1.Do awards make a difference as to whether you'd go to a
ride or not? If so, what's the minimum type of award that makes the
difference?
The type of awards would not
make a difference whether I went to a ride in general. I suppose if it
was a ride where I had to trailer a long ways for a fairly boring ride (no scenery,
lots of repeat trail) I might not go out of my way to make it though, since I
condition on some pretty amazing trails. I really like something
usable! The other thing I like about awards, probably more than even the awards,
is the individual recognition. And not that I need to get the recognition,
I want to see other people and put a name to a face! I went to a ride
this spring and there wasn’t a real award so no names were listed and I
found out that people where at the ride that I would have liked to have met,
but I didn’t even know they were there and since I’d never seen
them in person, didn’t get the opportunity.
2.Rides used to give out buckles for awards, but don't
any more. Is it because they're too expensive and add a cost to the ride
that riders won't bear? Or is it because riders don't care about buckles?
I’ve never done anything worth getting a
buckle, so wouldn’t expect one. I don’t wear a belt, so if I
got one, it would be displayed in the house. I’d like one someday
for a ride like Tevis, but wouldn’t expect one for anything much less
than that level of work.
3.What about T-shirts? Jackets?
I love T-shirts! They are
able to make a statement to the rest of the world that I did an endurance
ride! It gets people talking, and maybe I can recruit someone else.
I think jackets should be for multidays or really big rides, or year end
awards. I got one for 3 days of LD at Moab which I thought was way more
than necessary, but I sure love it. I got amazing awards every day at
that ride too.
4.What's the best completion or other award you've ever
gotten? And would you want to always be able to get an award like that?
I think the best awards have
been buckets, ditty pouches, crew bags, hay bags and t-shirts. Something
useful and if it’s possible, I really like when it has the ride name on
it since I have a poor memory, but it’s hardly necessary.
5.What's the lousiest completion award you've ever
gotten? And if you feel it was lousy, why?
Well, don’t want to hurt
anyone’s feelings, because in general I have no problem with someone doing
what is doable since being able to ride in a great place is more
important. But my first 50, I got a plastic bot knife. I don’t
live where we’ve had bots, so it wasn’t useful, it didn’t
have the ride’s name on it and dang it, it was my first 50 and I ACHED
and I wanted to be able to wear a T-shirt when I went to work that said I’d
actually done a real endurance ride. I really don’t think that a
certificate counts as an award since I’m not into displaying ribbons or
certificates though. That seems kind of like a thing that works for kids,
not adults. But other than a first ride, or a first 50 or 100, I don’t
really worry about whether an award will be anything in particular or anything
at all.
6.What's your recommendation for a perfect completion
award?
If a T-shirt is doable, that’s
what I’d like the best. Otherwise, either something with the ride
name on it, or something useful, both it possible. I think a ride pic is
an awesome idea (got one of those at Moab too!) I guess if someone wants
to know how to get good awards, talk to Sherri Griffith (Moab) or Susie
Schomburg (Shamrock) – both are amazing. They also have great rides
in general, so they could quit giving awards completely and I’d still go.
Marlene
Marlene
Moss
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