>This is not say there isn't something unique about this sport - many of us
>- myself included have commented on how FUN this sport is for us -
>regardless of placing or prizes or any of that. However, I don't think we
>can deny that there is a group out there that does this to COMPETE and they
>are not necessrily inherently evil because of it <g>. I think people like
>Nina Warren, Valerie K. and, Becky Hart, (just to name a few) etc....have
>proven that you can be _very_ competitive and still keep the horse's best
>interest at heart. I guess what I'm trying to say :-> is that
>competitiveness is not some big monster that is going to suddenly come out
>of the woodwork and swallow the sport because there are now $$ prizes.
>
>Maybe instead of saying "we don't want this at all" we need to say "we
>don't like it but let's see how we (the sport) can benefit from it"?"
Laney