Re: banter

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

On Sun, 07 Jun 1998 17:32:47 +0000, Frank and Shannon Field
<field@azstarnet.com> wrote:

>All this bantering about "newbies" and what classifies an endurance
>rider is making this "newbie" a little fearful of entering the sport. ... 
(rest copied below)

Hey, come on in, the water's fine!  It's been my experience that most
endurance riders welcome newcomers and will go out of their way to
help them.  They'll answer your questions, share their "secrets" (and
their water!), and do what they can to help you complete your ride.

And parked right next to that big-bucks luxury rig with the
air-conditioned living quarters will be a pickup with a shell towing a
two-horse bumper pull.  And the folks on the budget are just as likely
to blow your socks off on the trail as the ones with the "big iron!"
Some of the greatest horses in our sport had no papers or were bought
for "killer" prices (Kahlil, if I may modestly use him as an example,
was bought for $400).

Please don't judge all endurance riders by those few who seem to be
always asking for an easier way or something for nothing.  They are
IMO a distinct (if often vocal) minority.

Come out and ride, and at the rides you will meet some of the finest
people on God's green earth.  And if I'm there when you achieve your
goals, I'll be applauding along with everyone else!

>All this bantering about "newbies" and what classifies an endurance
>rider is making this "newbie" a little fearful of entering the sport.  I
>realize it's very competitive as are all equine performance sports.  But
>what originally turned me on to endurance was the perception that the
>competitors are basically "down-to-earth" people who don't necessarily
>have to be rich or belong to an elite group, unlike so many of the
>horsey set involved in showing.  I just love my horse and want to
>accomplish something I can be proud of with him as my partner.  That's
>my first goal, regardless of the distance.  It will be a HUGE
>accomplishment for us.  Then, who knows, maybe more and longer races
>will be in our future (at least I hope).  Am I way off base in my
>thinking here?
>
>Shannon

-- 

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