Ridecamp: Re: [RC] laura toston and her riders

> Just a thought here from someone on the outside looking in.  I've been
> reading this discussion, and it occurs to me that the problem is that
there
> are awards for finishing with good times.  Perhaps, in the best interest
of
> the horses' health (and to get the point across to juniors that condition
is
> more important than time) awards should go to juniors who take the best
> overall care of their horses, and avoid rewards for short finish times
> altogether.  It might also discourage sponsors who get involved as a way
to
> bask in the glory of their juniors rather than out of a true desire to see
> their "students" compete correctly.

Here in the NW, on a regional level, we have cumulative awards that go for
such things as mileage, consecutive completions, etc.  Endurance riding just
isn't endurance riding without it being a timed event, on one hand, but on
the other hand, having season-long awards programs provides considerable
incentive to take care of one's horse, so that he is ok to compete again in
a couple of weeks, or whenever the next event may be, year in and year out.

Heidi


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