DVE thoughts

[Lynne Glazer <lynne@glazer.org>]

Ohhhh, no.  I don't want every rider to manage a ride.  I just want 
every rider to volunteer at least once a year instead of riding, and 
be exposed to the myriad behind the scenes decisions, timing and 
details.

There are some riders who I wouldn't trust to manage details at the 
level necessary to offer a safe trail, fair competition according to 
the rules, decent logistics and awards, in order to enable horse and 
rider to go home happy.

Timing is everything--just because Jackie didn't want to address the 
rider's concern at just that *moment* doesn't mean she's not 
interested in rider reports of malfeasance from the trail.

In general, not passing all the control points and not staying on 
marked trail is not meeting the criteria for completion, as clearly 
stated in the rules, though ride management is allowed a certain 
amount of discretion.

For those who haven't dragged out their rulebook:

L6. Completion requires meeting all of the following criteria:
                               a. All riders and mounts must be 
present and accounted for at the start
                               of the ride.
                               b. Properly entered in the ride
                               c. Obeying all the rules
                               d. Following the prescribed course, and 
doing multiple loops in the
                               correct order
                               e. Passing all control points
                               f. Passing all vet requirements
                               g. Finishing within the prescribed maximum time
                               h. Not being disqualified
                               i. Meeting criteria at post finish line check.
                               j. Meeting any other criteria 
prescribed by ride management.
                               k. Not having been paced or prompted by 
an un-entered, withdrawn, or
                               otherwise unauthorized equine, vehicle 
or person other than another
                               entrant. This does not preclude the 
ordinary support services of
                               attendants or pit crews. A crew may 
accompany their rider down a
                               public road in a support vehicle(unless 
there is a ride management
                               prohibition against it) provided they 
do not push or haze the equine.

Putting an LD for 4 days into a multiday 50 that is partly 
point-to-point is a daunting proposition, and I applaud Jackie for 
even attempting it.  I'm not sure I would agree with her decision to 
offer completion if the trail was deliberately cut and a vet check 
missed--though I was at the ride, I was not privy to the evidence 
offered by other competitors, so that makes it hard for any of us to 
judge.

In any case, riders "vote with their feet" as to whether a ride lives 
or dies.  You make your best point when you choose not to do a ride 
again if you don't like the trail or the logistics, or the decisions 
of the ride manager...

We talked here last summer about how there's a regional ride I won't 
do because the RM doesn't have the moral courage to make the tough 
decisions about rider disqualification due to dangerous behavior. 
That sure is something I wouldn't have to worry about with Jackie!

Lynne
only my 5th year of RM, a baby, eh? <g>


At 7:44 AM -0800 1/25/02, Barbara McCrary wrote:
>YESSSSS! Being a ride manager teaches one an entirely different perspective.
>It's often been said that EVERY rider should manage a ride at least once.
>It should be compulsory.
>
>Barbara
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <Marinera@aol.com>
>To: <ridecamp-d@endurance.net>
>Sent: Friday, January 25, 2002 7:34 AM
>Subject: RC: Re: ridecamp-d Digest V02 #115
>
>
>>  David's attack on Jackie has come 3 1/2 weeks after the fact so he
>obviously
>>  has had trouble getting over it.  When he came to me, I agreed with him
>that
>>  the ones that accidentally cut trail should get completions only.  His
>reply
>>  was that his protest to Jackie were met with, "not now, David, my computer
>>  has crashed.'  He wanted me to talk to Jackie and I told him we had AERC
>>  directors present to deal with such issues. Maryben was then called in and
>>  she went to Jackie who had already resolved the issue.
>>
>>  I think he needs a turn at being a ride manager and he would learn there
>is a
>>  time and place for everything and that was not the moment to hassle ride
>>  management. Jackie is the best and she has my wholehearted support.  And
>if
>>  he didn't like the trail, he need not ever ride it again.
>>
>  > Julie Suhr