weight worth more discussion

["Mary K. Krauss" <kraussberner@worldnet.att.net>]

Though the issue's been mauled over before as Teresa pointed out, it seems
as though the discussion is worth having again--this is a rapidly growing
sport with many new members whose opinions are worth listening too.  After
reading all the pro's and cons, and with my background as a racer (ie, in
Nikes, not St. Croix) and x-country coach, I can't see the rationale behind
rules about weight--except perhaps limiting how much a horse has to
carry--and that's pretty self-regulating I guess.  Seems really
unsportsmanlike to try to "even" up a competition in such an arbitrary
way--should we also limit how much training someone can do in case others
don't have time to train as much?  Forcing weight on lighter riders seems
akin to saying that short gymnists should have to compete in high heels so
as to make the competition more fair to taller athletes....  

A tangential thought: someone before worried that men, though represented
in fewer numbers overall, tended to do the winning in this sport.  Would
the same be true if women (presumably lighter in general--BIG assumption
from this recently pregnant woman...), were not carrying weird dead
weight???