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RE: [RC] [RC] LD regional BC - heidi

I appreciate your viewpoint.  Historically, the reason that use of the AERC BC
system is optional is that at the time the AERC was developing our BC system
there were some large and long-established rides that had their own, 
traditional
system -- such as the Haggins Cup at the Tevis, and the Old Domion Award.  
What
some of these rides do today is select both their own and an "AERC" BC.  When
the AERC added the BC year-end awards for LD, many people felt (some quite
strongly) that there should not even be BC awards at LD rides.  Hence the word
"may" offer a BC award instead of "must."  As you probably know, "Politics is
the art of compromise."

I personally do not have a problem with AERC awards being based on something
that individual rides may or may not offer, we all have the opportunity to
choose our rides, and to let the ride managers know if we pass up their ride
because of something they don't offer.  Standardization is necessary in some
things, but too much can stifle innovation and diversity in the sport.


Joe, up to a point I appreciate your logic.  But the reality for
endurance rides is that those which don't offer an AERC BC are few and
far between.  And those that don't tend to be rides like Tevis that
have their own little niche.  Additionally, AERC does require SOME kind
of BC award to be available at all endurance rides.

But for LD, the reality is different.  If you ride in most regions, most
rides do indeed offer an AERC BC for LD, so riders do indeed have a
choice, if it is important to them to choose rides on that basis.  But
in the West and PS regions, rides that offer an AERC BC for LD are so
rare that riders truly do not HAVE a choice.  It is nice to espouse
"choice" and in general, I am a proponent of choice.  But this is a
no-choice deal for a large segment of our riders.  If riders in those
regions want to "choose" they must travel out of region.  And that just
isn't right, IMO.  BC is simply too important as a learning tool to have
whole regions not utilizing it.

Heidi


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