Accumulated miles VS "racing" 25 mile LD rides

[Jacqueline Mansfield <jaxson@leopard.com>]

At 01:10 PM 1/27/98 -0800, you wrote:
>I don't think there should be any acknowledgment for the "winner" of a 25.
 I think the finishers should be announced in alphabetical >order to
discourage the weekend warriors from killing their horses and thinking
they're something hot if they come in first.  

	I would completely agree with this statement. As a person who has yet to
do a ride longer than 25, I must say that I could care less who comes in
first - if you look at my ride results Winza and I are usually last or very
close to last (it is pretty embarassing when you look at your watch and
realize, "WHOOPS! We had better step up the pace or we won't make the cut
off time!!!") = ). I would be happy if the "winner" was the person at the
end of the season who had the most miles accumulated within his/her
division. True, it takes LD riders much longer to accumulate
hundreds/thousands of miles, but when you consider all the traveling and
time they had to put into to get 500/1000 miles it really shows his/her
dedication to the sport!

	Couldn't the LD rides be sanctioned (sp?) this way? 

	Jacqueline Mansfield and Winza, the 25 mile horse who may be a 50 mile
horse someday