Re: AERC completion time rule - feedback wanted

["Joe Long" <jlong@mti.net>]

On Tue, 13 Jan 1998 11:58:37 EST, RUN4BEAR <RUN4BEAR@aol.com> wrote:

>In a message dated 98-01-13 04:01:32 EST, equine_athletes@hotmail.com writes:

><< 
> In my mind, the best way to handle the situation would be to change the 
> rule to *exclude* the hold times and count the riding time only.  Then 
> if you have a tough 50, with two holds, or the weather gets really bad, 
> etc...., you have more time to finish without an *exception* to the 
> rule.
>  >>

>10-4!!!  I have always thought this would be fair to all...Teddy

The reason the time limits include holds is to prevent holds from
being used as a loophole.  Remember, at the time the rule was adopted
some riders and managers had started having 24-hour fifties and
14-hour hundreds.

There is also the problem of what happens to the "100 Mile One-Day"
ride if the time limit is 24 hours *plus* all of the hold times?  Do
you really want the 100's to be 27 or 30 hours? Sorry, but I don't
think that approach is workable.

My recommendation is still to either eliminate the rule altogether and
let ride managers set their time limits as they see fit -- or at least
allow ride managers discretion for abnormal conditions.  The idea that
a fixed time limit makes the rides the same difficulty everywhere is a
fiction, the trail and weather conditions vary far too much for that.

-- 

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