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RE: [RC] Just out of Curiousity (was: Race, etc.) - heidik s swigart wrote:How many people would stop attending endurance rides if the race aspect were no longer recognized? kat Orange County, Calif.Me, for one. I do not race when I am bringing along a new horse, until the horse has the foundation to race safely -- which takes several years. But even then I am building up to the time when he can race. I appreciate the fact that there are more people in our sport who do not race, than who do. And I'm happy about that. One of the strengths of our sport is its diversity, the "big tent." And when I tell someone who is not familiar with endurance about Kahlil, the first thing I mention is his 11,525 miles completed, before mentioning his racing wins. I'm with Joe in this, although my own racing days may well be behind me. But it is essential to what makes the sport what it is, and if *I* ever have the time and capability of getting fit again (it is more me than the horses at this point) I will be somewhat competitive again. (For me, it is more apt to be "racing" for the Top Ten than for the win--but it is still a desire to be competitive with regard to speed.) That said, the "racing" aspect of the sport is far distant from the sort of "racing" that most folks perceive, since there are strings attached, so to speak. When horse people ask me about the racing aspect of the sport, I compare it to jump-offs, where time is an element, but in order for it to count, you have to jump "clean" (or match the "clean-ness" of the next fastest competitor). You can't just tear around the course knocking all the fences down. Likewise, in endurance, we have to "ride clean" or we don't complete--it is NOT the same thing as the sort of "racing" where one can cross the finish line and drop dead, and still have "won the race." And to answer Connie's comment about racing and LD rides--there are even more "strings attached" in LDs, including eliminating the sprint-across-the-line aspect with the pulse-down before the clock stops. Our "races" are no more flat-out "races" than are timed jump-offs--in both cases one must take particular care to ride "clean." Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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