 |
RE: Is 100 miles in one day too much? RE: [RC] WEG 2006 - Bob Morrisendurance One entry found for endurance. Main Entry: en.dur.ance Pronunciation: in-'dur-&n(t)s, -'dyur-, en- Function: noun 1 : PERMANENCE, DURATION <the endurance of the play's importance> 2 : the ability to withstand hardship or adversity; especially : the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity <a marathon runner's endurance> Using the above definition of the term ENDURANCE I would venture that the FEI concept, of a minimum time for completion of a given distance, is truly not an endurance event. Perhaps we need to step back and examine exactly what we would like to see as the epitome of world endurance competition. Exactly what should the "WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP" encompass. A few points immediately come to mind:(not necessarily in order of importance) 1. Competition open to all nations. 2. Competition adaptable to all geographic conditions. 3. Competition adaptable to all climatic conditions. 4. Competition ensuring the welfare of the horse. 5. Competition with enforceable rules for qualification and competition. 6. Competition that embodies the true meaning of "ENDURANCE". Considering the above points, #1 is a definitive given. #2 means that the concept of endurance competition accepts what ever course terrain is available in the host country. One event might be in hilly country and the next in a very flat country but the natural terrain will be used. #3 brings to mind the current controversy about having a championship ride in a hot humid venue. Well, that is endurance! #4 is paramount. #5 indicates that all competitors will be riding in all competitions, under a uniform set of rules. #6 One ride in a few hours is not competition. Currently 3-day eventing shows more endurance concepts than our FEI Championships. Set a minimum of miles over a minimum of days as the basis. Being a world championship, perhaps 225 miles over three days. But then we all dream don't we? Bob Bob Morris Morris Endurance Enterprises Boise, ID -----Original Message----- From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Steph Teeter Sent: Saturday, November 18, 2006 10:34 AM To: k s swigart; ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Is 100 miles in one day too much? RE: [RC] WEG 2006 Perhaps this is heresy... but is it possible that 100 mile horse races are simply too hard?? Perhaps it might be better if our sport embraced a shorter version (or perhaps a 2 or 3 day version) for championship level competitions? Certainly 100 miles in one day is the ultimate challenge, but if the sport has become a 'last man standing' sport, then perhaps we don't have it right yet. After seeing the last two Presidents Cup rides finish winners in just over 7 hours, my thought was that this is simply not a sustainable sport - horses are simply not mechanically or physiologically capable of sustaining those speeds over those distances. We are seeing a sport where only a few incredible athletes - the freaks - are able to play, and the majority can't even finish the course. In human sports there are 'ulta marathons' but this is also an extreme, freak, sport- and if the Olympics embraced a 100 mile human race, we would probably also see a 'last man standing' sport, where at least half the competitors had to retire before they completed the course. And I don't think the public would approve. I think the comparison between human distance races and horse distance races is valid given the athletic ability and capability of the two species. Humans can also run 100 miles, and it is a valid challenge, a valid sport for the 'ultra' elite athlete, but it is not a mainstream sport and therefore has limited appeal to the International community. why is that?? It's easy to say 'well, just throw in rocks and mountains to slow them down' - but this is not a solution that is available to most of the world. And in a true race situation (e.g. International competition) an Old Dominion type course would result in an unacceptable level of injury on race day. Give the current format of Endurance the only way to reverse the 'last man standing' trend of International competition is to make people slow down, which is a difficult concept in a true race format. Kat - your idea is as good as any I've heard. But we'd still see 100 mile races around the world (and in the US btw) where 50% completion rates are not unheard of. But if we were given the opportunity to change the format (currently 100 miles in 1 day, speed is everything) of FEI Championship Endurance ... any ideas? How can we test our own horses' endurance against the rest of the world's horses' endurance and still reward skill, training, athletic ability, sportsmanship - and still have a sport that we feel good about doing?? Steph =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|