Beg to Differ (Was Race v. Ride)

[guest@endurance.net]

K S SWIGART   katswig@earthlink.net

Anne Geroge mentioned that there is no comparison between flat track
racing and endurance riding because the people involved in flat track
racing are in it for the money.

While I agree that there is plenty of reason not to make too many
comparisons between flat track racing and endurance riding, it would
be inaccurate to say that people involved in flat track racing are in
it for the money.  The perceived glory of winning? Maybe.  The
opportunity jump up and down in the owner's box and yell "Go
Dobbin Go?" Yes.  The joy of watching them run? The excitement
of having a winner?

But since almost 95% of race horse owners LOSE money (and TONS of
it), and that it has earned the moniker "The Sport of Kings" mostly
because it costs a king's ransom to participate, whatever it is that
race horse owners are in it for...it definitely AIN'T the money.

I make no comment whatsoever about whether flat track race horse people
are willing to sacrifice the well-being, health, and welfare of a horse in
pursuit of their goals for excitement, glory, fame, or opportunity to
stand in the winner's box and say "that one is mine."  But it would be
well for people who think that such people are willing to sacrifice the
well-being of their horses for this purpose to realize that if this is
the case, it is not money that needs to be kept out of endurance, but
rather recognition.

If the only thing to be taken home from winning an endurance ride is
the personal satisfaction of knowing that you have cared well for
your horse over the distance, then you will attract participants who
get great gratification from this personal satisfaction and will care
well for their horses.  If, on the other hand,  you start
awarding people "prizes" in the form of fame, glory, recognition, and
the "limelight" of the winner's box; then you might attract people
for whom such things are important enough to sacrifice their horses
for it.  And if you think that race horse owners are willing to sacrifice
their horses in this pursuit....well....they are willing to "sacrifice"
TONS
of money for it as well..

It may be that offering a big cash prize will attract the attention of
the general public (and therefore increase the possibility of "limelight"
to be had by winning it), but in which case it is the public acclaim that
is the attractant, not the prize money.

kat
Orange County, Calif.

p.s.  In case anybody is wondering, Olympic Gold will provide this same
attractant.