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[RC] Sponsoring 1st timers & Minors - Darlene AndersonWhat a wonderful idea, that of sponsoring first timers on their first long distance attempts! I wish I had had a sponsor on mine...Mona Thacker to be exact, that way I might not have been talked into pulling my own horse with 11 miles to go because I was afraid I wouldn't make it in 3 hours in the dark. ARGH, if only I knew then what I know now...but I digress. Jessica has accomplished her miles with a minimum of pulls, completing FEI and several other hundred milers. I wouldn't hesitate to send her out at Tevis and know she would find her way to the finish line, even in the dark. Furthermore, she has already done the sponsor the first timer thing. At Bandit Springs this season she took Terry Ross and his horse, Z Boy, on their first 100 with me beseeching her, "Jessica, I'm holding you PERSONALLY responsible to get Terry and Z through this ride. If they pull for any reason related to going too fast or poor management I'm holding you responsible because you have done
hundreds and you KNOW how to get your horse through one. This is what Terry needs from you, okay?" (it's family, you'd have to have been there to fully understand what I was trying to communicate to her with regards to Terry and Z and PACING a 100 miler). I even went so far as to write Jessica Anderson in the sponsor blank on Terry's vet card. This was to remind him who dictated today's pace when push came to shove. I'm proud to say that both Jessica and Morgan Mittie (another accomplished NW junior rider) took Terry and Z through their 100 and all three horses looked great for the effort.
Jess has had some dicey rides with sponsors and she took all that experience and has made it work for her as a senior rider. When she began researching Tevis as her goal in 2005 she quickly found and dissected the rule regarding juniors. She communicated with the board members and found their resolve to stick by the rules. Rather than whining and grousing about it she amended her goal for 2006 when she'll be 18.
I look at this as an informed decision on her part and yea, Karla's right, I'd be there every vet check, chewing off my nails and pacing the tread off my sneakers waiting for her because I AM an endurance Mom, and I'm Jessica's biggest Fan. Jessica has had a multitude of awesome sponsors and mentors that have helped make her into the rider she is today. I'm pretty thankful for that.
I think it's outrageous that some riders use Tevis as their first attempt at an endurance ride, but power to ya, good luck! I believe in building riders AND horses from the ground up. Whomever suggested a first timer ride a seasoned horse, yup, I agree. Smart riders can teach a rookie horse how to become an endurance horse and a seasoned horse can help transform a rookie rider into something more if the rider will open their mind up to it.
Good Luck Courtney...but rather than try and change the system which could potentially put a young rider with an elevated sense of themselves out there (this is NOT directed at you BTW) and set them up for failure, consider Maureen's suggestion and begin the search for a worthy adult to sponsor and mentor along the trail, heck you might even have fun. Jessica has done this more than once and even had fun doing it!
Ride On Endurance Village, and thanks for helping raise one unruly red headed junior/senior rider on a cute gray horse, I appreciate all you've done to make my job easier!
Darlene Anderson
M17945, 4200 miles and counting! Check out Dependable Ponies Delivered!
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