Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Steph Teeter said:

> There are not many FEI 160km rides anywhere
> that can boast those completion rates.
Probably has something to do with the fact that riders were paid $5000
if they completed and given little further incentive to win or place.
Coupled with the fact that the purpose of the event was to prove that a
good completion rate could be achieved, and obviously (since it wasn't
even reported in Steph's post about the success of the ride), who
crossed the finish line first is totally irrelevant.

This goes a long way towards proving the rather obvious statement that
"you get the behaviour your reward" even at endurance rides.

If the FEI wants to improve both the public image and care and handling
of endurance horses in championship events, it is going to HAVE to do
something to provide some motivation to actually finish it, even if the
rider has no chance of coming in first.

The World Endurance Championship on the same course in Malaysia will
only be an equal success to this Sultan's Cup if the FEI figures out
some way (maybe the same way???) to provide the same motivation to
actually finish the ride.

This event has certainly gone a long way in clearly demonstrating that
the FEI would do well to attempt to adopt, in some way, the mindset "To
Finish is to Win" instead of the one that currently prevails and FEI
Endurance Championships of "its a race and after outcome of the race is
determined, there is no point in even continuing."

kat
Orange County, Calif.
:)

"Le meilleur que je sais les hommes le plus que j'aime mon
cheval."--Catherine the Great



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