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Mike - only you would be reading email at a ride :)

My thoughts on 100's:
- The market (overseas - UAE) for horses has resulted in the sale of quite a
few of the best 100 mile horses. It takes a few years to build a 100 mile
horse, and it's going to take a while for breeders, trainers, riders, etc to
catch up with the recent boom in sales. This happened in Europe in the 90's,
there was a big trend for buying French (in particular) horses, and as a
result of the market and sales,  breeders/trainers/riders have become more
focused on producing elite horses. The US market was also tapped hard, but a
little later. The buying in the US has declined somewhat in the past couple
years because horses from other countries are performing better in the
desert. Argentina and Australia are hot markets right now. French horses
seem to always be in demand, but the French have caught up to the market
demand somewhat and aren't in as much of a deficit.

- Riders - the stats indicate that there are fewer rider entries in 100 mile
distances (I wonder what the stats are like in other countries). Maybe
because - Some of these riders are working on their next 100 mile horses,
having sold their previous ones. Some are focusing on FEI competition, which
means they are choosing rides that also offer FEI divisions, and limiting
the number of 100's they might do during the season, so as to peak and focus
for a particular event. And I think a lot of the 'ride for challenge and
scenery' riders are finding the multidays more satisfying than one-day
100's.

- Rides - managing a 100 mile ride is definitely a different beast. You need
to have the trails (much easier in some regions, particularly SW and NW),
and if the trail is logistically or technically diffucult, you need to have
plenty of support. Timing, vetting, water, glosticks, transport, etc - into
the wee hours. The 100 milers rarely support a ride financially, unless it
is a regularly well attended 100 mile event - otherwise there just aren't
enough entries - so often managing a 100 mile distance is done solely as a
service to those that want it, and as a labor of love...

FEI - in the US the only riders that ride in the FEI divisions are those
that have to. Very few are willing to pay the additional $150 or so just for
the helluva it. To participate in a world or continental championship,
riders now have to qualify by earning a COC - 'certificate of capability'
(completion) in the FEI division. We'll probably see a boost in the number
of riders at the FEI sanctioned rides in the US next season, as riders hope
to qualify for the North American Championship in October, Maryland. When it
comes to USEF team selection and demonstration at rides, one can achieve the
same end by riding 'just plain AERC' as long as they obtain their COC at
some point in the season. But - although these riders aren't required to
ride in the FEI division, it is becoming more common for USEF or team
selectors to require riders to attend certain rides - and they will often
choose rides that offer FEI divisions as their 'demonstration rides'. This
will generally result in increased attendance at AERC/FEI dual sanctioned
rides.

However - It is MUCH more expensive to offer FEI division. Ride managers
have to pay for the housing and transport of the FEI officials (usually at
the very least 5), as well as additional USEF and FEI rider and sanction
fees. It's around $3000 in extra expenses to offer FEI. I lost money on my
October FEI 100 (I only offered a 100 mile division) - even with 20+
entries, the vets and officials and fees outweighed the income.

As a rider - I 'enjoy' the multidays the best, but still consider the
one-day 100 the ultimate challenge, and get the most satisfaction out of
doing a 100. It still totally awes me that a horse can do this - and
sometimes making it seem so effortless.

And now I have a question - those of you who don't consider flat/fast 100's
to be 'real endurance' ... have you ever tried it? I think some of you have
a notion of a boring, easy, don't-have-to-pace-or-think, ride. From my
experience - there is nothing boring about galloping along a trail, or
2-track - or even in the worst case down a dirt road. It is a wonderful
experience - I do find the 'speed' and athletic ability of the horse to be a
total thrill.  I've done my share of tough mountain 100's - and enjoyed
every minute. They are different experiences, but in my opinion the flast
(flat/fast) rides are just as challenging (pacing is still everything) and
just as thrilling (the wind in your hair, the surge of a galloping horse,
the intensity and focus on the horse, on the trail, etc.)

I feel like some of you are trying to polarize the endurance community -
drive a wedge into the sport - the fastFEI vs the realAERC rides. We are all
the same riders - and many of us choose both. I've racked up thousands of
multiday miles (did the 2001XP) - and I value these as much as the 100's.
And the tough mountain rides as much as the fast desert rides. I manage
multidays, and I manage 100's. I would hate to lose any of the diversity
that we have, it's what makes riding in the US special.

Steph

p.s. the rider that won the trailer at Arabian Nights was a 'plain old AERC'
rider. (not FEI). How many of you remember that the ROC used to have a horse
trailer for the first to finish?? Things aren't really that different now.

-----Original Message-----
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Michael Maul
Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2004 11:55 PM
To: New_Aerc
Cc: ridecamp
Subject: [RC] Statistics on rides, distances, and AERC membership


It's a little after 10 PM at the Lone Star Thanksgiving ride and with a
laptop - I'm reading all the posts on 100s and other statistics.
There's a full moon - the campfire was earlier this evening - and I can
hear the horses munching away on hay thru the truck window.

> >


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