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class assignment




Sometimes once someone starts thinking about 
> the > logistics of putting their demands/suggestions into an active
plan  they > realize what is practical and what is not.

1. Locate Trail

2. Choose a date, contact person in charge of land and sanctioning
director to get a date on AERC calander.  

Here's something they don't tell you in the handbook... we made a big
mistake this year that could possibly kill our ride permanently. We
scheduled on another ride's traditional date.(not to mention the first
weekend that haying was going hot and heavy!)  When we contacted to
sanction the ride, the date was open because the other ride hadn't
sanctioned yet.  We took it...so when they did sanction there were 2
rides in one region. Granted, geographically we were fairly well
seperated, but the riders tend to thin out pretty quick in early June in
the SE and every one mattered.  So, we lost money. If you're on a
shoestring, you can't afford this risk. Choose a date when you can get a
guarantee from the sanctioning director that they won't double up on you.

 Our sponsoring club is a local Arabian Horse Club. There are about 30
people at a meeting...the left side of the room are the breeders. They
have too many horses, love to discuss bloodlines and horses sleeping in
tents. Most have never been on a horse's back and wouldn't notice if he
only had 3 legs. The right side of the room is where the roundpen
groupies sit. They have a horse they can't ride very well and they go to
*lots* of seminars. The back of the room is where the endurance riders
congregate. We laugh about our last ride, and plan to get together this
weekend, and the rest of them sort of resent us. I think they think we
look down on them (very perceptive >eg<)  

So, we put on a race every year with the club's money. They used to put
on a show but the bottom fell out of that market and they weren't able
any more. We made the only money that club made for the last 10 years,
but when we LOST money this year you'd think we stole a bunch of cash we
had no right to be near.  They didn't help, but they want "their profit".
So, (back to the subject of ride management) we're at a crossroads. We're
sick of working our tails off for a bunch of people who act like we're
the hired help. To put on a ride it's a good idea to have a club of some
sort to fall back on...so now we're thinking, would we like to put it on
for someone else? Would we rather just go to someone else's ride that
weekend? Would it be good for us to put on an SERA benefit and have that
body to back us up?

The final straw was when the non-endurance members put together a horse
fair for this fall. They listed the seminars and booths and there was
reining, natural horsemanship, dressage, and 4-H and no mention of
endurance. This club is the only sponsor of any endurance activity in the
area and endurance has actually been their *only* activity for a good 10
years. I asked them wouldn't they like a demonstration or seminar and
they said, "No, we're trying to get away from just being an endurance
club". >FUME!!!<

So, here I am on a rant. If you're going to put on a ride, first make
sure you've got some people you really want to work with and for.  You
need access to enough cash to front the ride. SERA provides insurance to
rides in the SE so that's covered.  I'd say the first thing to make sure
you have is support. People to mark trails, clear storm damage, and put
together the registration, etc. Lots of crews will chip in at the last
moment and do P&R's (and they're usually better at it than locals anyway)
but you've got to have some pretty good help to get that trail cleared
and marked.  Makes me tired just thinking about it.

Angie (not bothering to attend their horse fair!)
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