Re: RC: Re: FW: The Posse Ride (From the Ride Manager)

[jlong@mti.net (Joe Long)]

On Mon, 10 Apr 2000 23:08:30 -0700, Lynne Glazer <lynne@glazer.org>
wrote:

>>I was seriously injured only once in 12,000 miles of racing, in a
>>sprint to the finish line.  I had the race won, the finish line in
>>sight, when a lady not involved in the sprint lost control of her
>>horse and he backed into our path -- the collision put me in the
>>hospital and injured Kahlil.  The rider chasing me jumped over my
>>fallen body and finished in first place.  I don't blame him; there's
>>no way he could have stopped his horse and been of any help to me.  I
>>don't blame the lady whose horse spooked into me; she was trying her
>>best to control it.  It was an accident.

>>My heart goes out not only to the injured man, but to these riders who
>>have been so pilloried by those who are so eager to lay blame.

>Joe, was the person who finished first indifferent to your plight? 
>Did he proceed unconcernedly about his business?

I don't remember all the details (I wasn't in the best frame of mind
at the time) but I don't remember him checking on me.  But then he was
only 17, and he knew there were lots of people who did.

Interestingly, despite having what I later learned were
life-threatening injuries the first thing I did -- once I had some
folks help me to my feet -- was to ask them to get me back on Kahlil
so that I could cross the finish line.  Kahlil's injuries were
thankfully only bruises and sore muscles and didn't show up until
later.

>It's the *indifference* on the part of the first two riders that got 
>to me, in all the reports from people who were there.

>Not that it wasn't an accident.

Well, I don't know about that, as I wasn't there.  One thing I learned
while dealing with protests during my time on the AERC Board is that
different "witnesses" can paint totally differing accounts of any
situation.

-- 
Joe Long
jlong@mti.net
www.rnbw.com