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Re: [RC] 30 minutes - not workable for many rides. - Carolyn Loedeman

I agree wholeheartedly, and if it ain't broke, please don't try to fix it!!!!  And yes I do go up early alot of times, but I do ride Appaloosa's and if its hot it takes alot of water at the end to help them, and the 60 HR sometimes is a hard one for the non arab types.
Carolyn Loedeman  AERC #5555
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2007 10:56 PM
Subject: [RC] 30 minutes - not workable for many rides.

The 60 minute window is often absolutely critical to certain rides to provide a workable window of time to riders to travel  safely  to the vetting area when the finish can only be located a fair distance from the vet area/base camp, without the rider being disqualified for being "over time".  
 
I've been to several rides where it can take up to 30 minutes to walk from the finish line to the in-timer, that finish line being in an area which does NOT allow for any kind of vetting station due to the terrain or the trail.  I've also been to a ride where there was a huge lineup at the finish for riders being weighed for top ten (mandatory at this one particular ride whether the rider was planning to stand for BC or not), while the final vetting was 3/4 of a mile away, uphill.  At those times 60 minutes feels like 20 seconds.
 
Thus, it needs to be understood that the hour window isn't there solely for the horses -- it is often critically necessary for many AERC rides to deal successfully and safely with the vulgarities and inflexibility of  trail location and distances. .  To reduce that time would be counter-productive in too many ways, including financial, for many rides.
 
Those rides that don't have this issue, because the finish is in base camp, are lucky to provide an excellent opportunity for riders to practice good horse management -- cleaning up their horses, feeding and pampering them,  letting them rest and relax before having to meet the final ride obligation in presenting  at the final vetting
 
The 60-64 pulse works fine, and so does the 60 minute widow at the finish of the ride.  Leave it alone.