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Re: [RC] More on a 100 mile program - LSimoni197

Wow, good thing I am sick, at home and reading RC.
My old horse RAZ, who still carries my weight around at 26 years old, did a few races in his youth.
88 Mt. Diablo 50 mile              5th                  Lynge
89 Tevis 100 mile                 17th                 Lynge
(got the bug to qualify him for the ROC)
92 Flatwoods 100 mile          7th                 Laureen
92 Swanton Pacific 100 mile  8th                Laureen
92 Ft. Churchill 100 mile        5th                Laureen
That is his record!  Completed 1 - 50 mile race.  Completed 4 - 100 mile races, and nicely.  Notice that in 92 he did 3 - 100 mile races in 3 months time.
So, according to some, this horse would not be a suitable candidate for an award because he did not also have lots of other miles?
Oh, I forgot, others would look at that record and come up with many negative ideas why Raz did not race more.  He has been a great horse all his life for our family.  I cannot speak for this next year, but last year at 25, he was still the best horse I have. I ponied all of my young ones off of him to teach them to be brave, walk fast, and run up hills like they were not even there.
But no award because we did not pay to travel to lots of 50 mile rides to get mileage?
Different strokes.  
I had 2 goals, first was to do Tevis.  Second was to qualify for The ROC.  I had very limited time and more limited money.  My Daughter in college could only race in the summer.
Whoops, I used the dirty word RACE.  Different strokes again.
AERC has been attempting to accommodate both the members who wish to race as well as those who wish to just ride through for the mileage.  AERC did not start out with the slogan, "To Finish is to Win."  It was coined so more people could be happy with their results at the end of a ride.
Lately there seems to be a campaign to condemn riders who have a fast horse and actually win some rides.  Riders who set a goal to finish fast, rather than just accumulate lots of long miles over the years.
Different strokes.
Most assuredly all riders and all horses are not the same, or with the same potential.
I personally love that there are great fast horses, and great long distance horses.  Now that I am old, I must ride slow.  My best memories are the fast rides on RAZ, most of them done conditioning, or just for pleasure.  They were all fast because that was how he traveled.

Lynge