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Once again, the great "trailer race" was a fluke.  It was MOSTLY over the
mileage championship and involved a couple of years of Tribly and Les
battling via airplanes on many borrowed horses.  It should never have been
an event that changed our whole National Championship.  Something simple,
like limiting the mileage championship to two horses per rider would have
fixed it.  It's the stereo-typical cure that is worse than the disease.  I
knew the name of the AERC Nat. Champion horse and rider team every year
back then.  It WAS meaningful.  As to Westerners having an advantage...I
guess no one remembered to tell that to all those "eastern" champions
during that era!  In 1978 there were two SE riders and one NE rider in the
top ten standings.  In 1979 there were no eastern riders in the top 10
(three in the top 25).  In 1980, Joe Long was 2nd in the nation (living in
Alabama).  In 1983 the Natl. Champ, Reserve Champ and 10th place were SE
riders.  In 1984 a Central region rider won, and two SE riders were in the
top 10.  I'm missing 1981-2, but betting that someone can fill in.  The
point is that riders from other regions could compete in the old system. 
Plus, there are now many more rides and riders in those regions compared
to the early years.  The ROC came into being and gained so much popularity
mostly because the AERC was heading away from the old system and beginning
to dilute the meaning of a National Championship w/all the weight
divisions about the time the ROC was starting.  By 1987-1988 I never knew
who was the AERC National Champion and it steadily became less and less
important or meaningful.  This is coming from someone who won a
"championship" under the 1990 system.  I believe there is a quiet, but
strong, contingent of riders who would give anything if the AERC would go
back to ONE National Champion rider/horse combo per year.  It doesn't
matter to us if we can NEVER have a hope of achieving it...that's not the
point.  Tevis, as an example, only has one 1st place and one BC.  From
year to year, we all remember who they were.  Everyone who completes Tevis
IS a winner, but not THE winner.  Why are we so afraid of that concept? 
Is our collective self-esteem really that low?  Cindy


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