Let me tell you about Joe Schoech. We started endurance about the same
time. I first met Joe in about 1993 at the old War Eagle ride near
Auburn, AL. Joe was riding Mac - a big black Appendix Quarter horse.
Joe was only doing LD's at the time on Mac. I talked to Joe about it
and he said he loved Mac, and Mac had a a serious colic once and he
didn't know if Mac could take a 50.
After a few years Joe and Mac started to do 50's. SERA has a year end
endurance award called the "Consistent Condition Award." To me it means
more than the BC award. To win, you have to stand for BC at least 5
times. The average BC score over your top 5 BC scores is calculated and
the highest average wins. There has been only one time in mover 15
years that the same person has won the BC award and Consistent
Condition Award - that was last year when Adel Denard walked away with
everything on her Andalusin/Arab cross.
About 6 years ago at the SERA convention it was announced that Joe and
Mac won the SERA Consistent Condition Award. Joe was close to tears,
because it meant so much to him. Joe took a horse - not of the right
breed, a horse - not of the right color for endurance in the hot sticky
SE, a horse - that at one time may have had a problem and made him
through patient riding and training one of the best horses in the
region. Joe still rides Mac - although Mac is up in years not. Every
time Joe needs a horse to mark trail or do something important - he's
on Mac.
That is the character of Joe Schoech. Joe represents all that is good
in this sport. Others have told you about trail work Joe has done.
Others have told you about how much he has helped the new riders. I
just wanted to tell you the type of person Joe Schoech is. Joe is the
type of person we need on the BOD.
I have been associated with Joe Schoech ever since he began his journey
into endurance. There has never been a nicer, harder working guy to
ever mount up on a horse in the endurance world. He has riden, managed,
worked on trails,supervised Vet checks for us cranky old vets and done
anything else that needed to be done. AERC would be blessed with his
election to the DAL so please take my recommendation and vote for Joe
Schoech. Thanks for your time.
-- Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for
lunch
Democracy is two
wolves and a
lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb
contesting
the vote!
--Benjamin Franklin
