Fw: LD non-member fees

["Wolgram" <bkwranch@cmn.net>]

Joe Long suggested that I consider posting my opinions to Ridecamp after he
read this letter I wrote to him,  so here's my "considering joining but not
yet" opinion....I hope I don't offend anyone; that's not my intent, just
wanted to let you know how I feel as an LD non-member rider.

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> From: Wolgram <bkwranch@cmn.net>
> To: jlong@mti.net
> Subject: LD non-member fees
> Date: Monday, November 30, 1998 11:03 PM
> 
> Hi, Joe, I've spoken with you on the list once before and am writing you
> privately (mainly because I don't want to subject myself to all the
arguing
> about it on Ridecamp and I'm not sure that my opinion would really make a
> difference since I'm not yet....and maybe won't be now for a while...an
> AERC member).
> But I did want to share with you some of my opinions on this additional
fee
> possibility....I wrote Linda Fisher a while back and sent her a check to
> join MRER...I would really like to get involved with this
> organization...have met a number of the members...very friendly and I
have
> had a lot of fun at the rides...did three 30-milers last year and two
this
> year....would have done more if they hadn't conflicted with the NATRC
> Region 3 rides which I love very much.  I also e-mailed Linda our Region
3
> ride calendar in the hopes that she could share it with some of your ride
> managers and possibly there would not have to be so many rides held by
> Region 3 and MRER on the same weekends ...there are a core group of us up
> here in Craig (about six to eight) who would all love to come do more of
> MRER's Front Range rides but not at the expense of divided loyalty to our
> own Region's competitive trail rides.  We would also love to see MRER
> members consider doing some of our rides...NATRC has eliminated the
shoeing
> rule for 1999 to see how it will work out ---hooray!!---so riders can use
> pads, Easyboots, etc. on these competitive trail rides....these rides can
> be great training rides for endurance horses, and I have found that the
> endurance rides are wonderful for training me and my horse to go the
faster
> speed required at the Open level...the best of both worlds!!!
> On to the non-member fee.....When I can pay $65-70 dollars for a whole
> weekend of fun activities, camping with wonderful horse people, riding
> beautiful trails for 50-60 miles over the weekend, having judges look at
me
> and my horse about 8-10 times (and on and on) in competitive trail, why
> should I pay the same amount of money, or more, if this $10 fee goes
> through to do a hurried one-day ride where one vet might see me three
times
> or less for about five minutes total and I spend the same amount of time
> and money in travel expense for both....hmmmmm.....doesn't make sense...
> I pay $18 a year to belong to Region 3 and $40 a year to belong to NATRC
> National (last I saw it would be about $75 to join AERC not counting the
> $10 or $15 per horse to register each horse I would want to ride)....So
> WHAT if Sundowner is paying 25% this year...I wouldn't want to be a
> "one-year" wonder when I join anyway....
> NATRC has about 2000 members nationally, spends about $12,000 a year on
> year-end awards, AERC has over 6000 members, spends about $16-18,000 a
year
> on year-end awards.....(these figures were gathered by our president,
Jerry
> Weil, so can't vouch for them myself)
> I am not ready yet to do 50-milers, not sure if I really want to, to tell
> the truth, so I have enjoyed going to the 30-milers and will continue to
do
> so and encourage my riding friends in Region 3 to do so ....unless that
> non-member fee is voted in....Then I doubt very seriously I will
> participate at all until I decide I want to do 50-milers, which may be in
a
> couple of years, or not at all...
> So I agree with you totally, I think that the $10 non-member fee for
rides
> under 49 miles is a BAD idea whose time has NOT come(I hope)....I think
> your organization might lose a lot of LD riders who just want to come and
> enjoy the shorter distance and the day...this might not matter with the
> rides that draw 75-100 endurance riders in the 50 and 100-milers, but it
> seems to me that a lot of rides depend on the shorter distances to make
> their expenses and I think they might really be hurt...I think possibly
> that people like me who see no "glory" in riding 30 miles, but are just
> using the distance to train their horses or just for the fun of it will
> disappear....Maybe AERC doesn't think so; if they vote in this fee, it
will
> be interesting to see the results...possibly NATRC and other CTR
> organizations will gain what AERC loses....
> Hope I didn't bore you too much with my opinion...I really do want to
> support MRER and I hope AERC doesn't make that impossible....
> Betty in Craig, Colorado
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