Some interesting stats

[DreamWeaver <nvrider@charter.net>]

This may or may not be of any interest to anybody.  Tho, for anybody who 
might someday want to participate in another "big ride" like the 2001 XP, 
(like maybe from Mexico to Canada in a few more years?).....it might be 
worth looking at.  You've got time to get ready!

I figured up the total lifetime mileage of the top ten highest mileage 
riders on the 2001 XP this summer.  This is thru the 2001 Ride Season:

107,635 miles, that works out to an average of 10,764 miles per person

If you subtract the mileage that was completed during the 2001 XP, that 
brings the total down to:

89,535 miles, that works out to an average of 8,954 miles per person

Obviously some riders had less mileage, and some had more going into the 
ride.  The lowest mileage thru 2001 for any of the top ten riders is 4,570.

I thought this might be interesting to some people, since so much 
speculation was made for two years before the ride about who would do the 
best.  btw, the 2nd ten (10-20th) place positions are also riders with 
similarly high mileage.  Another interesting point is that the highest 
mileage riders all tended to have horses in the top overall as well.  Many 
of the horses who participated on this ride already had or went over 5,000 
miles.  Trilby Pederson, Bonnie Way, Phyllis Bartholomew, Arlene Neale all 
rode horses that have over 8,000 miles.

Next to the West region, this one XP ride started more 50 mile ride starts 
than any other region in the AERC, with a higher completion rate and a very 
low incidence of problems (and no deaths).  With few exceptions, the top 
horses on the ride have still been completing rides, including Tevis, 
Virginia City, Death Valley and many others.

I'll have this info and lots more at the convention.  See you there.

k

P.S. for more info see:

http://www.xprides.com/results.html
http://www.aerc.org/
http://www.endurance.net/2001xp/