Re: RC: TEVIS PROTEST AND WARNING TO FUTURE RIDERS

[SandyDSA@aol.com]

HI Debbie,
Sorry to hear of your bad experience. RMs should listen up to this. We have 
also been to rides where the mileage was NOT 25 or 50, but several miles 
MORe, and the tiem adjustment was NOT made, costing us a completion a couple 
of times, and really forcing us to push or not complete, once with a junior 
rider and once with a horse who shouldn't have been pushed. The junior rider 
pushed, the horse we chose to back off and did not complete. Finally, a 
couple of seasons ago, we came in with a half hour to spare, with an older 
horse wearing easyboots on one side (great farrier, just couldn't tell the 
shoes were THIN, they were so TIGHT, and she lost one, then hooked the cable 
of the Easy boot on the clinches of the other lateral shoe!)So....while 
numerous 50 mielrs were alloed to cut in fron of us, we ended upwithout a 
completion for being OT - and on a 30 miler with a 6 hour cutoff. hmmm. 

Moral of the story? All rides are NOT created equal. a 50 is NOT the same as 
a 55, and 23 deep at a vet check is cause for some leniency in completion 
times limits. Then tehre is, of course, my pet peeve - 50 milers butting in 
line. Yeah - been on both sides. we don't do it or allow it. But in any case, 
a ride like Tevis should find it incumbent upon itself to cover its 
collective behind on something as basic as mileage and time frames. JMHO.