Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Potato

Carol Stiles cstiles@xxxxxxxxxx
I have heard that for several days people have been saying derogatory things about Potato and his behavior at the ride start. I was at the ride start and in his defense we were crammed on that little narrow logging rode like sardines. Almost everyone was bumping into each other as the horses milled around in the darkness. We were told to get into the area where we wanted to be before the race started, ie..hot shoes up front, not so brave in the middle, and slower ones in back. Potato was attempting to follow those directions by the only way he knew how, announcing that he was coming through. It was impossible not to bump into someone under those crummy ridestart conditions. You ask, Well, why didn't he get up front sooner before it got crowded? He would have, except someone stole his bridle and half-chaps Friday night. Did you notice from the photo's he was riding in a halter and lead rope, and if you look closely you will see he's wearing his horse's shipping boots on his legs instead of half-chaps.  So he had a good excuse for being late to the ride start. If the same happened to you,wouldn't you spend precious minutes looking for your equipment before a 100 mile ride? Potato is Potato and some mistake his eccentric behavior for poor sportsmanship. I heard him coming through and he was not being rude, just simply announcing that he was coming through. As I said we were packed in like sardines and it would have been impossible to move through that crowd without bumping into someone. He didn't knock anyone over. Personally, I think the decision made by the board was pure politics and the real problem,  was not Potato, but the way the ride start was set up on the narrow dark road.  I don't have years of endurance experience, but I do know that cramming 250 odd highly excited arabians on a little narrow logging road is just asking for trouble. Not that they'll ever change it, but just wanted to put in my 2 cents worth.


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