Re: RC: EN Sept issue

[Lif Strand <fasterhorses@gilanet.com>]

At 11:55 PM 9/10/00 -0400, you wrote:
>it just seems plain silly that endurance is  divided at all. You are 
>right, we are all in the same sport. Many  50+  miler endurance riders 
>will contest and say that Limited Distance is not endurance. Who is to say 
>what endurance really is to someone or a particular horse? It is like 
>saying that the Special Olympics is not truly the Olympics.

Robyn - Seems to me that saying LD (or as Sylvia says, TD) rides are the 
same as 50+ mile rides is like saying 10K races are the same as 
marathons.  Sure they're the same sport - i.e. running - but runners don't 
pretend that shorter distances are the same as marathon distances.  They 
all know when you use the word "marathon" you're talking 26+ miles.  Just 
like I know when I use the word "endurance" I mean 50+ miles.

10K runners work hard to train.  Theirs is a legitimate distance and it 
takes a great runner to consistantly compete and win them.  There may be 
marathon runners who compete in 10K races and I bet they and other marathon 
runners who never go the 10K distance except to train for marathons don't 
have any superior or other nasty attitudes about that shorter distance, 
it's just a different distance.  Just so, I don't have any negative 
feelings about people who ride LD/TD rides - they're just riding a 
different distance - but I do have a problem with calling what they're 
doing "Endurance".  Lif



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