Re: RC: Biltmore Blues

[Jim Holland <lanconn@tds.net>]

Thanks, Nina....I hope you know I meant that as a compliment! By the
way, do you know exactly how many started the 50?

Coujurs1@aol.com wrote:
> 
 After looking back at records, I see you (Jim) have
> never
> been to Biltmore for the spring ride.  The fall one yes, Ann doesn't
> manage
> that ride.

Not as a rider....but as crew, yes....didn't have a horse of my own
until last year. That's the best way to learn Endurance....crew for
someone.


  And on that note, for at least the last two years, if not
> three,
> the head vet set the pulse rate at 60. 

No complaints about that...probably a good thing..my horse has great
recoveries....just stated that it would be tougher to come down.


 Also for the past two years,
> the
> pulse card (paper) was used. 

I missed those two years, yes....so it was new to me. Didn't like it,
seemed redundent....but it's OK, I guess if it helped the timers.  I
just never figured out exactly what to do with it and when and got
conflicting answers.

 If you arrived at Biltmore Friday any
> time in
> the past (gosh knows how many years) you would have been lucky to park
> within
> 1/2 mile!  Because of the first come basis.  So you were 1/4 mile
> closer!

Not a problem...I've parked in the boondocks before....just didn't like
the segregation of FEI and Open.....and previous years I had a lot more
freedom (both fall and spring) to get my stuff back and forth to the vet
check.

> Since you also rode at OD last year, you have ridden with Henry as the
> finish
> line timer, so you were weighed at the finish line there.  
 
But I had my crew truck at the finish, I was outta there quickly, it was
a short walk back to camp.  Can't say about BC weighing, since I didn't
Top Ten OD.  Did great just to finish. The problem was, I don't remember
hearing in the ride meeting at Biltmore that the weigh in would be at
the finish. Some people knew that, so I must have missed it.  I would
have been OK if I had told my crew to bring a blank...live and learn.


As for the
> people
> getting lost, Angie already touched on that.  As too the heart monitor
> belt,
> as someone already said, several years ago when HM became the new
> thing, it
> was said at every ride I went to that they were to be turned off in
> the VC.

I don't remember being asked to remove my heartbelt in a single ride
last year. Gabe was taking Sunny through most of the time, so that may
have happened some times. Anyway, I'm gonna change my hearbelt to velcro
the watch on it so I can use the heartbelt without the watch.  Still
think it's a ridiculous rule.


>  Now none of the above happened because it was an FEI ride.  I know
> some of
> the FEI's rules can be waived if requested, i.e., some couldn't come
> until
> Friday, one lady must carry a whip due to an injury and inability to
> use on
> leg.  So they aren't carved in stone. 

Why, then, didn't we waive all FEI rules for riders that were not riding
FEI?  Put a "X" on their forehead.

 
>  The whole thing with BC was the head vet's decision.  We started
> telling
> the 100's that their BC check was 1.5 hours after crossing the finish
> line.
> That basically was what Dr. Randall was saying.  Everyone had to do a
> 30 min.
> CRI if they didn't they weren't standing for BC (no different from a
> 15 min.
> or so one as at every other ride), and BC was an hour after their 30
> min.
> CRI, he gave them an extra 30 min. since they finished on the hill and
> it was
> a long walk.  The FEI horses had to be down within an hour, the open
> within
> 1.5 hours.  Last year, we did the regular 1 hour post finish time BC
> judging.
>  I have been to several FEI rides, here and overseas.  Several years
> ago
> Deena Meyer put on one, with lots less entries.  That is probably most
> of the
> problems, 200 horses.

It was just confusing....I didn't then and still can't get what was said
in the ride meeting to agree with what I was told at the BC judging.  

>  As for most of the pulls being metabolic, I believe, since I was in
> the Vet
> area all day, that this is also not true.  

I was speculating...the people of both sides of me were getting
treatment for metabolic problems and I saw lots of slow down times over
in the vet area. I was so busy sorting out my own problems, I didn't get
to talk to anybody at the awards.

> 
> Nina Barnett (that still sounds weird)