AERC Completion Time Rule

["Joe Long" <jlong@mti.net>]

I'd like to share one reason I feel so strongly that the current AERC
rule on ride times is a bad rule.

The first ride I managed was the first Heart of Dixie ride, a 50 and
100 mile ride held in Alabama July 4th, 1980.  That weekend we had the
worst heat wave in 20 years; there were livestock advisories out
because farmers were losing stock in their fields.  A horse tied
quietly in the shade would be wet with sweat.

AERC President Dave Claggett, was at the ride.  I asked him if I could
extend the riding times.  He said "no problem" for the 50, but as I
had advertised and sanctioned the 100 as a one-day 100 he did not see
how I could extend the time on that length.

So, I announced at the riders meeting that the time limit for the 50
mile ride was 15 hours instead of 12, but that the 100 would stay at
24.

We had six starters in the 100.  One horse pulled for lameness; four
riders pulled because they couldn't maintain a 24 hour pace in that
heat.  One horse made it with only 20 minutes to spare -- and of
course much of his ride was at night, when it was at least a little
cooler.

In the 50, the *First Place* time was 13 hours, 43 minutes, and 40
seconds including holds (I looked it up).  Under our current rule,
*nobody* would have completed the 50.  Even with the 15 hour limit we
only had about a 50% completion rate in the 50.

Does this mean those riders were wimps?  That their horses weren't
good enough for endurance?  Bullsh*t!!!!!!  Everyone who completed
that ride rode one of the toughest rides of their lives.  And, we
didn't have a single horse in trouble or needing metabolic treatment!

Well, some people say "Too bad, bad things happen to good people."
Sorry, that's no excuse for arbitrary rules making them happen.  We
trust our ride managers on much weightier matters ... the trail, trail
measurement, the competence of the vets they hire.  I cannot believe
they cannot be trusted with *some* discretion to allow longer ride
times under abnormal conditions.

Until this discussion took place here, I had no thought of doing
anything about this issue this year.  After reading the amount of
support on this list for fixing the rule, I am formally petitioning
the Board to address this issue, and come up with a proposal to take
to the Membership.  Final action could take place at the mid-year
meeting for a change effective with the 1999 ride season.

-- 

Joe Long
jlong@mti.net
Business Page  http://www.mti.net
Personal Page  http://www.rnbw.com