National Championship Final Summation

[renegade12@juno.com]

Genie Stewart Spears will have an article in a subsequent issue of
Endurance News describing the event in detail, so I will limit this to
some statistics and explanations.  We had 93 total starters in both
distances and one of the truly amazing and satisfying results of this
event is the
fact only one horse required minor metabolic treatment (in the 50 - "tied
up" at the 12 mile Vet Check).  This fact is a tribute to the calibre of
horse and rider teams and the experience level of our Vet Team -  Drs.
Barney Fleming,  Jamie Kerr, Susan McCartney, Gail Conway, Sid Zarges,
and volunteer Jim Baldwin.  This may have been the best team of ride vets
ever gathered in one place at one time.  I can speak for the riders and
all others associated with this event when I say it was a pleasure to
have this group of vets on Our Team. 

The 2000 Championships were extremely competitive in every division and
both distances.  Winning Times were faster than I estimated, evidenced in
the winning times of 5:50 (50) and 14:03 (100).  As is the case in all
high profile rides, there has been some controversy over the difficulty
of parts of the trail.  In this case it is over the Capitan Mountain
Loop.  This was a Championship Ride with a greater degree
of challenge than the usual endurance ride and let there be no doubt the
trails were steep, rocky, tough and challenging.   The complaints about
this segment of the trail came from 4 or 5 of the 50 mile riders while
the majority of the 50 milers appreciated the challenge...Joe Schoech
probability summed it up best when he wrote, "....from this SE rider's
standpoint, I would do it again, in a heartbeat".   Interestingly,  the
100 milers have not voiced a complaint even though they rode nearly twice
the distance over this tough loop (20.5 miles VCR 12.5 miles) with a
longer and harder downhill. 

In trying to analyze this fact -  in my opinion with no aspersion cast
toward 50 milers - I think the 100 mile riders are used to winning by
pace and strategy with speed playing a lesser role while many 50 milers
place less emphasis on pace and strategy and greater importance on speed.

The winners in both events used the Capitan Mountain Loop as part of
their strategy to pull away as was evident from our Padilla Summit Radio
Crew reports.   Padilla Summit is located about 6 3/4 miles from the Vet
Check at nearly 9700 feet elevation - close to a 2700+ foot climb.  In
both
events we saw 20 and 30 minute leads out of the Vet Check reversed to 15
to 45 minute deficits in that 6 3/4 mile stretch.  Those horse/rider
teams in the best physical shape worked in partnership to make good time
on this tough rocky loop.  Many ran beside their horses on the uphill and
downhill switchbacks, using the Summit Road to ride fast.  This strategy
paid off.  

In final judgment of the AERC Championship these facts stand out for both
distances: 93 starters with only one minor metabolic treatment at 12
miles in the 50, no injury requiring veterinary care, no rider injuries
requiring medical treatment, the ride times were fast - well within
normal ride
times, and the completion percentages were better than usual for a very
tough Championship high profile event - 60% in the 100 and 72% in the 50.
 I don't know of any high profile Championship Endurance Event with such
glowing statistics.   

AERC and every participant in the NHSF EXPLORER/BIOLAN AERC CHAMPIONSHIPS
should stand proud of their accomplishments and CHALLENGE THE REST OF THE
ENDURANCE WORLD TO EMULATE THIS SUCCESS - you AERC riders did it right!