Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Jody Rogers-Buttram wrote:
>     /Either the AERC is serious about preserving the 100 mile ride for
>     non-FEI interest or not. From what I have seen over the past 3
>     years -
>     we've been talking about this for over 3 years - they are not./
>     Maybe this is something of a regional affect. For instance, the
>     bunch out west, the PS and the West regions that have adopted an
>     incentive program seem to be having tons of success. So, if AERC
>     is not going to focus on the 100, looks like the regional groups
>     may have to. And that is what you have attempted to do. But, the
>     program is not being welcomed because of the joining the endurance
>     with the CTR. If it is going to create such discord now, why not
>     listen to what the general membership says. The last thing that we
>     need is to run off what few 100 mile riders/horses we have in the
>     SE. I see that happening. People are not going to join SERA if
>     they are going to have to pay extra for the joint SERA/SEDRA
>     membership. Plus, the idea of the CTR miles being counted in the
>     100 mile program is a step toward counting any miles less than 50
>     in a day. That could include LD. What difference is there between
>     the two??? Both could be used for building up to a higher
>     distance. Do we want to let LD miles count toward the 100 mile
>     program???? I know I don't. The 100 miler rides will die off like
>     you said, and we 100 mile riders will be going to other regions to
>     get our 100's and joining their clubs.
The experiment is being run out West. The numbers are not in yet. It 
will take a couple of years to determine the effect. A theory is only as 
good as the experimental validation of said theory. Give it three years 
and see what happens.

As far as merging CTR and endurance, it is done quite regularly in the 
NE (ECTRA) and FL (SEDRA which is quite similar to ECTRA). The FL riders 
account for a large number of our endurance miles in the SE. FL normally 
has at least 3 one day 100's in a season. In FL I would say that CTR and 
endurance is merged. It works quite well. In some respects most (but I 
am sure not all) of the endurance riders from FL started out at SEDRA 
CTR's.

Last year at one CTR I attended, I looked around and a majority of the 
people there were the same as you see at endurance rides. The ride 
manager of that particular CTR was Pat Thomas who managed the Goethe 
ride (one of the SE 100 mile rides) just a month prior. Cindy Bell, 
Darlene Krell, Roxanne Cicone and Steve Rojek are in the SEDRA hall of 
fame. None of these riders are slouches when it comes one day 100 mile 
rides or AERC miles. In a large part of the region the two sports are 
intertwined and the two sports feed each other. This program is a 
recognition of that and an attempt to bring new people up through the 
ranks to step up to riding longer distances for the benefit of both.

The 3 day 100 mile CTR is a challenge in its own right. Nothing teaches 
pacing better than such a ride.

I see no conflicts at all. We should be working together - it is in all 
our own best interest. There is nothing worse than the us vs. them 
mentality you sometimes see between CTR and endurance. That is not good 
for either sport.

May I remind you Jody, that you did vote for the combined program with 
SEDRA when it was surfaced before the SERA BOD. That was time for this 
discussion.

Truman


--

“With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things 
and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil 
things, that takes religion.” Steven Weinberg – Nobel Laureate, Physics


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