Re: [RC] Why do Endurance? (was Why I like horses) - Truman Prevatt
Steph Teeter wrote:
As far as horses - I grew up with them. I got my first pony at 4. My
grandfather used to pack me around on his horse when I was younger. My
mother rode her horse to school when she was a kid although my mother
didn't particularly like horses it was the way she got to school when
the weather permitted. My grandmother didn't like horses at all. From
the time I had my first pony until I went off to college my Grandfather
and I would "go ride the fences" which was an excuse to be outside on
horseback on Sunday afternoon.
The last time we did this was my senior of college the Sunday before I
went back to college in Sept. He had a massive heart attack two weeks
later and died. How I cherish that last ride with him.
As far as endurance. When I started I was somewhat obsessive. In the SE
the sport was small and growing and it was an outlet of going out and
camping and then doing something fun. The RM's provided the service of
a well marked trail and camping facilities. Awards were never a big
issue. I did about 5 rides a year just because that was all I could
manage given my work/travel schedule at the time. One or two years I
managed to do 8.
Life has gotten more complicated the past several years and it is more
difficult to get away and my riding for many weekends has become more
difficult. I probably do two rides a year down and one of those is
normally associated with a long trip. In reality I don't need the AERC
for such a trip. I am quite capable of finding nice places to ride and
go do it. Endurance rides are nice in that there is some security in
being at camp with an endurance ride vs. alone in case of an emergency.
We've done several trips where we coordinated with the endurance
schedule. For some reason that seems to be getting more difficult to
do.
So far me I must say I am close to a tipping point. Personally I feel
the growth and quality of endurance rides rest more in the hands of the
local and regional organizations, SERA, UMECTRA, PNER, SEDRA, etc. than
in the national organization. Those are the grass roots and growth is
going to come from the grass roots.
At what point in cost? That's a good question. However, I do long
distance riding. I know plenty of places to camp and ride from Florida
to Colorado. I think the bigger question is given it will impact some
at what point will the ride managers just give up because they are
faced with the choice of raising the entry or taking an unacceptable
risk of losing money. There is I think a risk of a spiral effect.-
higher fees leading to fewer members and riders leading to fewer rides,
leading to fewer rider as the driving distance becomes prohibitive
leading to fewer rides, etc.
Truman
So - I have a two-fold question:
1. why do you do endurance riding?
and
2. at what point would it become too expense for you to do
organized (e.g. AERC) endurance riding instead of just getting out and
riding long distances for the fun of it?
(I ask this because AERC is considering a $10 membership dues
increase, and $2 rider fee (per ride) increase, as well as $2 drug
testing fees increase.)
Steph
-- “I maintain there is much more wonder in science than in
pseudoscience
“I maintain there is much more wonder in science
than in
pseudoscience. And in addition, to whatever measure this term has any
meaning,
science has the additional virtue, and it is not an inconsiderable one,
of
being true.” Carl Sagan
