Re: Rutter's nomination comments

["Howard Bramhall" <hwb67@msn.com>]

----- Original Message -----

From: guest@endurance.net

Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2001 4:36 PM

To: ridecamp@endurance.net

Subject: RC: Rutter's nomination comments

 

Cindy Collins sunsetrim@hotmail.com
I have to say that I agree with much, if not all, of Steve's comments.  I expecially would like to see the AERC take away all "illusions" of placing within L.D.  It just sickens me to hear people talking about "winning" a L.D. ride and it happens all the time.  There's no way I can convince novice riders that it's not a race when we list them in finishing order. The idea of listing alphabetically, both at the ride awards and in the AERC is EXCELLENT! 

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Like it or not, the LD (Limited Distance) ride has become a distinct and separate event from which it was intended by AERC.  It was intended as a training ride, and every reference to it by AERC states it to be as such.  However, the reality is, it is a race, quite a few riders do it to win, and it will remain that way, no matter how the 50 milers or the 100 milers feel about it.  Just accept it for what it has become and don't worry about it so much.  It's really not your business anyway; it's their horse, their ride.

My wife, the kid and I just finished a 25.   There were 130 riders entered in this event.  They, as a group, contributed more money to the worthy cause the Biltmore does it's fall ride for (a charity group that puts kids with serious health/disability problems on the back of a horse) than any other group.  There were about 70 or so riders entered in the 50.  Those 25 milers paid a heap of cash to do what they want to do.  Some of them do it as the event is intended; to train for a 50.  Some of them do not.  But they all pay the money, and have as much right to be there as anyone else.  We need this group of riders, the ride managers need them to break even at their ride or make a few bucks.  Some of ya'll really need to mind your own business and leave it be.

The three of us came damn near in last place; we did not race at all.  I wanted my wife to get through it, and as crowded as it was, with all the people, vehicles, dogs, and just the fact that it's at the Biltmore, is one heck of a way to do your first ride.  And we took almost 5 plus hours to complete.  And we loved every minute of it (except maybe for the start, where the wife was totally freaked out on my 4 year old Paint who has quite a bit of spunk, and felt the need to rear up and buck a little). 

Let the LD'ers alone.  You keep messing with them and they will pull away from endurance, make up their own sport, and leave us without a great monetary resource that we so desperately need.  I still have yet to see an LD horse under a tree on an IV. 

Those who do race their horses in the LD probably won't have the horse to do a 50 in, I'll give you that; but you never know. And a lot of them never intend on entering a 50 mile ride.  All I know is that I drove over a thousand miles (round trip) to run 3 horses 25 miles.  And we all just had the best of times there.  And I'm as proud of my wife for getting that completion as if she had just done her first 100.  If our troops going to Afghanistan are half as brave as she was in getting through her first ride, this terrorist thing will be over by Christmas.

 

cya,

Howard (folks really need to worry about their own business and leave others alone; this is not a problem to get all worked up over.  There are many more serious things to be concerned about than what the LDer's are doing)