ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: [endurance] Very puzzling to me!

Re: [endurance] Very puzzling to me!

Joe Long (mail.hiwaay.net@HiWAAY.net)
Wed, 30 Aug 1995 14:49:08 -500

> From: TammyCS101@aol.com
> Something is puzzling me about the 25 mile endurance races (or rides) and the
> 50 mile endurance races (or rides). It sounds like if someone did a 25 miler
> in two and a half hours they are looked down upon because they rode it too
> fast. But when I read the results of the 50 milers who finished in three and
> a half hours on the same race (or ride), it seems like to me , if my figures
> are correct, that the rider doing the 50 miles has gone faster than the rider
> that did the 25 miles. So why is it frowned upon to go that fast on the 25
> and not the 50? I do believe that giving a best condition award for the 25
> milers is a great idea. Tammy
>

The difference is that the 25 mile ride is intended as a training
ride, for young or green horses, or horses coming back after a
layoff. It is expected that horses in the 50 mile ride have more
maturity and conditioning.

There is, if anything, *greater* danger of over-riding horses in the
short rides, because with less distance and fewer vet checks some
riders are more tempted to just run the horse as hard as they can.
No thought of pacing or strategy.

It can be funny to watch the egos involved, though. I once rode a
75 mile ride where the last 25 miles of the 75 was the same trail
used for the 25 mile ride. At the 50 mile vet check I overheard the
first-to-finish 25 mile riders bragging about how fast they'd
ridden. I proceeded to ride the last 25 miles of the 75 about two
minutes faster than they rode that same trail, and I rode it in the
heat of the afternoon! Kind of put a damper on their "braggin
rights." Of course, Ol' Kahlil had over 5,000 miles under his belt
by that time.

Long's Law of Endurance Riding: If you're ahead of me, you're riding
too fast!

--

Joe Long Rainbow Connection Arabians PC/LAN Manager home of Kahlil Khai Calhoun Comm. College AERC Hall of Fame horse jlong@hiwaay.net 11,450 miles completed