why does there have to be this dichotomy between racers and finishers??? Is
any rider one or the other all the time? Look at your EN's and you'll see
rides that even Becky Hart did not Top Ten or Valerie Kanavy did not win -
even they choose to finish rather than race at times for whatever reason
(maybe a new horse, just rode a fast ride recently, coming back from injury,
etc...)
It seems to me that this sport is about riding your horses to the best of
their ability - sometimes that means you get to run with the big dogs :->
and sometimes it means you are bringing up the rear. It is a good rider that
puts the horse in the best spot in the pack for that ride - those are the
horses that keep going like energizer bunnies - the ones that are ridden
smartly - whether that's riding fast or slow.
But I don't think it means you have to do one or other all the time.
Tina - someone who has seen both ends of the pack
hickst@nichols.com