Endurance as a team sport

["Michael or Susie Jones" <mjones@springercoop.com>]

Okay.  I'm a bit nervous about stepping out from my "lurker" position here,
but I feel a need to offer my opinion of 'endurance as a team sport.'

One of the really great things about this sport is that you can "win" at so
many different levels... personally, I've "won" mostly at the level of
accumulating mileage (4700+ to date).  I've also had the privilege of
competing at the FEI level (Calgary, Alberta/1993/Central Time Zone
squad/placed 24th and (almost) Flagstaff, AZ/1995/Central Time Zone
squad/did not start due to pre-existing problem - I crewed for the CTZ
team).  And I've had the privilege of crewing at other FEI level events -
Kansas WEC 1996/Oregon PAC 1997/France WEC 2000).

I mention all this just to emphasize that I've been involved for a number of
years with the concept of team competition at the FEI level.  I understand
how it works & I strongly support the concept.  The idea is that you have a
maximum of 6 horses/riders on a squad and you must declare before the ride
which 4 horses/riders will represent your time zone/country as a team.  (An
exception to this is the "host" time zone/country, which is allowed 12
horses/riders but must still declare a team of 4.)  At least 3 team members
must complete for the team to be eligible for team medals.

There's a lot of strategy that goes into determining which riders should
compose a team.  Teddy's referred to "rabbits", who are not chosen as team
riders but whose job is to "lure" riders from other squads/teams into going
faster than they should.  Some zones/countries have the team ride basically
as a group (France has done this in the past - I don't know what their
strategy was this year), others encourage the team members to basically
"ride their own ride" unless something happens during the course of the ride
that would make it better for the team as a whole if they changed their
plans (slow down to help another team horse through the ride or speed up
because another team is "hot on your heels" for a team medal).

I'm intrigued with all the "implications" of managing a team... seems to me
that the best chef d'equip looks closely at the chosen squad, determines
their strengths & weaknesses & how well they may/can/will work together &
does the best he/she can with the talents persented... What a chess game!

Those that say the first 3 finishers from a particular zone/country should
"automatically" be the team do not appreciate the ride strategy that I
contend adds another level of "expertise" to this sport.

It was noted in France that perhaps the USA has been too "individualistic"
in their medal expectations the past few years... perhaps it's time to
refine our team strategy!

Susie Jones, AERC#7997
Miami, NM