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[RC] [Guest] Fort Valley - Ridecamp Moderator

john thunder broxboy@xxxxxxxxxxx
We just got back from Fort Valley and we had a good time and it was nice for once to not have to sleep or ride in pouring rain! However, something happened at the end of the Saturday 50 mile race that was very disturbing. For some reason, management set up the vet stops to almost GUARANTEE at least one or more full out cavalery type full gallop charges to the finish line. Why the last vet check was 1 & 1/2 miles from the finish line is beyond me unless they were looking for the possibility of a serious accident. While I really don't care if riders want to race to the finish ( even though AERC's slogan of ' to finish is to win' would seem to be oppossed to this), the final race should be thru a field or valley or trail or anywhere other then a public road.


Granted the road is not paved but it is rock-hard and was heavily used on the day of the race. At least 3 different groups of private and/or hack horses game thru during the vet checks, cars did and could come by going in both directions, and several 25-milers were either riding or walking their horses back to camp at the time of the ending of the 50 miles. Now I have no way of knowing the skill level of the hack riders (only two of which had helmets on) or their horses and probably at least 1/2 of the 25er's were less then pros at this event. However, the most highly trained horse and rider may easily spook at the sound and motion of a horse under full all-out gallop down the middle of the road (which incidentaly had a blind crest and at least 2 turns in it). There could easily have been a UPS truck, hay baler, car, or another rider right over the the crest of that hill. In a sport where accidents aren't a matter of 'if' but rather 'when', to have ride management set up this kind of danger is unforgiveable. I also wonder what outsiders think about something like this? 'I was thinking about trying an endurance ride but I don't want to gallop like that!' or maybe, ' Now that's my type of riding. Yahoo!' Does this help attract new people?

At the start of the ride & tie, a rider and horse went down and the rider left in an ambulance and a few weeks earlier two riders got a medivac at the doncaster ride after a 4 horse crash and both occurences were thru NO FAULT OF ANYONE. To purposely set up a dangerous situation is negligent and the equine liability law in Virginia will not protect you from suits if an accident does occur due to this type of situation! AERC, it's time to start looking at specifics of rides!


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