Returning Junior Rider

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Heather Watson watson1@gv.net
>>This is one 
of the few sports in the world where age does not matter.  Also, sometimes 
the older folks can better afford the rides, which are not cheap.  In the 
case of most of the juniors I have had, a lot of them had parents that did 
not ride at all.  However, most of them are still riding.......maryben>>

I agree with Maryben.  I was a Junior rider when my mom got into
endurance riding with Jane Cloud and Linda Rogers back in the
mid-eighties.  I was about 15-16 years old, and only saw one
other junior rider (Matt Medeiros) during about five or six
rides I attended.  I always thought that was strange because
I was used to just the opposite in the showing world--all kids
and no parents! Jane, Linda, and Matt all still ride endurance
regularly, too.

The reason I left endurance was purely financial.  It was hard to get to
all of the places to condition, I couldn't afford a horse, 
a saddle, a vet bill, the shoing, etc., especially when making
minimum wage and working part time in college.

I returned to endurance in 1998, thanks to the help and
mentorship of Jessica Tuteur, who offered to let me ride her
horses until I could re-accumulate all of the must-have items
needed for successful endurance.  I'm back because endurance
riding is such a fun sport, my horse loves the trails, and 
I really enjoy the GOOD people I find associated with AERC. I
did not find the same to be true when I was on the big show
circuit (also as a Junior).

I think that if they are hooked, they will come back. I know what did it for me was the big deal that was made out of completing (not winning), the big smiles I got, and feeling like I'd survived...

I don't know if there is really any incentive AERC can give
to its Junior riders that it is not already giving. I thought
the coverage given in EN recently to some of the Juniors 
was pretty cool.  Some of them have VERY impressive rider histories already. 

I also think that the attention some ride managers give to the
juniors is great.  I've been to a couple of rides where some
of the best awards go to them. Positive experiences are
what keep people involved--the more the better--and for all ages.