Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Oh, no.? Here we go again. One person's perception therefore justifies tarring the entire group with that same broad brush--"if it happened to me ONCE and it happened to someone else ONCE, it must indeed be happening EVERYWHERE and ALL THE TIME."

I'm just gonna offer my perspective, too, Chelsea, here ya go, and best of luck to you on your rides/volunteering is the BEST when getting started.? Around these parts, when something has happened to a rider on trail and/or they are off their horse, everyone who passes asks if the rider is OK.? I've observed that frequently, when off to adjust tack or my clothing after, um, peeing.? There are of course rude riders, but they are NOT the majority of endurance riders your posts infer that they are.

I once boycotted a ride for several years because the former, longtime ride managers let a local "trainer" woman sponsoring junior riders enter each year, when she was a known hazard, barely under control and riding fast.? They knocked a mountain biker off of the trail.? One of their horses collapsed in a parking lot after a ride, and mgmt was indifferent.? I've photographed this woman and her charges, and saw it for myself.? She is the exception.? New ride management limited her charges to 2.? So she got someone else to sponsor 2 who wasn't in shape to ride at the speeds she did, and that gal about died. ;-)

Maybe your respondent's indifferent passersby were newbies or people who were not riding under control themselves.? If a group-thing happened to me like that, I would probably say something to ride management and hope that they bring it up during the awards.??

Can't help but thinking about other horse sports, and again affirming that endurance riders as a WHOLE, IMHO, display far greater sportsmanship than any other.? Kate, why are you here if you think our sportsmanship is so awful?

Lynne

On Nov 29, 2006, at 9:11 AM, Kearby, Kate G Civ 748 CBSG/OM wrote:

Below is a e mail I received privately so I won't show the names but apparently being disregarded on the trail when tossed is not so uncommon as those who have written believe, ???

if , as distance riders, we wish to encourage people into the sport, and based on the list of things that were posted 'newbies should do' I would like to bring to light what some 'newbies' have seen and should be corrected if known/seen amoung you, that not only newbies but the old folks should follow the ideals someone else listed for 'newbies.?

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'That happened to me, too-my horse spooked really hard about 30 minutes into a ride, and I went sailing off.? EVERYONE just charged by me.? Not a single person stopped to see if I was ok or offered to help.? I was really disappointed in my fellow riders.? The race was way more important to them.? I mean I'm talking about 30 riders, too, not just a single person.'

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