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] Minors at Tevis - Ridecamp Guest

Please Reply to: Jessica Anderson endurancechica@xxxxxxxxx or 
ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
==========================================

I have to say I was a bit surpised when I went through the archives and saw 
what an uproar this caused. I had this EXACT same issue in June, when I was 
looking to start prepping for Tevis 2005. I'll be 17 in 6 days. Although I 
haven't been competing for quite as long at Courtney (6 years), I've done some 
FEI and really love this sport. I've been riding unpsonsored for two years. I 
was going through the rules, when I noticed they had an "18 and over only" 
rule. I was NOT looking forward to going back to being "tied down". It's not 
that I didn't appreciate sponsors, it's that my horse and I perform much better 
when we don't have to pace to someone else. I emailed the WSTF about possibly 
making a rule change, about having requirments and standards, but still letting 
people over 16 ride alone. They told be that these were the rules, and that 
they hoped I still chose to ride Tevis.

I think it took some courage for Courtney to voice her situation and opinion. 
It's good that the young people in the sport take it seriously enough to want 
to make changes, improve it, etc. It goes to show that AERC and endurance will 
go on to progress and thrive for years to come. Unlike Courtney, I did not 
voice my opinion, mostly because I already knew what most people would 
do....Tell me politley to be quiet and just deal with it. Which is fine. 
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

I won't be doing Tevis in 2005. I've opted to wait until 2006, when I will be 
able to ride alone. That is, if college, my senior year of high school, a job, 
and a number of other events that go on in this transition time don't keep me 
from it. In that case, it'll be a long while until I ever get to try. And I 
hope they still run Tevis by then, because I would love to be apart of that 
proud group to say "Yea, I've got a Tevis buckle."

-Jessica R. Anderson
AERC# M20568


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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!!

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