Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Start

On Sat, 13 Jul 2002 03:41:08 -0600, "Annie George" <ageorge@xxxxxxx>
wrote:

>I think that we need to be very careful in all our zeal to keep 
>everyone honest, ( honesty or manners  being something that 
>we can not legislate anyhow) that we do not remove the 
>discretion / decision making power, of the ride manager in 
>these things. ...

First, "honesty" is what most legislation does try to enforce.

RM's must have discretion in many matters, and I oppose attacking
every problem with a new rule ... I hope we don't need to add a
definition of a "start" to our rulebook over this, although it appears
it may come to that.  But that discretion cannot be absolute, not in a
sport with multiple ride managers, season-length awards, permanent
records, and a santioning organization.  A guy organizing a Saturday
backyard  trail ride can have that, an endurance ride manager
sanctioning with AERC cannot.

The issue here is that this much of "starting" a ride is clear-cut and
unambigous:  if you leave the assembly area and proceed down the
trail, ANY DISTANCE AT ALL, you have started the ride.  Even if you
headed out unsure of yourself or your horse and thinking that you
would evaluate and probably pull, you have started the ride.  You have
the option to walk, trot and canter around *before* starting to check
your body and your horse; if you need more than that, you make a
simple decision:  do not start, or start knowing you may pull early.

The problem I have is with fudging this, letting people start then
change their mind after starting, and claiming that they didn't start
after all.  IMO that just isn't right.  More, it isn't fair to the
people (ride managers and riders) who do it right.

I know that the "Duck" like to do things his own way, and I believe he
had good intentions in this case.  But IMO it was still wrong, and the
AERC must take appropriate steps to prevent it in the future.

-- 

Joe Long
jlong@xxxxxxxx
http://www.rnbw.com


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