Re: RC: Correction to Difficult story PAC

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

>What really happened was that she took a 20 minute penalty at
>VC 4.  Under FEI rules - if you present too early for P&R -
>and don't make it - you have a 30 minute penality.  Thru some
>process I don't understand yet - it ended up a 20 minute 

This really stinks royally.  (and I'm in the East)  Of all the FEI rules
I think this is the worst. Not to take anything away from the winner,
this is just a rule I don't agree with and this gives me a chance to
point out why.

 In a stockcar race a MAJOR penalty is losing ONE lap.  That's 1/500th of
the distance of the race.  If these horses are traveling 10mph (6 minute
miles)a 30 minute penalty would set them back 5 miles!!!!!  1/20 of the
race.  I've always considered it ample penalty to simply make the early
presenter walk out the back exit to P&R and have to circle all the way
around to re-enter at the in-gate.  A three minute penalty would be
sufficient in my mind....10 minutes is darned near excessive.  30 is
rediculous. 

When I was a groom at the North American it was my job to tell my rider
when to present.  I hated it.  Our horse would be 56 and I was still
terrified to O.K.  him to go in.  Here  in the Southeast your time stops
when you enter the P&R area.  In Arizona I took our horse's pulse (just
standing around in a crowd, not in any designated area) and announced he 
was down (he was whatever criteria was on the dot).  Before I could say a
word an official stepped up and took it, as if I'd called for him.  I was
just telling my rider he was down, not saying I wanted to present.  We
could have been ruined by that. 

Christie obviously wouldn't be stupid enough to take the horse in when it
wasn't down, so I assume its pulse jumped when it entered the P&R area. 
I suppose she gambled that 60 would stay 60 and others were being
paranoid and waiting for a good solid 56.  I guess that's all strategy,
but I bet this leaves a bad taste in lots of people's mouths whereas the
usual P&R methods do not.  Who came up with the 30 min. penalty?  Since I
don't know of any AERC ride that uses it, I'm just curious whose idea
that was.


Angie McGhee & Kaboot
Wildwood, GA

I would not change my horse with any that treads.  When I bestride him I
soar; I am a hawk.
Shakespeare

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