Re: RC: Needs Someone To Ride With!

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

>I have a slight problem. I am going to be 14 in Febuary, but as the 
>Endurance rules state, I need to have an older person to ride with  I
have a pretty well trained >Arabian gelding. He needs more work, but I am
sure he is ready. He is >a sweet heart.  If you have the heart to go with
a younger person who >is alot of fun, if I do say so myself, don't
hesitate to email me. I >don't puts around either, very willing to go
full out (galloping)! If >you are inexperienced and looking for someone
to ride with, I am great >company. Please take this intoconsideration. 

Hi Vanessa,

It's good to see some young people managing to discover endurance on
their own.  We usually get 2nd generation endurance riders whose parents
already compete.

This isn't a good year for me to sponsor, since my horse is at his peak
and I'm kinda "going for it", but in past years  I did pick up some kids
I didn't know.  It's not an easy decision to pick up a junior you don't
know.  When we work our horses for months, pay for shoeing, gas, entries,
and all the other "details" to try to compete, it's sort of hard to tie
your fortunes to that of someone when you really don't know if they did
their homework like you did and know it could make your day a disaster if
they didn't.  For that reason, you'll have a little more trouble getting
a sponsor until people start to know you and know what to expect from you
and your horse.  That is not to say nobody will volunteer.  I have yet to
see a junior show up for a ride that somebody wasn't willing to take out
on the trail.

Here are some "Do's" for you.

Do:  Come to the ride with equipment that is safe (no rotten cinches,
etc.) a good shoe job, and all the other details that you can possibly be
aware of to make your chance at success better.

Do:  Be humble.  You are asking a  favor.  It is much better to go with a
sponsor whose horse is slower than yours than to hook up with a horse
which will have to slow down for you. 

DON'T:  complain about the pace being too slow.  If the pace is too fast
and you're worried about your horse, tell your sponsor you feel you
should drop back and part company at the next vet check.  It's better to
risk being left in camp with no sponsor than over ride your horse.  There
are some people who'll accept a sponshorship, tear off down the trail and
never look back.   Not everyone will worry about whether your horse
should be going that fast.  Do what's right for your horse. I have no
doubt that someone behind you would be happy to pick up your sponsorship.

I have had juniors both help and hurt me in a ride.  When my horse was
green, I sponsored a junior who had a wonderfully trained horse and while
I showed her the ropes, her horse showed mine the ropes.  It was a
mutually beneficial partnership.

I have also been asked to pick up a junior's sponsorship when I was
running top 10 and "in the hunt".  I should have said no, but then, they
shouldn't have asked either.  I didn't know the horse, but assumed that
he must be used to going that pace or "surely they wouldn't have asked". 
I ended up losing several placings waiting for that horse when he quit on
the last loop.  Turned out, he was known for doing that and they should
have gone with a slower sponsor.

I have seen juniors ask to be sponsored by a stranger who was a top 10
rider, and then not be ready to go when their out time came...they got
left behind.  I was the only person willing to take them and they were
openly rude making it clear that their horses *were* faster than mine and
they were only that far back because they didn't have a faster sponsor. 
They kept riding up ahead of me and were simply jerks in general.  It
didn't take long to see why I was the only one who'd been willing to pick
them up.  Word gets around on kids like that.  Make yourself a good
reputation and never pass your sponsor unless they tell you to.  

>From what I've seen, being a junior rider is a blessing and a curse. 
Yes, it's a pain needing a sponsor, but if you stay in the junior
division your chances of getting awards are much higher, and before you
know it everybody sort of adopts you as their own.  If your horse is
reliable, and gains a reputation for being able to travel at a certain
speed and have a good chance of finishing, the sponsors will come.

Good luck, 
Angie McGhee
Wildwood, GA


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