Re: RC: Our Sport

[Trishmare@aol.com]

Tom Ivers sure doesn't need me or anyone else to defend him, as he does an 
admirable job of that himself.  But I find I can't resist jumping in here 
(jumping into the fire, most probably) . . . I think many people are 
mis-interpreting what Tom said.  I THINK what Tom is saying (he'll correct me 
if I'm wrong, I'm sure) is that if you are not training and conditioning with 
the EVENTUAL goal of *Winning* the race, that is, being willing, ready and 
ABLE (both you and your horse) to "run with the Big Dogs," then you are 
merely along for the ride.  NOT that being "merely along for the ride" isn't 
difficult, but that it isn't a difficulty, a challenge if you will, on the 
same order as being prepared to WIN the ride.  Additionally, I think what Tom 
was implying is not that those who want to ride middle of the pack or behind, 
those that are "riding to finish" as the goal, don't care about their horses. 
 I think what he meant is that those who train with the goal of "finishing" 
as opposed to "winning," and then come to a ride and decide to ride to "win" 
are jeabordizing their horse (who has no choice in the matter), and that if 
they then suffer the consequences of such an action, they need not look to 
him to be blubbering into his hanky on their behalf.
     Not everyone will agree with this viewpoint (and again, this may not 
even be what Tom meant, though I think it is), but it is a viewpoint which 
has validity, nonetheless.

Trish & King David
Grand Blanc, Michigan