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]

[RC] ] Duck Editorials - rides2far

I am so clueless how the point system works. Hopefully I'll never 
understand  it so I won;t have to chase something so abstract.


There is absolutely nothing inherently evil about the points race. The
first year I got a jacket I did not know how it worked, never had a clue
I was in the standings (came on late in the year so was never listed in
Endurance News). 

When you have the luck or ability to choose a horse with ability, and you
get out and train when others don't. You put in your time at slower
speeds and build a base...you are constantly vigilant and keep that horse
sound...you pay more or haul farther to find a truly good farrier...you
do without what other people consider necessities to afford a good saddle
that fits...you *read* and learn everything you can about the horse. You
stay focused during rides and don't miss those turns or lose track of
time and start loafing. You study about riding and constantly try to do
things that optimize your horse's performance....you make sacrifices in
other areas of your life to go to a few more rides the year that you
finally get that base on your horse and he's ready to show the results of
all that hard work. 

It's a wonderful thing to have a horse who just cruises along like it's
nothing. One that you simply ride in his comfort zone, just like you used
to do on slower horses, only this one puts you in the top five or ten.
You don't have to take stupid risks to place in the points race. You
simply have to turn in consistantly high quality performances.
Competition is a healthy thing. If you have a friendly competition going
with someone else in your region and you don't feel like doing a long
ride this weekend all it takes is imagining that person heading out to
get  you off your butt.  The only time it's wrong to go for points is
when you haven't done your homework or are trying to make some poor horse
turn in a performance he's not genetically meant to attempt.

Angie

________________________________________________________________
The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand!
Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER!
Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today!

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

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!!

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