Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Though I didn't ride, I did see some of the problems and am not sure they were 
completely due to the AERC/FEI conflict though they seemed to be. For one 
thing, everyone resented not being able to bring hay into the P&R area. This 
even irritated experienced FEI people who probably assumed it was their rule 
causing it but I heard from the grapevine that the Biltmore folks didn't want 
any strange hay introduced into that field where the check was. You see, they 
have the oldest managed forest in the nation...it predates the NFS. The field 
had no weeds, so the line to enter the vet check was drawn at the bridge and 
they wanted no outside hay to cross that line. Personally, all they'd have had 
to say was "beet pulp only" and I'd have had a bucket with me if I'd been 
riding AERC. 

The finish line was far out in a field away from camp. We all discussed the 
need for safety just a few weeks ago so the placement made sense. I was sitting 
at the arrival timers when some finishers from the AERC 50 came down the road 
and wanted to give their cards to the arrival timers. Unfortunately, a good 
sized group of 100's was coming in from the other direction and it was all the 
timers could do to get their numbers recorded before they dispersed. One of the 
50's who had finished got right in front of the timers (in chairs with 
paperwork spread out) and was blocking the view of all the arriving 100's 
numbers. The timer was confused as to why the 50's came from the direction they 
had come and didn't know why this person who had finished was trying to give 
them their card. Our of frustration the timer said something like, "Would you 
please MOVE". I could feel for both parties. If I'd been the experienced 50 
miler I'd have known that they'd already written my arrival time on my card at 
the finish line and I could proceed to the 
P&R area...but then again, if I'd just done a hot 50 at a ride where I knew 
things were running differently in many ways I might have gone to the wrong 
place too. If I'd been the timer and dealing with crew people anxious for me to 
get their horse recorded and let it through I'd have been stessed too. It's 
called 200 horses at one ride, hot, muddy , everyone's scared they'll be the 
one to screw up.

It's a shame that they have to do the timing differently at FEI since that's 
the most complicated thing at any ride and Nancy has a system that is far 
superior to anything FEI has come up with from what I can see.

Angie

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Arabians were bred for years primarily as a war horse and those
requirements are similar to what we do today with endurance riding. 
~  Homer Saferwiffle

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