Advice sought: "Killer" distance race near me

[Lif Strand <fasterhorses@gilanet.com>]

I just found out yesterday that a rancher about 15 miles from me puts on an 
annual "distance" race for the locals.  As the local rancher who told me 
said, it's mostly an invitation to drink and party, but horses have been 
ruined and killed as a result.  There is a course that is run, supposedly 
looks like the Man from Snowy River stuff, and they start only when 
everyone is good and drunk.  The rancher was contemptuous of all this - he 
said that the "cowboys" who participate in this have never worked on a 
ranch.  I do believe any true ranch cowboy would never risk his horse in 
such a way.

OK, so here's what I'd like advice on.  This area doesn't encourage pesky 
critter loving pushy women sticking their noses in where they're not 
wanted.  I have until July - that's when the rancher thought these races 
are put on - to figure out whether I want to do something about it, and if 
so, what to do.  I don't even know the name of the person who owns the 
ranch, so I'll have to do some digging.

Should I just get down and dirty and send a message to PETA?

I really am a person who tries to consider all points of view, but when it 
comes to critter abuse I just can't handle idiots.  The worst part of this 
all is that the guy putting this on calls it "endurance" - this whole 
subject came up because we were talking about my horses and endurance racing.

Lif Strand
Quemado NM  USA
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HERITAGE ENDURANCE RACE June 9, 2001 - http://www.fasterhorses.com/race.html