RE: Caused Enough Trouble Yet? (ROC & 100s)

["Dabney Finch" <dabneyfinch@cs.com>]

Cindy Collins wrote: <<I want to tell the people who lamented their lack of
100 mile rides...look in themirror.  You, as riders, need to demand 100 mile
rides and then attend them.  No ride manager wants to go to all of the extra
trouble, and it is a lot of trouble, to put on a 100 miler and then have 4
entries! >>

THAT IS SO TRUE!!  We live and ride in Southern California, where we are so
lucky to have Terry Wooley's fabulous rides.  These are VERY FAST and VERY
COMPETIVE 50's.  We also have the toughest 50's in the country (e.g., Old
Warrior's Water Hunt, Malibu, Hog Wild, Sunland) where these same fast
riders take over 5 hours to win the darn thing but WHERE are our 100's??
It's embarrassing.  These wonderfully conditioned horses and riders who know
how to keep it together are wimping out at 100's.  Terry put a 100 on for a
couple of years and finally had to give it up--there weren't enough
entries!!

Maybe the thing about the ROC that makes me so happy--other than that I may
finally get to do it--is exactly what Cindy Collins said: it may generate
more enthusiasm for 100s.  It was certainly MY goal when I first got into
the sport--in fact it still is!  There is just a "glamour" about the ROC.
I'm also hoping this will catch on with the "new generation" and reignite
interest in what some of us consider "true" endurance riding.

Dabney Finch
(AERC #7826)