Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Angie said:

 

> It's a delimma how we can still reward what

> I consider a desirable quality...speed, without

> encouraging riders to be too reckless and ride

> a fast horse *too* fast. If anybody gets any

> ideas, I think that's a great discussion topic

> for AERC too.

 

I actually think that the current way that the AERC (with the exception of the National Championship Ride, which is why I am opposed to that ride just on principle) balances the rewards for speed v. longevity with its year end awards programs (some based on mileage, some based on a combination of mileage and placing) and its lifetime acheivement awards programs does a pretty good job of balancing the rewards for speed while discouraging recklessness.  It is the single, one-day race that encourages speed to the point of recklessness.

 

Fortunately for the horses of the AERC, few AERC members take the AERC National Championship take the ride very seriously, and there are enough other awards that the organization provides to pursue that do require longevity that the AERC National Championship Ride doesn't get very many participants who are motivated to race to the point of recklessness.

 

Both the Best Condition award at each ride and the Annual Best Condition Championships also provide a discouragement to recklessness.

 

There will always be, of course, a few idiots who are reckless because they don't care about the AERC's awards and are only interested in winning a race on the day.  These people cannot be disuaded no matter what.  And there are often uneducated people who don't know that as far as the AERC is concerned, winning the race on the day is not a goal worth a prize (you have to string such accomplishments together to get an award from the AERC--except for the AERC National Championship Ride...which is why I am opposed to the concept on principle).  In this instance, the question the AERC needs to ask is, "what is the best way to educate such people?"  

 

However, a way that the FEI, even at the WEC, in a one day race, could avoid having to reward recklessness is to run only a team competition, and you have to finish the team (whether that is defined as three of four competitors, or all four competitors could be worked out) in order to be in contention  AND to have it so that as soon as the team looses enough competitors to being pulled, then the whole team is removed from the course.

 

I GURARNTEE you that this would make the riders in the competition A LOT more careful.

 

kat

Orange County, Calif.

:)