Re: LD Rules

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

At 03:15 PM 9/22/98 -0400, you wrote:

>Uh, did I miss something?  Last time I checked, we ride managers provided the
>marking, the veterinarians, the awards, and a pretty big chunk of the
>educational experience.  AERC did not chip in anything toward this experience
>for the LD rider.  On the contrary, we pay AERC $3 per rider plus an
>additional $1 per starting rider for drug testing, regardless of membership
>status.  That should help offset the costs of having to log non-members in as
>part of the ride results and keep track of them. 

I guess I didn't make myself very clear. ;-)  In dressage shows, if they
are sanctioned by USDF or the state level organization, a certain amount
*extra* per rider goes to the organization if they're NOT members -- for
the "privilege" of attending a "real" show -- this is an additional fee
beyond the "per rider" fee.  They (the club or barn hosting the show) also
have added charges of technical delegates, extra judges, etc. for having it
a rated show.  The extra that we had to pay for the technical delegate or
second judge was reflected in the increased cost per class over a schooling
show.  I just looked up the flyer for a "B" show (state sanctioned) from
'97 and the extra fee was $2 for non-members...basically what the state
charged us for a non-member.  It certainly wasn't $10 per show that the
AERC wants, but it *was* enough to cover what we had to pay WSH...WSH just
wanted less per rider. 

> Nope, the $10 non-member fee
>doesn't do a thing to improve the LD rider's experience on a local level.
All
>it does is help AERC pay its bills.  

Precisely...the difference being that the fee for the non-member wasn't as
high...and you expected it if you chose to attend a sanctioned event --
that (the member and non-member fees) is how they (the state or nat. org.)
made their money.  Yes, the local clubs provide the bennies of education
and experience by providing the shows and the certified judges. I guess my
thought here is that there *should* be a non-member fee but perhaps not one
quite so steep.  And, yes, the smaller amounts actually did encourage
people to join...you figured that if you had to pay them several times
anyway, you might as well pay the membership fee and get the magazine
also...and if you were only going to attend one or two shows and didn't
care about the other bennies, you didn't mind paying a couple extra bucks
to attend! ;-)

Sue




sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.