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Re: [RC] another proposal - Heidi SmithSo many different reasons. I *ride* because I was born with a love for horses and love to be on them. I *compete* because I like to test myself and my horse against others with a variety of different goals that often change in mind. That's why my competition *really* doesn't know whether they "beat" me or not....I may have had a different goal that day (like for my horse to have a higher vet score) so maybe I really beat them. :-) Well put, Angie. My personal goal on ride day is the best possible ride on that particular horse on that particular trail on that particular day. If the horse outclasses the others there and I am 2nd, it wasn't my best. If the horse is an old mileage hack and we aren't as fit as we ought to be, and we make it around the course successfully in last place and it was our best effort, then I'm a winner. Like you, I ride because I love horses and love to be on them. But that said, life and circumstances and middle age and health have all conspired to make it not as fun sometimes, and I need a long-term goal to shoot for. For me, that has always been the points system, in one form or another. One year when we still had national overall points championships, my goal was the AERC Top 25. We made it--20-somethingth--and I will always cherish that as my best year in the sport. As to the health of my mare--we came home from our last ride (back-to-back 50s on Thanksgiving weekend) in a snow storm, I turned her out in a foot and a half of snow with more coming down, and she took out across the pasture at an exuberant "park trot" feeling like a million bucks--the real capper on a 1000+ mile season. I may never be able to ride at that level again, but it is still my most cherished accomplishment. But even now, there are lesser goals that revolve around points--can I persevere enough to make the weight division standings in my region? Can I hang in there long enough and do a good enough job to make the PNER standings? This is my first year "back" and nope, I didn't make those goals (nor did I expect to this year), but they are still the carrots that dangle out there and beckon me. They are rewards not for just getting around the trail, but for either doing it enough better than most of the pack on a given day to earn bonus points, or for doing enough more of it to make up the difference in mileage. Either way is a mark of excellence. And without that mark of excellence, I might as well just stay home, save my money, and go ride 50 miles out behind the house, quite frankly. (Is the coffee on over there in Montana, Drin? See ya for lunch...) Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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