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RE: [RC] re: Steph's comments - Mcgann, Barbara

Cindy,

I faithfully read ridecamp, and very seldom respond, but for some
reason, today you've got me going!!!  Steph managed to say what I was
trying to, only so much more eloquently.  Its just semantics....

Your last statement, though, has brought me out of lurkdom again..."It
never was meant to be something that just any person on any horse could
do".  Wow, and that's the very reason I started riding in endurance in
the early 70's....cause it was something that any person on any horse
could do, given enough blood, sweat and tears, and love for your horse!
You didn't have to have a beautiful horse, you didn't have to have fancy
tack, you didn't have to belong to any elitist part of society.  You
could just take your lopp-eared, ugly headed, spotted,  unregistered
morgan, grade, arab, qh or whatever you had and go do it!    Many, many
of the early riders got started just using whatever horse they happened
to be riding at the time.

I agree with your middle class analogy, however, I think it's the other
way around.  I think there are really only a FEW (relatively) chronic
LD'ers who just do it cause its easier; and only a FEW FEI'ers.  The
vast majority of endurance riders are in the middle and go back and
forth between distances - 25's and 50's (I can't speak for the 100
milers) as circumstances dictate.

Barb McGann 

-----Original Message-----
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Cindy Collins
Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 15:07
To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [RC] re: Steph's comments

Hey, Steph.  I respect and admire you and you make a great case for your
opinion.  However, we will agree to disagree.  The only way I'd buy your
idea is IF there were defined levels, like intro, novice, etc.  However,
most of us got into this sport for the "purity" and simplicity.  Yes, I
do feel like a dinosaur and do feel the sport has done like the economy:
the middle class is getting pushed out.  There's the LD crowd and
there's the FEI crowd and the rest of us are feeling homeless.  Ridecamp
is the only place we seem to have these discussions and I appreciate you
creating the forum.  We just disagree on the definition of the sport.  I
believe you will win this one in the end, but I will feel the sport has
lost something precious.  It never was meant to be something that just
any person on any horse could do...I'll say that when I can no longer
ride 10 milers, much less 100 milers.  Cindy


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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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