Re: RC: Apology

["Jerry Fruth" <hikryrdg@evansville.net>]

Truman, To prepair for the National 50 miler, she fails to take into
account just what Jabask Knight did this year.  His record speaks for
itself.  Jerry
Hickory Ridge Arabians web page:
http://www.evansville.net/~hikryrdg

Standing JABASK KNIGHT
On Tue, 31 Aug 1999, Truman Prevatt wrote...
>.... and Moses begot a daughter and called her Kat.  And after being beck=
>oned from on high the Prophet
>climbed to the top of Mount Sinai where she was presented the tablet of s=
>tone ...... the tablet from
>the god of endurance riding......containing the commandments of endurance=
> riding (see blow) with the
>instructions to lead his children out of the heathen land where 50 mile r=
>ides are honored as true
>endurance rides.  Upon her return the self proclaimed goddess of enduranc=
>e riding found the people
>engaged in the blasphemous behavior of honoring the 50 mile ride in a Nat=
>ional Championship.
>
>To whenc with the force of fire and brimstone she set out to rid the deam=
>ons from the sinners......
>
>Jeeze Jerry you were wrong.  Rude and out-of-line doesn't even come close=
> to describing this
>vouchsafing attitude.
>
>Truman
>
>"guest@endurance.net" wrote:
>
>> k s swigart katswig@earthlink.com
>>
>> For my last post when I stated that '50 miles is not considered
>> "classic" distance in endurance any more than 6 furlongs is
>> considered a "classic" distance in TB racing.'
>>
>> I am sorry if there are endurance riders who consider
>> 50 miles a "classic" endurance distance just because most people
>> (myself included) ride 50 mile rides.
>>
>> Most people who own Thoroughbreds never have a horse that can
>> "go around two turns" but they still don't consider 6 furlongs
>> a classic distance, no matter how many races the horse wins
>> ..and most people own a late model car, but they still don't
>> consider their 96 Ford Taurus a classic car.
>>
>> It deeply saddens me that there is anybody out there who thinks
>> that 50 miles is a classic distance in endurance (and, to be
>> honest, it never occurred to me that there was).  It saddens me
>> because it it just one more indication that the sport of
>> endurance is moving in a direction that I don't care for (i.e.
>> shorter distances in less time).
>>
>> I first became interested in endurance because of an article in
>> _Practical Horseman_ about Lari Shea's journey to win the Tevis
>> Cup, and was inspired...THAT was a sport that I could get in to.
>> THAT was a goal that I could pursue (with my horse that didn't
>> want to be an eventer, he wanted to be a trail horse :)).
>>
>> Lest you think that I am one of those "old timers" who says "back
>> in the days of real endurance when we only had 100 milers..." I
>> am a relative newcomer to the sport (about 9 years) with
>> relatively few miles to my credit (about 2,800), of which...wait
>> now...a mere 100 (yes that is ONE hundred) are miles I have
>> earned in a one day 100.
>>
>> I have learned a lot from the 100 milers that I haven't finished:
>>
>> I learned that even horses that can go 50 miles barefoot, cannot
>> go 100 miles barefoot.
>>
>> I learned that EasyBoots don't stay on barefeet very well if you
>> don't glue them on...and one bare foot is worse than four.
>>
>> I learned that no matter how good your horse is doing, you can't
>> ride another 40 miles in a freezing rain/snow storm wearing
>> nothing more than a blue denim jacket...and prudent people don't
>> even try (with the sub lesson being..."Plan for snow and always
>> bring foul weather gear even if you are going to a ride in
>> San Diego in June.")
>>
>> I learned that good gut sounds don't mean anything if your horse
>> isn't eating well.
>>
>> I learned that even 5 more miles is too much to ask your horse
>> to go if the horse isn't having any fun (with the sub lesson
>> being that you don't have to leave the vet check at your out
>> time...which I already knew, but had forgotten after 18 hours
>> in the saddle:)).
>>
>> I learned that if you don't train on the flat...don't race on the
>> flat.  You can get away with that for 50 miles, but not for 100.
>>
>> And what I learned from the one that I did finish..."100 miles
>> is A LOT further than 50" and when I told this to Mike
>> Tomlinson (the head vet at the ride) his response was, "Yes, and
>> it is more than just twice as far."
>>
>> I would rather ride 55 miles of a 100 miler and not complete than
>> I would finish a 50 miler...and I would learn more too.  In the
>> AERC we have the motto, "To finish is to win" and if winning
>> is too easy, the victory is hollow.
>>
>> I may never finish another 100 miler in my life, I may fall off
>> my horse and break my neck and never ride another horse in my
>> life, but you will NEVER get me to say that 50 miles is a classic
>> endurance distance just because it is all I (and most other people)
>> do.  Will I ever win Tevis?  Probably not.  Will I ever win that
>> National 100 Mile Award?  Probably not.  Will I ever even be in
>> contention?  Probably not.  Does that mean that I want the AERC
>> to change the format so I can win it?  Most definitely not!  If
>> winning is too easy, the victory is hollow.
>>
>> Classic endurance horses have to go 100 miles in the same way
>> that classic thoroughbreds have to go around two turns.  The
>> ones we revere and speak of as great go the distance. And one
>> of the reasons we hold them in awe is because so few can....
>>
>> ..go the distance.
>>
>> So if anybody was offended because I said that 50 miles is not a
>> classic distance in endurance, I am deeply sorry.  Not just
>> because you were offended...but because I am sorry to know that
>> such people even exist.
>>
>> Here's to hoping that 50 miles is never considered a classic
>> endurance distance (at least not in my lifetime) and that they
>> never shorten the Belmont, just because most horses can't go
>> that far.
>>
>> And if you want to slap me because I
>> think this, you are welcome to...tomorrow I leave for the Fall
>> XP and will be there all week.  If you miss me there, I will be
>> at the Outlaw Trail (where I will personally congratulate Sharon
>> and Crockett for their victories last week--two truely great
>> endurance riders with many truely great endurance horses). To
>> make it easy to recognize me...I will be the one in the shitty
>> old Ford truck and wearing a navy blue Greek sailor's cap.
>>
>> kat
>> Orange County, Calif.
>>
>> p.s.  I am still absolutley floored by the one contention that this
>> was a good Championship format because it makes the Championship
>> available to everybody not just those who dedicate themselves
>> to it.  If a good format is one that makes it so any member can
>> become national champion without riding their butt off all year
>> long...why don't we just draw straws...then everybody would
>> have the same chance?
>>
>> =FF-=FF-=FF-=FF-=FF-=FF-=FF-=FF-=FF-=FF-=FF-=FF-=FF-=FF-=FF-=FF-=FF-Rid=
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>
>--
>Truman Prevatt
>Brooksville, FL
>
>Mystic "The Horse from Hell" Storm
>Buck's Mystic Karma
>Rocket a.k.a. Mr. Misty
>Jordy a.k.a. Bridger (when he is good)
>Danson Flame - Hot Dog I'm healed and ready to go.
>
>http://www.mrsl.com
>
>
>
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>


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