>So we need to award the LD
>>with first place award's
NO, emphatically, NO. We do NOT want newbys "racing" for first place in LD.
Starting a LD ride with many times more than half the entry being first or
second time riders with really hyped out of control horses is frightening at
times, you ad "wins" to it and it will be more than dangerous -- to those
around them and to the horses that will be raced. To encourage this I would
have to assume (yes I know all about the word ass-u-me) that you've never
seen horses die at endurance rides -- I have and while not new to horses I
just did my first endurance ride 3 years ago next month.
While a lot of us experienced riders like LD rides you will be teaching a
whole new crop of riders to throw AERC's motto, "To Finish Is To Win", out
the window. By offering BC awards (maybe as high as 25% of the entry) you
are educating this new crop of riders to take care of their horses which
they will need to know when/if they go on to further distance, this would be
much more useful to the endurance community. One thing that could bring
endurance riding to a halt would be encouraging the Middle East style of 25
mile races and IMO that is what you would be doing.
I agree with you that LD is the backbone of endurance, that the number of LD
entries is what probably makes a ride profitible for management but LD rides
have had NO placements all these years for reasons. The most we get out
here is usually the order in which the finishers are called reflects the
finish placement, that's enough.
Karen clanin
Karen,
Agree with the principal - but in my experience - some riders will race no
matter what. You should have seen the start of our 25 in the fall - a friend
taped it. There was a thunder of flying hooves - then a long section of empty
road, then two horses walking down the road headed out (me & my husband). We
got alot of laughs, took it in the fun it was intended - and our finish
placement was 5th & 6th. So, some of the racers learned a little something
from the old CTR pro's! Ha!
Connie H.