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[RC] Being Competitive - rides2farIts like if we honor the winner we are dishonoring those who complete. This is a feeling a get from the riders themselves not the official recognition from the organization. I'm not going to talk International. My thoughts about "winners" are more on the local level. Somehow it seems to have gotten to the point on the international scene that to be a winner you go beyond any hint of "fun sport" and enter the realm of "business of racing". Becomes as interesting to me as a calculous problem. On the local level...It's hard to explain, but sometimes you don't glorify the "winner" because it's someone you don't want to encourage to ride the way they rode. Maybe their horse didn't have a base and they went fast enough to win but you don't think it'll last...or maybe the horse looked used up. Sometimes you don't know whether this rider did it "right" or "wrong" for several more rides. Say a new rider shows up and wins...I tend to look at them and think, "That horse probably wasn't ready for that". But then if they keep coming back week after week and do well...and the horse handles it well...*now* I'm impressed. I don't get too excited after one win since there's a good chance that horse'll be lame at the next ride, but a horse & rider, going fast, looking good and winning is something I enjoy seeing. If it's someone we all know, other riders tend to know whether to admire the winner or not. When the person is announced that does it "right" everyone cheers and smiles. When the one who uses up 99% wins people continue to talk to their neighbor, eat, and pretend they didn't hear anything. I think we really do admire those who win, kick our butts, and make it look easy, so long as their horses look good at the end. I have seen a ride manager almost mumble the BC winner out the corner of their mouth and immediately go onto another subject when the "winner" looked bad and an inexperienced at grading BC vet didn't count off enough for the way the horse looked to make up for high weight or time scores. I'll never forget the year Terri Cochran & Portrait won OD. There was a *big* write up in Trailblazer and everyone talked about it like she was the first person who'd ever won the ride. It was obvious to me that everyone was THRILLED that she had won. That told me a lot. As a person who has had to write those articles, I can tell you nothing's worse than being told to glorify a "winner" who had little skill and lots of "aggressive riding". Maybe I look harder than others at the words the writer uses to describe those "winners" because I know what it's like to refuse to lie...you look for *something* you can say about them without A. telling the world you think the person's an idiot, or B. Lying and telling them they should admire this person. It isn't much a problem on 100's. Seems like you're always interviewing a Kanavey or Rojek who does things sooo well and you just want to talk to them forever to pick their brains and hope to pick up something. But on 50's, you can end up with some real Yahoos winning...and looking back...I was as dumb as any of them when I won my first ride. (took BC too but he was lame at the next one):-P Do I admire *fast* competitors? Yes! But I tend to look at at least the top 5. That first place slot requires a *real* drive on the part of the rider...being determined to be first requires either a lot of risk taking or to do it safely, a lot of skill at making your horse stronger and not making any mistakes of your own. To those who can do it well, I give a LOT of respect. (and you can tell who these people are when you watch) It's hard to discuss "winners" when you have some that do it sooo well, and apparently easily...and a few who just seem to defy all logic by getting to the finish ahead of so many riders who seem to do things so much better. I think by emphasizing winners for the season rather than an individual race we run a better chance of rewarding excellence. Do I want to "race" again? I love it; it's fun...but if I get hold of a horse I think may be my next 100 mile horse I doubt I'll be willing to risk much on an individual 50 ride award. Maybe if it's a horse who does it "easily" I'll get to. Will I admire the winner at the next ride I go to? I hope so. I was very impressed by the finishers at the GERA ride. They made it look easy and looked happier than the slower horses when they finished. By the way...the only reason I saw those winners was because I was filming at the ride...not riding. Those who "complete" seldom really see the winners so it's not easy for them to make any judgements about how they did. Those rumors tend to come from the staff. And as for the idea that the "finish is to win" types don't race...Don't make me laugh! Been there done that. Every one of them has someone in mind that they want to beat that day...and they're dead serious about beating them. Even the turtle beat the ones that got pulled and that might be exactly who they were gunning for. :-) Angie =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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