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There have been several comments about Dr Melissa Ribley and her position on awarding 
a BC for LD rides.  They portray her position incorrectly.

"In the Sept EN Dr Melissa Ribley writes that she would prefer
 no placings or BC in the LD."
"I've judged more LD BCs than I can shake a stick at, and other
 than Melissa and a few other vets in her region, I've never
 heard a vet complain about doing it..."
"I thought I would respond to Melissa Ribley's letter to EN
 about not offering BC on LD's."

Dr Ribley is NOT opposed to giving a Best Condition award at the LD rides.  What Dr 
Ribley is opposed to, as am I and many others in the Endurance community, is having a 
Top Ten finish be THE #1 CRITERION for receiving a Best Condition award as well as 
the use of riding time, ie SPEED, as one of the criteria for this award.

To get Dr Ribley, and other vets who are opposed to the current procedure, to support 
BC's for LD rides, all that needs happen is 1) make the award available to all 
participants in the LD ride, regardless of placing and 2) stop using the time portion 
of the BC form when judging Best Condition for an LD ride.  These changes would allow 
the vets to choose the LD horse that truly IS in the best condition.

When Limited Distance rides were first approved for sanctioning, the BOD was very 
clear that they did NOT want speed to be part of any awards that might be given.* 
Their concern then, and the concern today, was not that competent, knowledgeable 
riders might override their horses.  It was that NOT so knowledgeable or competent 
riders, given the allure of a Top Ten or First Place award might race a horse not 
properly prepared for the task.  Now we have exactly such an award.  Although it has 
been labeled "BC", it still requires, ABOVE ALL ELSE, that a horse Top Ten.

If you open the Best Condition award to all participants in an LD and eliminate 
factoring in riding time, all LD riders will benefit, except possibly those who 
should probably be riding the longer rides as they will will now have to compete with 
ALL the well-conditioned horses instead of just those who were raced to a Top Ten.


*The following is from a post by Randy Eiland to the AERC Members Forum this last 
September:

I have pasted below the actual verbiage from the Feb 26, 1984 AERC BOD
Meeting where LD got its "birth" and approval from the BOD - note that
nowhere in this Motion is there mention of "novice", "inexperienced"
or any other description that would indicate the distance was related to
inexperience, novice, uneducated, or other similar descriptions that
would indicated the riders knew less than those who competed in 50
mile or longer rides.


LIMITED DISTANCE.RIDES  Moved and seconded that the AERC add a new
division for limited distance rides, whereby the AERC will keep
records and recognize mileage only in a separate category for limited
distance (less than 50 miles) ride, which meet the following conditions:
1.      The ride is held in conjunction with an AERC sanctioned
endurance ride.
2.      The ride is under the control of qualified veterinarians
exper­ienced with horses or endurance rides.
3.      The ride give NO speed place awards.
4.      A Best Condition Award is available.
5.      The ride is at least 25 miles long.
Moved and seconded to delete "Less than 50 miles". Motion to amend
  defeated.
Moved and seconded to add the following condition:
 6.      A $2. sanction fee per rider be assessed.
Motion to amend carried
Moved and seconded to add the following condition:
 7.      Horses must be at least 48 mo. old at the time of the ride to
participate.
Motion to amend carried.
Question called on motion as amended. Motion as amended carried.



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