> RACERS." This sport was never meant to be a race. It is a competition
> between you and your horse against that trail on that day.
I fail to see how a competition where the first horse across the finish
line is the winner is not a race.
In fact, there are two (or three if you count the Best Condition Award)
competitions going on at an endurance ride. The race against the clock
(finishing the entire course under time) and the race against the other
participants.
But race it is.
What each of us is willing to sacrifice to win the race varies from
person to person. Hopefully none of use is willing to sacrifice the
horse. However, it is not the AERC rules that determines the priorities
of riders; it is the riders themselves.
What the AERC does have some control over is the rewards that are given
for winning the race (whichever race you are participating in). The
questions is...if we increase the value of the awards (either placement
or completion awards) will we change where the welfare of the horse falls
in the list of the riders' priorities?
Hopefully not, but probably so.
If we give out/emphasize the awards for Best Condition instead, then we
have turned an endurance ride into a Competitive Trail Ride (there
already exists a type of competition that rewards this). The AERC is not
the governing body of CTR's. Personally, I prefer to compete in sports
with objective winning criteria (i.e. the judge does not pick the winner,
the judge/referee just administers the rules and makes sure everybody
abides by them). If fact, I do not consider competitions where the judge
picks the winner to truely be "sport" (but that is just my opinion) and I
have no interest in competing in them. (This is why I ride show jumpers,
but not Show Hunters; and I go to a Dressage Show, not to compete, but to
have an expert evaluation of my schooling/performance.)
Let's not kid ourselves. Endurance riding is a "RACE." Some people may
participate in it for other reasons (like the reasons I take my horse to
dressage shows), but the rules/regs and the entire structure of the
organization exist to monitor/administrate the race.
kat
Orange County, Calif.
p.s.
I do not believe that the current AERC rules and regulations are
sufficient for monitoring/administrating a high $ race. AND, currently,
the AERC rules are not sufficiently, universally applied to
monitor/administer a high $ race.
Just look at the number of officials there were at the WEG, and you will
see the type of officiating is required for an endurance race where there
is more at stake than a blanket (e.g. national pride). The FEI knows
this; the AHSA knows this. Compare their rule books with ours. You
don't think they have all those rules for the fun of it do you?
Some day, if you have a chance, you should take the time to read "Horse
Show" magazine in the sections regarding Suspensions, etc. and see just
how much of the AHSA's time is taken up officiating to the letter of
their rules.