I have been preparing to leave for the 20 Mule Team ride in the rain,
and I thought I would come inside,
snuggle up to a nice warm computer, and offer some admittedly
half-baked suggestions regarding a national endurance
championship ride of some sort. I was wondering if an ultimate champion
could somehow be determined by way
of a multi-day endurance championship. I'm not sure what sort of
qualification standards would be appropriate, but I think that
the multi-day format might possibly have something to offer to almost
every type of rider in the sport. The flat-land racer, the mountain
climber,
the rock hound, the tortoise, the heat tolerant, etc.,. The ride venue
could be chosen specifically to offer different terrain and footing
each day.
Anybody see the movie "Bite the Bullet?" They went through everything.
I have often felt
that many horses, especially those that "race" don't look too shiny the
next day back home in their own stall. It takes hours or a day or two
for a horse to show all the effects of being overridden. And he may
very well be the horse that won and took BC the prior day! Who's going
to
come forward and say "Thanks for the trophy and the feed store gift
certificate, but, frankly, my horse arrived home slightly lame and was
off his feed for two days."
A multi-day format just naturally creates a more steady pace among
the horses and riders. The new motto could be "If you want to win, you
have to
know how to finish. Again and again." Of course the average speed would
come nowhere near the blistering 21kph speeds of the WEC, but hey,
this isn't NASCAR. It's not a spectator sport. We all know speed kills.
The multiday challenge would help dampen the need for speed, while still
maintaining a "racing" atmosphere. I know sometimes I will tell myself
it's okay to push my horse a little harder on a one day ride, because I
know he can
go home and "put it all back together" with a nice long rest which
starts at that day's finish line. My approach is much different when I
know I have to
save enough for another day or two of riding, and still go home
with a healthy sound horse. I know there would still be those riders who
are tempted to ask for a little too much speed, but, if I were a ride
vet, I think I would rather,all things being equal, take care of
horses that have been traveling
at 8-10 miles per hour than at a constant canter.
The judging for best condition could be done the morning after the
final day of racing, as a way of determining which horses endured the
athletic endeavor
better versus those who succumb to various post-exercise aches and
pains. The BC judging at Tevis is one of the most popular events of
that ride. Crowds
of people in the stands whooping and hollering as they watch horses
and an occasional mule trot in circles. I was at Tevis this year, and I
remember thinking to
myself, as I listened to all of the hootin' and screamin' and
whistlin'......." Yeah, I remember my first beer, too."
Any horse that could beat all comers and still look good to a crew of
vets afterward, would have my vote to be recognized as a champion,
especially in regard
to the things many of us hold dear in this sport-- endurance,
longevity, soundness, trail negotiation, sane speed, good recoveries
and a healthy trailer ride home.
What do y'all think? Bruce Weary
