Re: NATRC/endurance

[VMAXEPT Roger Rittenhouse <vmaxept@cococo.net>]

Ruth  Very great post . I am sure all the ridecamp readers  did take the
time to read this one. It is well thought out and very correct.
NATRC as ECTRA  and other CTR competitions are the best method to start
a new horse and a GREAT place to retire and old one.
I spent 20 years with ECTRA CTR. /
NATRC looks great in the book and is suppose to be just as Ruth said in
her post. Sometimes -- as I and my wife Carol have experinced, the
implementaion and action are quite different.
I posted quite a number of VERY critical papers and comments about R5
NATRC.
The comments I said and the WAY I said them was less then polite..
At a recent R5 ride I offered a few  comments. I DID NOT retract my
comments or opinions of what I said -saw or experiened over the past 2
years.
As you -many know -- I say what I feel -think -without much reguard to
tack or diplomacy. I shoot from the hip sometimes and sometimes I will
get in your face. Its just me. I get ticked off about an issue and
people and attitudes and I let it fly.
This medium is a one way shoot out.. I can say all this to my PC without
reguard How it affects anyone else.
So I irritated alot of the R5 NATRC riders .. I was told to get lost -
go away-- I was not needed .. I did NOT know what I was talking about--
grossly over rated my self-- I had nothing to offer NATRC.. and I was
just a trouble maker.. so whats your point? ( JOKE comment ..)
SO after 'things' were said and done to Carol and I ..and all the crap
hit the fan.. I said what do I NEED this for anyway.

Well- I am still a member of ECTRA and so is my 21 year old mare Fasha.
Now in ECTRA we get miles very SLOW - like 25 miles a weekend. so it
takes many years to get a high mileage record. In ECTRA the highest
mileage horse was just over 6500. There are only 3 over 5000 and only 2
still competing. Fasha has about 4200.

ECTRA offers outside mileage credit to members and horses who compete in
other orgs rides.. such as NATRC. Since NATRC is the only game in town..
for now -in the SE, I can get mileage credit for the NATRC rides we do.
I dont need to put her on the 50s anymore and ECTRA does not count the
LDs( which is right)

So in spite of popular opinion I am NOT going to quit or go away. I just
wont publicly put the region down anymore. I will be critical if I think
the situation warrants it..
like running me off the trail
and in fact I will take it the person if needed.. rather then vent my
frustration here.

I have all but dropped out of the CTR email list.. because I just KNOW I
would run off at the keyboard and get in-'flamed' again.. so I temper my
comments on NATRC here also.
My ONLY object of continuing with NATRC is to get 5000 miles on my
mare.. thats it.
I dont care about the rules or the people.
I offered my help and adivice -- to anyone who thought I just MIGHT know
something about distance riding.. no one said a word the whole weekend..
I dont have nothing to offer nor do they..I just ride for me and my
horse. I dont really care if I ever take my new one to a ride EXCEPT I
can get some good long slow PACED miles on him under a form of
competition.
NATRC is just not for me  as a long term form of competition. I dont fit
in with attitudes or politics. Buts thats OK all I ask is to be left to
do my rides my way and if that means passing all the not-so-safe
horsemanship obsticales  then thats my choice and of course I loose the
'placing' but I get the miles..
I really enjoyed the last ride.. no hassle.. it was great. AND she
placed 4th even after passing on a obsticale (the vet judges more on
manners) and I placed 2nd in horsemanship ( real trail riding type).
SO to end this long issue -- CTR is a great  from of distance riding,
NATRC is a means to an end for me.. my addiction is AERC and endurnace.
It is still the best game in town  be it LDs 50 or 100.
Carol and I had a great run this past weekend  I did the 50 on the RAT
and Carol did the 25 on her renta horse. had a super time.

I am looking into running SEDRA type rides in TN - it is an ECTRA style
CTR based in FL. IF there would be about 30 or 40 SERA endurnace riders
who would like to try a CTR based on time and condition only-- we just
might try this format next year.
Sorry for the long dirge--had to get this said
later
rr