Fwd: RC: MALIBU RIDE AND TRAIL INCIDENT

["hope lundquist" <wwho20@hotmail.com>]

Ride Campers: American Endurance RIDE Conference means RIDE. TO FINISH IS TO 
WIN. In the AERC NEWS the past couple of months has been an ad for the AERC 
National Championship. I have found this AD disturbing because it says now 
is your chance to RACE! I believe that word should be changed to PACE. There 
is another place where RACE is also used and should also be replaced with 
PACE. "TO FINISH IS TO WIN" needs to be prominently stated in that ad also. 
When this type of message is sent out, where will it lead to next? I hope it 
won't be another Cattoose!
Juniors learn bad behavior from Senior riders who are inconsiderate of other 
Trail users. While Riding in a public park a biker came up behind us very 
suddenly and spooked my horse. The Biker stopped and I had a chance to 
converse with him. I told him he should have alerted me he was coming. He 
said he was going to when he got to us! I told him he needed to alert us 
when he was far behind us so I would have the chance to turn my horse around 
so he could see him. Then my horse would not be afraid. He apologized and 
was on his way. Some days later I saw the same Biker with a group of other 
Bikers. He was educating them about giving Notice they were back there and 
all proceeded slowly when they passed me. Communication and courtesy works. 
Even contagious!
Several years ago I was at an Endurance Ride where most of the ribbons from 
one loop were removed and all were then hung on one tree! Ride Management is 
confronted with so many problems they don't need reckless Riders. We are 
getting shut out of too many places. Bye Hope
===================================================================

>From: guest@endurance.net
>To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
>Subject: RC:  MALIBU RIDE AND TRAIL INCIDENT
>Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 23:38:05 -0700
>
>Debbie Ekhaml dekarab@home.com
>Hi Everybody,  Well summer is here in So. Ca and the
>Malibu Ride was warm!  This was a very tough ride and
>those that completed should be proud.  Thanks to Karen
>Zontelli for putting on the ride.  Nice prizes and the food
>was devoured.
>    A couple of unfortunate things happened that I want to
>mention because it reflects directly on us as riders and our
>sport.
>     One of those things was ribbons being moved by parties unknown.  Most
>likely not riders and Karen did her best to
>check the trail just ahead of the ride, but these things happen.
>Most everyone mentioned it, but it seemed most took it in stride
>which was great.
>     The other occurred on the LD ride.  My first observation was
>an individual who took off at a dead gallop as soon as the controlled
>start was over.  I know some horses have to go (I have one myself)but this
>was ridiculous.  This person continued this for 3-4 miles, then waited on
>the side of the trail for
>his/her friends which were also slow galloping.  This group was lead by a
>"sponser" being paid to get juniors through the ride.
>The problem I had with this was the complete lack of trail etiquette
>displayed by the sponser.  She actually kicked at my friends horse to move
>it over as she went barreling past with her 3 juniors in tow.  She went on
>to run a lady mountain biker
>(about 50 years of age) off a section of singletrack causing the biker to
>fall when her horse bumped the bike as the lady was trying to get off the
>trail.  The rider was too impatient to wait.  I observed this as I was in
>line right behind this group.
>   I asked the woman if she was ok (she was holding her arm) and she
>assurred me she was.  Later, this group took a wrong turn
>  and did a short extra loop.  As I was riding toward the photographer,
>they came up behind me and I heard the sponser say
>"oh great, now we're in last place.  I yelled over my shoulder that they
>were not and I would let them by ASAP.  We were on a downhill, rocky
>singletrack, and when I was able to let them by, they again GALLOPED past.
>I informed the last junior that this was NOT a race and it fell on deaf
>ears.  They were obviously determined on making up time.  At VC 1, one of
>the juniors was pulled for lameness.  The rest went on to finish (I will
>not say where as it was LD and doesn't matter).  At the pre-ride meeting,
>Karen SPECIFICALLY asked everyone to respect the other trail users as we
>were in a state park and could lose the ride if people complained.  I
>don't want to start a debate on LD, but I have a real problem with a
>"Sponser" teaching our next generation of riders that this sort of
>behavior is acceptable.
>I was totally disgusted with the treatment of thier mounts by
>riding this way.  This was a tough, technical trail.  It was
>bad enough how their fellow riders were treated, but what about the public
>who was exposed to their bad behavior and now may
>well have a negative feeling about our sport?  I hope these
>individuals involved take a long hard look at their behavior
>and CHANGE IT IMMEDIATELY.  I go to rides to have fun, however
>I am a competitive rider.  One can be competitive without being
>inconsiderate.  Thanks Karen again for having the ride so I
>could have a getaway weekend!  Debbie and Razal
>
>
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
>Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com