Re: Dangerous horses - radios -the spirit of Endurance

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

On Mon, 13 Apr 1998 08:18:58 -0600, renegade12@juno.com (Randy H Eiland)
wrote:

>As to electronic communications systems during competitions, I have to
>disagree with Ramey on this point.  A couple of years ago there was a
>letter sent to the AERC Protest & Grievance Committee in reference to a
>rider using a radio system between her and her crew, at the ROC.  I
>believe it was filed as a grievance and the P&G Committee took the
>position that radio contact between rider and crew constituted an  unfair
>and illegal advantage as it was a form of "prompting".  In this case it
>was alleged the crew was informing the rider of conditions, position,
>placing, etc. of horses in front of the rider and giving instructions on
>how to pace to catch the horses in front. 
>There have been many positive changes in the way we compete in endurance,
>but I think electronic communications between riders and crews violates
>the spirit of endurance and takes away from the many  intangibles of
>competition. 

Could you provide more details on this?  I haven't heard of it.

I also disagree that it is improper prompting.  How is it substantively
different from crew persons meeting the rider at points where the trail
crosses a road, and informing the rider of the distance ahead (and
appearance) of other riders and horses -- something we've done for
years?  There are defensive measures you can take, too -- many's the
time I was just trotting along when I saw someone's crew ahead, and
broke into a brisk canter until I passed them (so they'd report "yeah,
he was really flying when he passed us!).

I remember rides that were mostly along roads where crews drove back and
forth, constantly checking on the other riders and reporting back to
their riders.

"Prompting," at least in the spirit with which Rule 6k was written,
referred to actions which prompted a horse to go faster, not the passing
of information to a rider.

I've often looked for natural clues to how far ahead some rider was --
water in a creek still muddy, a dust cloud over the hill, the condition
of manure.  I've joked that I can grab a finger full of manure, taste
it, and tell you to the minute how far ahead the horse is!  If a rider
wants to go to the trouble to carry and use a radio on the trail to get
such info from his crew, I don't see how that violates the spirit of
endurance competition.

-- 

Joe Long
jlong@mti.net
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