Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

Fw: [RC] [Guest] Limited Distance out of control - jennifer a berger


----- Original Message -----
From: "jennifer a berger" <SHUGARFOOT@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2003 11:16 AM
Subject: Fw: [RC] [Guest] Limited Distance out of control



Hey there,  I am going to my first ride this weekend.  I am very

excited.It

happens to be a 25 mile LD ride.  I have had my horse since I was a kid,

hes

an older horse and he is also my friend.  We were suppose to attend a ride
14 years ago but the night before the ride he had stumbled over some rock
and fell over rolling over me, breaking my nose and injuring his fetlock.
So we were unable to attend.  It was completly my fault, me being young

and

preety stupid for riding in the dark, down a hill.   Anyway I know the

motto

is to finish is to win but if I dont finish I wont be heart broken.  I am
only going for the experience.  allthough I am preety sure he will do OK ,
nothing is for certain.  As far as not knowing the basics, with heart
monitors and stethoscopes.  I am a preety good judge of my horses ability,
breathing ect. and probably wont have either,  however I do welcome

anyones

help if ther is a problem or if there is not.  As far as anything else, I
will not have any endurance tack.  I plan on riding him in wraps and a an
english saddle and bridle, the same one I have been riding in for the past
14 years or so.   I am certainly not going to get a bunch of new tack and
things,  for the simple fact that this will be our first race and if he
should have a hard time or not enjoy it and the same for me, it may be our
last ride.  Even if we didnt finish but he liked it I would consider
another.  My horse is older and he has allways loved the trail we have
ridden 40 miles in a day and he loved every bit of it.  But we have never
done any organized competion.  I can tell you every experience is

different

and I am not about to purposely  injure my friend after all our

experiences

together, I hope to be a little wiser than that.  As far as the younger
newcomers, I can be honest and say way back when, I could see my self over
doing it, exspecially as a teenager, because I knew everything.   Thank

god

my father was knowledgable.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ridecamp Guest" <ridecamp-moderator@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <guest@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2003 10:29 AM
Subject: [RC] [Guest] Limited Distance out of control



Jerry Young equineinnova@xxxxxxxxxxxx

The following is a letter that I wrote to the board of directors of

AERC.

Now I have to tell you all that I've been involved as a rider with AERC
since 1978.  Have campaigned all over the United States in LD, 50's

100's

and multi-day rides.  I feel that I'm more than qualified to talk about

this

topic.  We all need to get behind the LD program and AERC.  Remembering

that

the motto of Endurance has always been "To finish is to win!"  Not "Race

for

first place!".  These are just my feelings.
Jerry Young

To: BOD
Date: June 30, 2003
Subject: LD Program

On of the reasons that Endurance Riding appealed to me is the motto that
adopted; "To finish is to win" and in order to complete you had to be

"Fit

to continue".  Two very powerful statements that were very definitive in
what they were saying.  There were several other things that made

Endurance

Rides very appealing too.  These were a limited distance program that

alowed

a person to get acquainted to train for bigger events which were 50 and

100

milers without pressure; also the fact that people involved in the sport
were friendly and genuinely interested in helping a new person get

started.

They helped you understand what you had to do to finish and be fit to
continue.  I truly believe that all the Limited Distance program was
intended for has all but been lost.  And this is a terrible shame.  We

are

not perpetuating our sport.  We are not catching the interest in new and
young riders.  We are not giving new people a good impression of what
Endurance Riding is all about.  And this is quite a shame.

This has been going of for some time but has really been picking up

speed

here in the last three years.  The term "Limited Distance Race" gives

our

sport a terrible black eye.  It does not perpetuated the "To finish is

to

win" and the "Fit to continue" motto.

I had the chance to go to a ride this past weekend and observed both 50
milers and 25 limited distance milers.  The "race feelings" were heavy

in

the air.  I saw many people with all the latest gear.  I asked if I

could

help with a young person at the vet check (a 25 miler).  The rider said

they

were having trouble with their heart rate monitor.  When asked if they

had

a

stethoscop to check their horse's heart rate, the answer was "What?"

They

didn't even know how to do the basics, jsut interested in getting in

first

and winning.  Now I will say not all are this way.  But it is the way

that

Limited Distance is going Nationally.  It's just a race, a way to make
money.  I blame both AERC and the Ride Managers.  They've lost the true
meaning of what AERC represents.  Our motto "To finish is to win" and

"Fit

to continue".

What I propose is a revamping of the Limited Distance Program.  And I

don't

believe that it will be that much of a shock.

AERC represents our motto "To finish is to win" and "Fit to continue".

First there should never be a 1st, 2nd, 3rd type of placement for

Limited

Distance rides only a completion.  And the Limited Distance participants
should be called for their completion award either by age, or by
alphabetical order.

Second there should be a no best condition awards for Limited Distance
rides.  It should be a horse excellence award.  This award should follow

a

points system.  Say a maximum of 15 points total for each event for each
rider.  And you could get maximum of 15 points only.  Of cours you could

get

less.  5 points are awarded to the rider based on attitude,

horsemanship,

etc.  5 points for the horse for P & R and overall shape, and 5 points

for

overall horse and rider as a team.  This is only a recommendation on
scoring.  NATRC does somethin similar.  And yes I've done several years

of

NATRC too!

The points per ride are tallied for the end of the year where at

convention

riders get their award for Horse Excellence, Best overall in the Nation.
One for each weight division and of course one for juniors.

Also there should be a difinitive pricing schedule set forth by AREC for
Limited Distance and for Juniors.  Ride managers wont like this of

course.

Ride managers are going overboard  with their fees.  This only chases
potential new members away.  Who wants to spend $90 (+) for a Limited
Distance Ride.  And who can afford $90 (+) for a junior rider.  There

has

to

be some guide lines and they should come from AERC.

Finally, I know that in the South, East nad Mid West the biggest draw

for

ride managers is the Limited Distance "Races".  If they want to

perpetuate

"Races" then these can not be sanctioned events by AERC.  For Limited
Distance was always meant to be a training event not a "RACE".

If the desire is to give riders an option for AERC recognition then how
about intituting an  elevator type of event where the rider declares at

the

25 mile point that they are optgiong for the 25 mile ride and that they

are

only going for completion just like the Limited Distance is supposed to

be.

If they choose to continue they will be treated like all other 50

milers.

For those who choose this type of ride, the rider might pay a slightly
higher fee for the 25 mile option, but the regular fee for the 50 mile
option.  For those that declare a 25 mile option only their fee might be
slightly lower and they will only receive a completion, no placement,

and

of

course they can be involved with horse excellence.  This perpetuates

good

horsemanship and better good sportsmanship.  I know there are some minor
bugs to work out in this recommended program, but it puts the "Race"

where

it belongs and allows the new people a safe and fun environment to

compete

in.  All is fair and I do believe that ride managers will still have a
profitable well run ride.

There is one thing more.  AERC came about for two reasons;  one for the
mileage records they keep on riders and horses.  However, we have

forgotten

the other, trail preservation.  I feel that each ride should contribute

a

percentage of the take to the AERC trail fund or show they are

supporting

local trail preservation in some way.  Again this should be mandatory if

a

ride is sanctioned by AERC.  It will also help people get involved and

bring

in new members.  Members care and don't like loosing their trails.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
 Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

 Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=






=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=