RE: "if the course was changed to a very rugged
mountain course that those who intend to win would pay what it
took to own the best of the rugged mountain horses.if the course was
changed to a very rugged mountain course that those who intend to win
would pay what it took to own the best of the rugged mountain
horses."
My thinking, based on admittedly limited
experience, is that rough mountain trails require more communication and
understanding between horse and rider. In a straight speed course you can more
easily get away with just going giddyup the whole time... On OD or Tevis level
trails, it seems to take more intuition about pace and taking care of the horse.
That level of bonding and of unspoken communication between horse and rider
would be harder to get from just writing a check.
Is my math off this much or was the completion rate
around 38%? On a flat manicured course, that seems really high. Of course
they weren't riding " To Finish is to Win".
Bottom line is that I would love to have seen the
WEC in Kentucky use a course more representative of that area. There is some
really pretty country they could have used, but I guess that isn't the point of
the exercise.
