[RC] Racing vs Riding or Racing vs Racing - Pvan19
Hi Kim,
thanks for your post - very interesting!
On what you wrote about economics:
" Economics is always a consideration. What I find interesting is
that some of the programs that are not into "longevity" are either run by
very wealthy barns and stables (example the Sheiks of the UAE) or have
government funding (The French endurance team). When you think about
this, there is really not a dire economic reason to push young horses.
In fact, it seems to me that most of us in AERC, have more economic reasons
(like many of us are not wealthy that participate in endurance) to push
young horses into competition or run through a string of
potentials."
Don't forget that whomever puts money into the sport expects... results! So
pressure to perform is increasing... and in this scenario people cannot afford
to take to much time over a given horse to see if it's up to international
competition.
Typically here in France an endurance stable will get in 10 youngish horses
with potential, train them for 10 - 12 weeks and do a 60 miler to see how they
do. Of those ten, a couple will be sold off fairly quickly, a couple might get a
second chance after injury for example, and maybe 1 or 2 will make it thru this
program in good shape, with luck 1 of them will be doing a 80 or 100 miler at
the end of that first year of training at a lowish speed, and will then start
racing the year after.. if good results it will be sold off for good money to
some international rider, or leased for a couple of rides, often disappearing
within a couple of years from the endurance scene as racing takes it toll.
Some of the really good horses we have here are ridden below their
potential to avoid attracting attention before major championships - to stop
them being sold off abroad before the national team has had a chance to use them
to earn a title! The French gouverment will help fund a rider who hangs on to
his/her horse specifically for this reason - to avoid 'horse drain' . Typical
example: Georgat ridden by Barbara L. in Dubai and by one of the Maktoum sons in
Compiègne last summer... the owners resisted selling the horse earlier in
2005 but after Dubai the money just got soo huge they couldn't refuse.
If you're not wealthy and have bought a horse ( meaning you'll eat cheap
pasta for the rest of your life) you want it ... to LAST as long as possible,
and incidentally perform as best as it can without doing long term harm.. the
whole point being that if you 'break' it you won't be able to afford another one
and therefore will not be riding...at all.
From personal experience - see what I mean? I think the economics actually
have quite the adverse effect from what you could expect!
brgds,
Pauline
ps for Laney: in France, 18200 endurance ride starts in 2005, of which 81%
were local rides of 40 miles or less. This percentage was 83% in 2004. We'll
need 2006 data to call this a trend... but it sure looks like one.