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Re: [RC] lowered age limit - rides2farBUT > unfortunately there are a lot of breeders or professional trainers / riders out there who > cannot or will not share this view, for various reasons but frequently simply > through the pressure owners or jockeys put on them > in France for ex the (money) stakes have risen enormously over the past > years - selling one young flash-in-the-pan could safeguard an entire breeding > program for several years I remember reading once that a horse's "raw speed" is highest from age 2-4 Strength is greatest from 7-11 Endurance is greatest from 11-14 Right now...with the current "championship" format has one race determining the championship. Nevermind long term. My question is, are the 6 and 7 year olds that survive the system truly capable of going faster *in that one race they peak for* than the older horses who will be able to perform again and again? I do not like the current emphasis on raw speed, but so long as the courses for championships reward it, and the system to qualify requires it, the sport will be slanted towards those who benefit from it. I noticed that the courses that *did* try to claim some difficulty invariably achieved it with the addition of SAND. Duh. Until our representatives quit going along with this direction and campaign diligently for at least a VARIETY of championship type courses, I think the International "champions" will result more and more from a very flat racing type system where LOTS of young horses are pushed hard and the ones that survive the system long enough to race, like our Derby winners, will get in tremendous performances, then break down. An all year long "series" like Nascar has for a points championship can help, but for a World Championship it's not very feasable. I don't know what the answer is but to me it's not too satisfying to see a comparison of Apples and Oranges...horses that will last through a couple of races competing against a group of horses that will last through long, competitive careers. They're just not the same. Angie =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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