AERC BOD VOTE

Diane Nelson (safehavn@fast.net)
Thu, 19 Dec 96 17:34 EST

>Return-Path: <pfoxrun@concentric.net>
>Errors-To: <pfoxrun@concentric.net>
>Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 23:02:21 -0600
>From: Kevin Pfoertsch <pfoxrun@concentric.net>
>Reply-To: pfoxrun@concentric.net
>To: RUN4BEAR@aol.com
>CC: safehavn@fast.net
>Subject: AERC BOD VOTE
>
>Hi Teddy!
>
>I am back on line, but now on pfoxrun@concentric.net. I have been
>following the list for the past week with some interest, but feel very
>much out of the loop. Not to mention rather distraught at the direction
>the sport is going. I used to think, even up to last year, that I might
>one day be able to compete with the Maggie Prices. I've gotten over my
>naivete and embraced the finishing is winning philosophy while having
>the most fun of my competitive career (having a fabulous ECTRA CTR
>season certainly helped!). I don't want money in the sport - I think
>there are too many egos who don't look out for their horses as it is
>(and I hear enough gossip from prominent top-10 riders to know that some
>of what I am hearing on the net is not true). Money will add an
>additional factor to DIMR. Endurance horse prices have risen
>dramatically as it is, adding the element of significant cash prizes
>further aggravates this and chases the casual/low-level competitor out
>of the sport. I have neither the luxury of having money to buy
>top-flight horses that are ready to go, or keeping multiple horses to
>run, nor do I have the time that the financially independent women (yes,
>there are some men in this boat but they are the minority here - the men
>usually are financing the wives' riding) have to ride and train and go
>to oodles of rides. Just when I thought diminishing trail availablity
>was the major crisis of the day, this issue comes up! I have a genuine
>fear that the sport will vanish before I even have the opportunity to
>accomplish those things I one day hope to do. The richer they make the
>sport, the fewer of us in the younger age brackets can afford to enter
>and/or continue in the sport. If no one comes up from the younger
>ranks, there will be no sport in several years. Are the baby-boomers
>trying to drive out the competition by raising the cost of the sport so
>that it is a sport for the elite? As I look around at the endurance
>world, this is what I am seeing. It's not a pretty picture.
>
>Hope you don't mind me doing a brain dump - I never got the opportunity
>to put in my $0.02 on the list. Thought you might like an opinion from
>the next generation - if there is to be one...
>
>Kevin Pfoertsch
>pfoxrun@concentric.net
>
>