While I am not disparaging this event in
particular, I also realize that some ride managers are unable, for one reason or
the other, to provide such luxuries. Nowadays, it almost seems like the
rides that provide more goodies draw the riders more than the ones with
spare amenities. I can't say I blame the riders, but it seems that the
focus is not on the trail and the adventure, but on the luxuries that are
provided. I hope I'm wrong, because there are a lot of good rides offered
that do not have all the frosting. Could this trend also be the reason
that 100-mile rides are diminishing? The original idea was to endure a
tough ride, discomfort, and challenges. Are we now gravitating to rides
that are shorter, and ones that offer refreshments at every corner?
Please do not interpret this as criticism of
the Patriot Day ride, but as a philosophical discussion.
The local people from Greenville are wonderful! The local Grocer set up a
lemonade stand at one junction where there was a water stop. He had the best
ice cold lemonade, iced tea, organic bananas, apples for the riders, they had
alfalfa for the horses at this stop. Amazing!
Off to VC where so many people that were not even horsey people were from
the town and volunteered to help. This was incredible to me to see coffee,
buckets of iced drinks for the riders, food out in abundance for the riders,
luscious alfalfa hay everywhere for the horses, candy, cookies, I felt I
was at a party.
