Tom, I don't know why more people from central and
west didn't show up. That's really too bad.
I do think there are waaaaay to many *winners* . I
think Angie broke it down a few months ago and realistically, something like 30
riders could be winning something.
Also, the qualifications aren't all that
impressive. 300 miles same horse and rider with one top 5 or 10 in a weight
division or 1000 miles. Miles don't make winners. What I mean by that is that I
can have 1000 miles and never have even come in the top half. But if I did say,
10 - 100 miles rides and won 6 or so, I could be considered real competition. Of
course, that IS what I love about this sport. I can ride any damn way I want to
;)
Now I am not in any way implying those who are
riding do not deserve to be there. I recognize some pretty fabulous
riders. But I could have qualified on my 6 year old, (it's really not that
hard to get a top 10 in a weight div) and we are in no way at the top of our
game, let alone the game as a championship. A championship should be the cream
of the crop and if someone like me were to be there, I would be diluting
the cream into 2 % milk.
And, if we were at the top
of our game, we would want to compete against the best the
sport had to offer. I don't mind weight divisions
and awards for those divisions but even regular rides have an overall winner.
They are even advertising turtle awards! At a championship??
Of course, it is not truly a national championship
if all the regions are not represented. Maybe if there was something to prove,
more would show. JMO.
