Re:overweight an issue?

["John Proudman GGPL B-262" <johnp@lpsi.barc.usda.gov>]

>Jana Crewett wrote

>- I didn't say there aren't some fast oldies about! ....

Oh, well, thank you for giving a few of us some token credit!  Pass the 
Geritol!

>There are probably hundreds more of these "outside
>influences" out there (heavier riders might mainly be men, who might
>have on average less riding experience than women due to the "horse
>culture" in the west being mainly female-dominated and hence might be
>less balanced riders; heavier riders might on average be less
>physically fit; (heavier) men might on average work longer hours than
>(lighter) women and thus have less time for training their horses;
>...)

From my observation, admittedly in the east (from South Carolina to 
Pennsylvania to Kentucky), there seems to be no correlation between age 
and being a heavyweight rider.  There ARE likely to be more males in the 
group.  However, their bodyweight distribution ALWAYS differs markedly 
from that of the truck drivers that you seem to be familiar with, so I do 
not think they are less physically fit than female riders.  Many, if not 
most, of the women that I know who compete in endurance routinely work as 
long and as hard as any man that I know, and also struggle to find time 
to train their horses.  If you do not, consider yourself lucky, but not 
necessarily average.  I have relatively little riding experience compared 
to most endurance riders, but it hasn't kept me from learning quickly or 
from being in the top-ten from time to time.  Heavyweights MAY be less 
represented in the top ten than featherweights or lightweights, but then 
there are fewer of us at most rides. I believe a bell-shaped curve of 
heavyweight riders will not fit the stereotypes that you apparently 
believe.  IMHO.
John