so are ingracious at best, and disheartening for the
riders
>who have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to reach this pinnacle of
>competition.
>
>Let's us endurance riders yell out a hearty CONGRATULATIONS! to the six
>riders and horses who have been selected to represent the United States at
>the World Equestrian Championships 100 Mile Endurance Race in Dubai.
>
>Cheers!
>
>Lari
>
>
>Lari Shea                                http://www.horse-vacation.com
>Ricochet Ridge Ranch       Riding Vacations on the Mendocino Coast
>24201 North Highway One       with lodging at unique B&B Inns;
>Fort Bragg, CA 95437 International Riding Vacations
>        Akhal Teke and Russian Orlov/cross horses
>707-964-7669ph/ 707-964-9669 fax   At stud: RRR Stolichnaya & RRR Russia
>
>