And I was there for that First Place, Bruce!! Man V Horse on Thor! Such a grand gelding! I think he was Anglo, eh? Didn't he also get BC?
Some days, just cleaning corrals is gravy!!!
Ain't it grand, ma? The wind stopped blowing!!! hee hee
Sheila
> Date: Mon, 6 Apr 2009 15:43:19 -0700 > From: bweary@xxxxxxxxxxxx > To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [RC] Winning vs Losing > > Winning isn't always defined as coming in first. In fact, I > would submit that in our sport, it most often does not, nor does > finishing last constitute losing. > > Consider the following examples of Winning but not Finishing First: > 1) Finishing in any placing with a healthy, happy sound horse that is > ready for more. > 2) Forfeiting your placing or even your completion because you choose to > search for a lost horse or help an injured rider. > 3) Finishing last alongside a newbie to the sport who is now hopelessly > addicted to endurance riding. > 4) Finishing dead last on a horse you have restored back to health and > fitness from devastating illness or injury. > 5) Finishing last your first 100 miler. > 6) Finishing last on ANY 100 miler > > 7) Finishing last on the last 100 miler of your career. > 8) Finishing dead last on Tevis. (I'll take it!) > 9) Making it to the starting line of Tevis. Everything past that point > is gravy. > 10) Looking over your shoulder to tip your hat to Lake Tahoe on your way > to Auburn. Whether you make it or not. > > Examples of Finishing First, but Losing: > 1) Having a horse back at the trailer that loses interest in eating, > drinking and his environment, head down, and unwilling to move. When > people ask how he's doing, you say, "Great!" > 2) Doing it too fast, too soon, with too little preparation on a horse > that's too young. > 3) Commenting afterward that "Second place is really just first loser." > 4) Picking up the pace after the vet tells you to slow your horse down. > (Seen this one lots of times.) > 5) Retiring a horse at a premature age due to too much of #2. > 6) Not thanking your horse afterward. > > I have 9,000 miles of endurance rides under my belt, and only one > First Place. I'm just happy every time I get to "swing a leg over" my > horse. > Everything else after that is just gravy. Dr Q > > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > 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!! > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= >
