Re: is this fair?

[benamil@juno.com (David Bennett)]

Along this line, a year or so ago I suggested that many who think they
cannot do a 50 are really quite capable if they just knew it...

This fall I started a new horse and did a couple of 25's, riding them at
a pace that I would have gone in a slow 50, finishing near the back but
not last place.  I got comments from the vets about how they "have never
seen you ride so slow".  My horse had plenty of 'go' left afterwards and
erring on the safe side is best.  Yet, it was the pace that I used on
slow 50's while starting my last horse.  After I have done some thinking
about it I reached the conclusion that I would have done just as well to
start a 50 at those rides and quit if I felt my horse needed to stop. 
This is because I viewed those rides as training experiences for him,
getting him out in the crowd, camping with horses and commotion around,
and so on.  Had the entry fee been the same I am sure I would have just
entered the 50...

I think that one just needs to decide what the goal is and work for it. 
If a person's goal is to do Limited Distance, there is absolutely nothing
wrong with it.  If  the choice is only to do 50's that is fine, too. 
Those who do distance riding are more alike, regardless of distance done,
than we are like other horse people...

Dave Bennett
Ben Amil - "I don't MIND if I  *ONLY*  do 50's!"
Rocketeer - "Whaddaya mean,  Get ready for the long haul???"
Chickamauga, Georgia
email:   benamil@juno.com


On Mon, 26 Jan 1998 20:27:15 EST rides2far@juno.com (Angela C. McGhee)
writes:
>I truly believe "To Finish is to Win" at any distance.  But I also 
>believe that any horse that wins a 25 could have done a nice solid 
>completion with less effort on a 50.  If they're 4 and couldn't enter 
>the 50, they shouldn't have gone fast enough to win the 25.  I guess 
>that's why I just can't see being...oh, top 5.  There are some people 
>in the back of top 10 in the 25 around here who ride a very nice race 
>on well conditioned horses...come to think of it, they probably could 
>finish a 50 too.  By the way, when I top tenned in the 50's several 
>times this year, several people asked, "Isn't it about time you did a 
>100?"  So I did, and they were right, we were ready and I enjoyed it.
>
>Angie McGhee and Kaboot (who seemed to enjoy it too)
>
>
>On Mon, 26 Jan 1998 15:26:50 EST SandyDSA@aol.com writes:
>>In a message dated 98-01-26 13:34:08 EST, you write:
>>
>><< I hear a lot of 25's say they think they shouldn't be left out of
>> awards...just because they don't have time to train as much...  I 
>>wonder
>> how they would like to be one of us "also rans" who complete 50s 
>year
>> after year, just out of the awards.  We could drop down and clean 
>up, 
>>but
>> don't want to.  We don't ride for awards.  I see nothing wrong with 
>>doing
>> 25's forever if that's your thing.  But I also see no glory 
>>whatsoever in
>> bragging that you win them.
>>  >>
>>Like anything else competitive, recognition for accomplishment is 
>>alway
>>desired and appreciated. Being an "also ran" in endurance tends to 
>run 
>>in
>>cotrast to the motto. Dropping down and "cleaning up" as is routinely 
>
>>done in
>>the shows is abhorrent and in decidedly bad form. I suppose the 100 
>>milers
>>could say the same about the 50 milers, even those 50 milers who WIn. 
>
>>Bragging
>>is not the same as taking great satisfaction in having completed 
>>something
>>that few attempt and even fewer complete. The GLORY IS in the 
>>completion, and
>>for us, in the doing. Acknowledgement for haing done the job is 
>>appropriate
>>for ANY level, and not to be misunderstood - most don't boast but 
>>enjoy the
>>victory. Some enjoy the boaasting as well (ick!) and so many more are 
>
>>so very
>>pleased and rpoud to have done it at all. SO SO SO .
>>sandy
>>
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