Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Thats exactly what happened, they came into the vet check together and one 
pulsed down a minute faster then the other. Like I said, I really don't have 
any problem with them racing if thats what they want to do. I do think that 
when the best riders in the country decide to ride in together at the end of 
a 50 or 100 rather then abuse their horses that sends a much better message, 
but that's not what happened here. The problem is that there were too many 
variables in this situation. Even if the riders could control their own 
horses if an emergency arose, they had no control over other horses or 
riders that may not have been as skilled or lucky as the top riders. In the 
Doncaster Renegade, a very capable rider was thrown from her horse who 
spooked due to a string hanging from a sponge. The horse then took off down 
the trail to the street where other capable riders were passing. Some of the 
secondary horses spooked and either tossed their riders or fell trying to 
get out of the way. Others were crashed into by the runaway horse. In total, 
4 horses were involved and two riders got a helicopter ride because horses 
are prey animals whose main idea to escape danger ( real or imagined) is to 
flee! If one horse is running, the rest think they missed the danger and 
better run also. To set up a finish that guarantees non-competing horses are 
in the area is asking for trouble. When this race was held up the road at 
Virginia's the final 'run' was thru a field and up a hill in a more 
controlled location.


> From: "eznet" <qhll@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: "john thunder" <broxboy@xxxxxxxxxxx>, <goearth@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> CC: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: RE: [RC]   [RC] Hawk will be back and Ft. Valley and Automatic 
> Sanctions
> Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 17:34:37 -0500
>
>  I was there Saturday, although not at the same time and although I walked
> over the finish line, if I were racing I would much rather it was on a nice
> smooth two lane road like that than a narrow trail that might have anything
> around the next bend. There are traffic laws and as long as the riders keep
> right I can't see the problem. They're not going as fast as the average car
> and are much less likely to hit a dog or pedestrian. From the back of a
> horse a blind hill isn't as blind as it is in a car. The vet check 11/2
> miles from the finish reduces the chances of a race as it is unusual for a
> number of horses to pulse in at exactly the same time. My guess is that one
> rider left first and the other rode hard and caught up at the end.  Libby
> Llop
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of john thunder
> Sent: Monday, October 27, 2003 3:32 PM
> To: goearth@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Cc: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [RC] [RC] Hawk will be back and Ft. Valley and Automatic
> Sanctions
>
>
> If you're referring to my comments about the finish of saturdays ft. 
> valley,
> I was definately there. That was no sprint and the fact that you have two
> 'great' riders ( or 50) is no excuse for endangering yourself, your horse,
> others and their horses, and the public at large. For what? A t-shirt and a
> stinkin bucket! Just for the record, the ride management announced legs of
> 20 miles, 19 miles, 9 miles, and 1& 1/2 miles for a TOTAL OF 49.5. It may
> not have been a full 1 1/2 but it wasn't 300 yards either. If you've been
> riding as long as you say, you should be ashamed of yourself
>
>
> >From: "goearth" <goearth@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> >To: "Ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >Subject: Re: [RC]   Hawk will be back and Ft. Valley and Automatic
> >Sanctions
> >Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2003 04:00:26 -0400
> >
> >Hello Mary,  I'm sure he and you both will be back.  That dreadful 3rd 
> loop
> >is up Habron Gap and along the ridgeline where I first moved to the 
> Valley
> >and trained for the GAHR.  Its harder and steeper to me than Indian Grave
> >Ridge which is longer but not as steep.  Horses that don't train on these
> >rocks would be greatly advised to wear pads as there are plenty of rock.
> >As for the 'Sprint' on the 1st day.  I doubt very seriously if the person
> >who questioned the finish was there and saw it.  He said/she said by 
> those
> >that don't witness a situation can alter the facts and other people
> >opinions of those facts.  The 'Sprint' was only 300 yards or so because 
> of
> >the Vet Check at Hickory Lane.  (A little history here...  back in the 
> 80's
> >there was an 8 mile sprint between Linda Lawrence and me to the very same
> >finish on the OD 50.  Because there was no Vet Check at Hickory Lane it
> >created this set-up.  So the Vet Check worked and separated those that 
> felt
> >compelled to race.  Linda won and I got BC and because I didn't have a
> >trailer there I rode BayMar home, which was another 10 miles)  When you
> >have a past World Champion and Jeannie Waldron who both want to win there
> >may always be sprints.  We can sit back in our rocking chairs in our
> >knitting sessions and discuss this til the cows come in but its not gonna
> >change people and their approach.  Personally, i think my racing days are
> >over and have been since i was hung from Jug Tree at the PAC in 95, but i
> >don't begrudge anyone else who finds this competitive desire within
> >themselves.  In reference to automatic sanctions...  AERC could not have
> >done any more to make me feel worse or punish me than I did myself, and 
> if
> >he would have died, I would not have been back in any form.  (An 
> analogy...
> >7 horses die and people get their panties wadded up and move to Salem.  1
> >is too many, 7 is bad but its not the end of the world according to 
> Chicken
> >Little.  Something good is going to happen here believe me because I
> >believe in the people on the Committee to find answers.  What gets me is
> >the 11,000 people that die directly from Global Warming a year and the 
> WHO
> >expects the # to climb to  21,000 in 3.  Who speaks for these people?
> >Because they are from developing countries mostly, not many.  The 
> droughts,
> >floods and fires are not Normal and you can believe me or not).  I don't
> >get into spitting or licking contests online, so anyone that would like 
> to
> >discuss these viewpoints off-line I would be happy to respond.  tom sites
> >goearthatshentel.net
>
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