ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: weight, class and winners

Re: weight, class and winners

Joe Long (jlong@mti.net)
Tue, 23 Sep 1997 03:12:48 GMT

On Mon, 22 Sep 1997 21:25:52 +0000, carl meyer
<carlmey@citrus.infi.net> wrote:

>I would recommend to anyone interested in helping to change the
>inequities in this sport due to the weight divisions to buy a RACING
>FORM or visit a racetrack(if one is near by) or go to the local sports
>newspaper stand. This will help you understand the jargon in classifying
>horses as I talk about Class I,II,III,allowance and claiming horses.

Carl, this is apples and oranges. Although footing varies some on
flat tracks, the conditions are far, far more consistent than they are
on endurance trails. Also, the track races are won on speed and
endurance races on stamina, horsemanship and strategy.

Any attempt to handicap endurance races by weight carried is doomed to
fail, due to the enormous complexities involved. We would only
balkanize our sport into myriad divisions and rules, and lose one of
its greatest attractions, the simplicity of the competition.

We already have weight divisions, and major events such as the ROC and
=46EI events have minimum weight carried. Heavier riders have
repeatedly proven their ability to compete and win in this sport. The
second worst thing we could do IMO is to try to institute more
divisions -- and the very worst would be to try to institute
handicapping.

--=20

Joe Long
jlong@mti.net
Business Page http://www.mti.net
Personal Page http://www.rnbw.com

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