Re: RC: winning mentality was reply to Tom Ivers re: re FEI

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/1/00 6:48:08 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
dgerman@earthlink.net writes:

<< I don't think that winners in this sport find it all that appealing or
 necessary to label everyone else as "losers." >>

No, they don't.  The labels come from elsewhere.  They also fully understand 
that those behind them may well be "winning" on some other level--mileage 
competition, family competition, etc.

<<This sport is not unlike human marathons that take place in cities around 
the
U.S. Anyone can participate and many have the goal of just finishing. But 
there
are many entrants who are going for the win. I don't recall ever reading or
hearing about entrants in the two groups having anything bad to say about the
other.>>

Nor do they in this sport, as a general rule.  The only "winners" that I see 
maligned are those who do so at the expense of their horses--and even those 
blathering about the win being everything here admit that this is NOT the 
professional way to "win" and is very short-sighted.  

<<Before distance riding, I've never been involved in or witnessed a sport 
where
the winner is so maligned. Unless we all cross the finish line together, there
IS a winner.>>

See above.  I just don't see that sort of maligning going on of the folks who 
really do their homework and hence win (in the first place sense) repeatedly. 
 I can think of no rider more loved or respected in my own region than Darla 
Westlake--who is likely the winningest rider ever to come from here.  Or 
Hanne Hollander--who doesn't win as much anymore, but sure did when she was 
AERC National Champion.  Or Linda Johnson--who wins ride after ride after 
ride.  If you say bad things about these ladies in most ride camps, you might 
get taken out back and taught a thing or two...  The maligning is reserved 
for those flash-in-the-pan folks who "win" on unprepared horses, and whose 
horses fall by the wayside after a brief sizzle, due to either lameness or 
metabolic damage or both.

Heidi