Another way of getting the word out about endurance riding is to contact
the features editor of your local paper -- they're often yearning for
interesting local stories. (And, happily, there ARE still people out there
who read!)
Don't forget about the power of pictures: If you're managing a ride,
contact the features editor 2-3 weeks in advance, and ask if a photographer
can come out. Even if there's no story, a stand-alone photo with an
explanatory cutline gets a lot of attention. If you're lucky, the
photographer will really get into it. Last year a Knoxville News-Sentinel
photographer came intending to spend 15 minutes shooting the start of the
Big South Fork ride. Seven hours (and many rolls of film) later, he was
still there. The story looked GREAT.
But you don't have to be a professional photographer. My husband and I took
all the pictures for the Outlaw story, and the paper ran an almost-fullpage
Sunday spread -- including a sidebar on "What is an Endurance Ride?"
Yes, it does help that I work for the Sentinel (as a copy editor, not a
writer). But most papers use freelance writers, and most editors are
longing for good, clean (as in: don't forget to use spell-check),
interesting local copy. You may even get enough money to pay for one entry
fee.
I've also been amazed at how many NON-horse people have commented on both
the Big South Fork and Outlaw Trail stories. Most readers think I'm nuts
(hmmm...?), but they're still fascinated -- and so was the editor.
And... they're all asking questions about endurance riding.
Wynne (a journalist who believes there's no such a thing as complete
objectivity -- just fairness)
Wynne Brown
S- mail: The Knoxville News-Sentinel, 208 W. Church Ave., P.O. 59038,
Knoxville TN 37950-9038
E-mail: wbrown@knoxnews.com or 76350.1043@compuserve.com
Telephone: 423 523-3131 ext. 212