Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

FWIW, recently on the second day of Bar H Boogie a rider finished first 
in front of the whole day's leader.  When asked how many number 
checkers she'd seen in the park, she replied 2.  There were 3, and 
simple perusal of the number checker sheets showed which one she'd 
missed.  These 3 checkers were within a small park, and were there as 
much to keep the riders not lost as much as on the correct course. 
(Some riders came back a couple weeks later, did one of the loops from 
the ride just fine, and then were lost for hours in the park with a 
GPS!)  Anyway, the rider who finished first got completion only, which 
she accepted with grace--it was not her intent to cheat and she'd done 
99% of the course.

Rides don't always have the staff to place enough number checkers out 
(plus if you're not a reader it is THE most boring job), and I liked 
the past suggestions of a punch or grease stick, but haven't tried 
them.  Analyzing the course to determine where transgressors might try 
something is a pretty basic ride mgmt task--there was a cheater on the 
first Norco Riverdance ride, who actually cheated twice, caught once 
with a group of others and sent back out--but the evidence from other 
riders didn't come up for weeks afterwards about the second time.

Analyzing number checker sheets post-ride is an awful task.  And the 
hour or so of crunching results pre-awards is something I always dread, 
while enjoying most of the rest of hosting rides.  :-P

Lynne
personal philosophy:
Ride managment is akin giving birth, the only reason to be willing to 
do it again is because the memory of the pain fades over 
time...(skipping the latent masochistic tendency explanation)


On Apr 23, 2004, at 10:15 AM, Barbara McCrary wrote:
> A thought:  Any ride manager can make the decision to place someone in 
> a
> strategic location to take numbers of passing riders.  If there is a
> possibility to take a shorter trail to the finish line, the rider who
> chooses that trail will not have his or her number recorded on the 
> correct
> trail.  No number recorded, no finish.  Simple and effective, but it 
> doesn't
> have to be a rule.
>
> Barbara McCrary

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Prudence and focus will carry you a long way on a horse. 
~  Frank Solano

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