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[RC] The Reality of Weight Divisions - Bruce WearyWill somebody please call me when someone wins Tevis six times in a row carrying 235? Or wins the WEC with the same weight? Or the OD 100? Or the Californios 100? How about even five days of a Duck's ride? Was there an ROC winner at 235? If the playing field is as level as you say, these things have a very good chance of happening. Soon, too, because since they haven't yet, the odds are increasing daily. I can only speak from first hand experience of nearly 8,000 miles on the trail, every inch of it as a heavyweight. On over 20 different horses of many different breeds. I have seen how my horses work and recover with my weight, and then observed the same criteria when one of my little daughters rode the same horse the next day. Their recoveries and breathing are different. My horses carry 10% or more weight than many riders out there. That is significant. If someone really wants to prove the theory that significant weight (I'm not talking about a few pounds here, I mean 80-100 pounds)doesn't make a difference, all the didactic debate in the world won't get us an answer. I'll propose a challenge. I'll take Earle Baxter, Kevin Waters, Brent Johnson and myself, and we'll take on any other team in any weight division, weigh down all the horses equally, and see who keeps up. No more excuses about live weight versus dead weight. Pack mules carry dead weight all the time, with no live rider to help balance it. We will see which horses end up with sore backs, more lameness, better recoveries, etc.,. Since weight makes no significant difference, the lighter weight riders will need no time to acclimate their horses to the extra weight. Just throw on and go.And Heidi, why limit the withholding of the privilege of feeling good about one's performance in a weight division to just the heavyweights? To be fair, you should contact the riders in the lightweight and middleweight divisions and admonish them not to take too much pride in beating a featherweight, since there really is no difference. And now, I must excuse myself. I have to get to the hobby store and buy some glue and toothpicks so I can figure this whole thing out............... Dr Q =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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