----- Original Message -----
From: odd farm
Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 12:26 PM
To: RIDECAMP
Subject: Re: [RC] $$MONEY Fer NUTHIN'!$$
I agree that it is not necessarily money that ruins a sport. We have our own rides right here in the U.S. where we can't even get a 50% completion rate and all that is at the end of the trail is a belt buckle. So what is our excuse? Our motive?
I have seen disposable endurance horses right here in my little piece of the world. The elite may be able to buy their way into the show world every year but endurance people do it as well. How many times do you see "Endurance prospect. Arabian 4 years old, green. $800". And so, If I am not doing well on one horse, I can get rid of it and get another. Endurance riders do it all the time.
Ya know Howard, you are always talking about how the sheiks have and spend all this money (does that make them evil?), and let me tell you Mr. Potter, it is the same way here at home. You don't think we through money into this sport? One truck $40,000, one trailer $40,000, 2-4 racing horses $10-20,000, tack (never enough, no limit), you get the picture. Only a handful you say? If there are 5 or 6 riders that fit into this category at each ride, that is a lot of dough. Do you think people are going to spend money for nothing? Not a chance.
So there already is money in this sport. And when people start to spend lots of money, they want something in return. Fame is just as addictive and motivational as money. That is human nature.
So we do have the disposable horses at all income levels as well as the disposable income. We have green riders on experienced horses and experienced riders on green horses, no money prizes and we still have poor completion rates. Why? I have seen many riders who will "win at any cost" and still, there is no money at the end. There are even more riders who won't win, but will ride as hard as they can just to be top ten, top half, or at least not last. Still, no money at the end.
Don't misunderstand me. It is a competition. There is nothing wrong with riding hard, riding to win, or just riding to finish. There is nothing wrong with riding for money or T-shirts. What is wrong, is riding with no thought process. It is senseless and cruel at any level, to ride a horse that is not prepared. It shouldn't matter if the terrain is rocky, sandy, hilly, mountains or mud. If you think that your horse is not prepared, slow down or don't ride. It doesn't matter what is at the finish line, money or T-shirts. If your horse isn't prepared, you won't get either..........
(Due to the 17K limit on posts, I was unable to include all of Lisa's paragraphs; please read her entire post, three or four times if you need to, before reading my response)....
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My goodness, Lisa, it looks like I'm not the only verbose endurance rider from Florida on Ridecamp. I'm sure I'll get the point of your post as soon as you tell me, just exactly, what it is. I've read it 5 times and still have no clue.
I get it that you notice some of our riders arrive at ridecamp in rigs worth more than my house. So what? What, exactly does that mean, except that they have a really good credit line. Heck, those are the ones whose doors I knock on first, when I run out of beer, cause I know they will more than likely have plenty, and be willing to share. Just because they appear to have money certainly doesn't mean that they're at an endurance ride to run for more money. I thought they were riding for the same T-Shirt and top ten awards I was. And, I have yet to meet any of them whom I'd ever compare to the Sheiks (whom I feel control the endurance aspect of FEI in such a manner it gives the phrase "conflict of interests" a whole new meaning).
I must be missing the fact that there is a plethora of endurance riders who dispose of their horses if they don't win the race. I don't get your logic there at all, especially since I seem to see the same horses with the same riders year after year after year.
As far as the completion rate at rides, if it's low it means the ride is tough and the vet is doing (and, maybe, even over doing) their job. It's all that means, at least at the AERC rides I've attended. And, yes, it might, also, mean some riders haven't conditioned their horses properly, but I do believe they come to realize that very quickly and make serious training changes if they're going to try it again. If you're trying to imply that all those horses that don't complete are being disposed of by their riders/owners, I vehemently disagree with you. I've gotten pulled more times than I've completed in the 50 miler and my guys are all perfectly fine. In fact, they all look much better than they ever did before I started training them for endurance.
If you're talking about your trip to Tevis last year, I don't know, I wasn't there. But, I was at Leatherwood this year, as were you, and saw some awesome looking horses finish that 50 miler. You may have missed this cause I think you were still out there on the trail when all the 50 milers had finished their final vet check (haha, jk, there Lisa, simmer down now, simmer down). And, except for that one rookie who needed a little more help and experience than he thought he did, I don't remember one horse looking all that bad after completing what I consider to be one of the most difficult 50 mile rides in the country.
Since I can't really figure out whether you're for money in endurance or not, from your post, maybe, you can just tell me. You think this is a good idea? You going to offer it at your ride next year? If so, how much? Will there be separate classes based on experience, as Karl as suggested? (Geez, at some of the rides I go to you're lucky to get 40 riders). Where's the money coming from? Are you going to segregate the parking, as in rich man, poor man? (I know where I'll be parked). Please, let me know, what exactly is your point here? (remember, Steph & John have a 17K limit per post)
cya,
Howard (I just love verbose contests; Tom, ole buddy, I'm still working on yours)
