Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Just alittle note from personal experience.....I have done 1 day 100's over the past 15 years...this year was one year I will never forget;  it put a very bad taste in my mouth for the entire sport.  There was a 100 miler in MIch.  it would have been my second ride of this season and my horse's..however both of us are extremely experienced having done several 100 in 2004 and all 5 days of the Mich Shore to Shore a total of 800 miles in one season.  When some folk in our region heard I was going to take my boy to the 100 they went out of their way to tell me it was (and I quote) out of my caliber of ride....that there were going to be high caliber riders there (it was the Grand Island FEI 100) and that I should reconsider.  Now mind you, I had more than one rider come up and tell me this....I was soooooooooooo turned off from lack of support and to me it seemed from some of these riders that even tho' I wasn't riding FEI they did NOT want my competition..I started asking myself...hum..were they afraid that I would take a placing from them.??..and not to brag but, my boy and I have turned in some decent times on the 100's we have completed as well as the mileage we have completed.  Plus, I ride to take care of my horse, he is my partner....I was only going to ride for myself and the challenge to myself.  Some of you might say that I let others influence me and some of you might feel the way I do...if this is what our sport is coming to ...I want no part.  I did not go to the ride....for more reasons than just that...including our personal business venture took off full steam...however, if anyone else heard these so called successful riders, why would anyone care to participate in this sport.....folks use to support one another but, now it seems every man for themselves.  So my feeling to get more folks interested in doing 100's maybe not run them in conjunction with FEI rides.....I guess the competition is HOT for those who care about it and a top ten completion is very important to them....... I understand that but, what makes their ride sooooooo much more important than anyone else's??? and what makes them such a high caliber of rider than anyone else????