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Cindy Collins wrote:

> Being in the top 25 overall in the nation really did mean something.  I
> knew the name of every horse/rider team who had won the National
> Championship back then.  I have no clue who won by the current system
> within weeks of the event.  I do, however, know the names or horses and
> riders who win Tevis, BH or OD.  Something else that the board and others
> don't want to look at...why was the ROC so revered, while the current NC
> is mostly joked about by many old timers?  
Well this seems to be the crux of the problem - change. We should be 
going forward in time - not back in time. The ROC is gone. Yes it is a 
loss, but it is gone. Also gone are the days when endurance was mostly 
regional to west of the Mississippi.

Time's change. IMO and in many other's I expect if you cannot take on 
the top horses head to head and come out on top you don't deserve to be 
the national champion. There is no major sport in the US - except one 
(and that is changing rapidly) where you don't have to beat the top 
competitors head to head to call yourself national champion. I find it 
turely amazing that people who talk about the ROC like it was handed 
down from Mount Siani on stone - get the hair up on the back of their 
neck at the mention of the current NC. They are the same - a winner take 
all race. As far the 50 - that's what people are riding and the AERC is 
it's members. It's not a small percentage of it's members that do 100's. 
The members wanted the 50 NC from my understanding and the BOD gave it 
to them - as they should.

You can argue all day about the qualifications, but did you know the 
qualifications to get into the AERC NC are stiffer than required to 
nominate for the World Endurance Championship? So if you can nominate to 
go run for the worlds with onl 200 miles of endurance (no 100's 
required) than what is wrong with the AERC NC criteria? Personally I 
would like to see the NC criteria tighter - similar to the ROC for the 
100 at least and at least 1000 miles for the 50. But I can live if what 
is there. It takes nothing away from the work, dedication and 
performance of the winners.

The Tevis can't have a 50 mile event because of the trail. If they could 
- who knows it makes money.

I think what we are seeing in most of the past couple days is many of 
the old timers showing resistance to change. Change will come - trying 
to stop it is like trying to hold back the tides. Change is normally 
good and the best of all worlds is when change can be built on what has 
gone before. Personally I think the AERC has done a wonderful job in 
doing that. There has been tremendous change in the last 15 years. Most 
of it for the good - as witnessed by the growth in the sport, and the 
current thrust to insure the welfare of our equine partners that join us 
on the trail.

Truman.

--

“You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace 
unless he has his freedom.” Malcolm X


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