Re: [RC] Final final final LD/New Rider Category - DVeritas
In a message dated 12/3/2005 10:32:10 A.M. Mountain Standard Time,
SandyDSA@xxxxxxx writes:
So let's
not discourage my our attitudes or remarks those who are LESS FORTUNATE, LESS
HEALTHY, perhaps partnered with an older horse or a younger horse, or
actually spending a good part of their time making a living. IMAGINE THAT! It
isn't "dumb" to everyone
San,
Very nice sentiments and, when all is said and done, I
believe most folks do feel this way.
About six years ago, I actually threw out some thoughts
concerning how to get physically challenged folks, who could ride a horse,
involved in the sport of endurance.
My thoughts were meant with endeavor-centric,
exclusionary attitudes.
Such as, "this sport is what it is and we shouldn't dilute it to allow
people who have disabilities to participate".....in essence, that was the
essence of a lot of replies, some from folks I would never have believed would
have felt that way.
I even spoke of husband and wives who wanted to ride together, and if one
had a disability, and could "only" ride part of a twenty-five, fifty or a
hundred WITH THE PERSON TO WHOM THEY WERE MARRIED AND IN LOVE WITH, why not find
a way to facilitate that through a program available in the AERC whereby the
physically challenged could at least get his/her mileage recorded and credited
to his/her history? (You know, like "I could ride to the first vet check
with you, and then stop and trailer back."..... WAYYY TOO difficult
logistically, I was told. I threw out, that as the one married to the one
stopping at the first vet check, I would have already arranged for a driver and
a rig to be there to return her to basecamp. Nah, no one wanted to go down
THAT trail.
(Even now, I imagine there are myriad folks reading this who think the idea
has absolutely no merit and no place in endurance.)
I was stunned when I discovered that folks didn't want to "dummy down" the
rules of endurance to allow PARTICIPATION.....not even worrying about WINNING,
BC, AWARDS or anything. Just something to enable the participation of some
who could never do so otherwise.
I never know or understand the flock mentality of my endurance
community. (I use the word "flock" rather than "herd" because it seems a
bit more descriptive of the flighty nature of what is important one day to the
next.)
