The Trail is your only real competition. Next is the clock.
These two factors by themselves constitute a "competition", and the
clock defines the sport of Endurance as a race. Doesn't mean you have
to go real fast, but if you can't beat the trail and the clock, then you
lose. As our horse become better conditioned, we try to better our ride
times, and then we begin to get competitive against other horse/rider
teams. This is not bad, and in fact, it is one of the good things about
our sport.
As to speed and longevity, managing as many rides as I have since 1983, I
have seen and know quite a few horses that are consistently Top Ten,
usually Top Five, and have been around a long time. We have two horses
ourselves that have consistently been Top Ten, one with over 7,000 miles
and one with 4,300+ miles, and have been competing a long long time.
Blue Wind began his career in 1983 and finished his last ride, a tough
265 mile multi-day "race" in July of 1996 as one of only 3 to go all five
days, with several of the days in the Top Ten, and he will be 20 in
April, has 7,000+ miles, and very few out of the Top Ten. Faketta,
although now being used as a brood mare, is much the same, starting her
career in 1985 and finishing her last ride in the Top Ten a couple of
years ago, and still ready to go at 19, out of the Top Ten only one time
that I remember. These horses are not rarities, these are good horses
that were conditioned properly, fed good but simple feed, and competed
at the level they were prepared and conditioned for.
There is no magic formula in Endurance...the only formula for success I
know of is a quality horse, smart conditioning, good feed, and a
conscientious caring rider who has a feel for what the horse is doing and
what they can ask of the horse on any given day.
Watch for your New Mexico Renegade Ride 5 Days - 285 Miles entries. We
are mailing them out next week.
Randy