$20 Fee for NC

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

>>>Like someone just told me who competed at the NC, whoever didn’t have
a rock or a root with their horse’s name on it wins.  

Whoa!!! Spoken like someone who "competed" (like me) but didn't win. 
What do we know about what it took to win? Hitting a rock or a root isn't
always a sign of bad luck...it's often a sign of fatigue. This was a
course that really fatigued riders.  I'm not sure I'd have been in good
enough shape to ride as hard as they must have.

I did the Pan Ams and I did the National Champ 50.  I would be willing to
do the 100 on the Pan Am course again.  I did not do the 100 in Kentucky.
 It's hard to define why, but it is a darned tough course and not a place
I want to attempt a 100.  I was absolutely dumbfounded at the speed the
winners had managed to do it in (10+ hours I believe).  If you looked at
the results you'd have seen that the winner of the Pan Ams was there and
finished...I believe third?  I heard he had thumps at the end but got rid
of them within the hour.  The Bronze medal Pan Am horse fell near the end
of the NC (Cass),  pulled his shoulder and did not pass the final check. 
My horse very seldom stocks up after a 100, but he did after that 50.

This was not a "speed" as in galloping course, but the top horses were
there at the finish as usual.  No way you're going to enter a bunch of
mediocre horses and have the "lucky" one win.  One thing that's more
deceptive about a ride like this is that sometimes a horse who is not
well known wins.  The reason for that may be that a horse has to be
"known" to some extent to be chosen for the Pan Ams, or the WEC, but a
horse who is just hitting his peak may suddenly appear at the front of a
ride like this with far fewer qualifying requirements.  Doesn't mean he's
not fast.  He may be the *next* big name.

I think everyone in management was surprised that the riders were
enthusiastic about having the event over the same course next year after
the extremely low completion rate in the 100. (they were offering us an
option of moving it)  I think the reason the riders said leave it was
because they *felt* like they'd completed a championship course. 
Finishing the 100 was an honor there.

Angie 
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