Keep it simple.

[Marinera <Marinera@aol.com>]

Dear Ride Campers,
When the AERC was formed, one of the main thrusts was to "keep it simple".
"Simple" is 50 miles in 12 hours, 100 miles in 24 hours and that has been the
standard since the inception of the sport and AERC records have been kept with
this as a basis.  If you don't make it in  time  either your horse failed
because he wasn't up to it or was ill prepared; you weren't ready or became
ill; or the trail was too tough. But life isn't fair. It is full of ups and
down, moments of triumph and moments of defeat just as endurance riding is.
You have the right to pick and choose  the horse you ride, your own level of
fitness and the rides you attend.  You will  get some bad breaks and you will
get some good breaks. I have finished rides I never should have and I have
failed to complete rides that I felt I deserved. It all sort of evens up over
the long run. But you cannot let your life revolve around the outcome of one
ride.
Everyone wants to be known as a good sport. Good sports take their lumps  and
they realize there can not be  a rule or an exception to the rule to cover
every possible contingency.  So, for the sake of the sport of endurance
riding, keep it simple.  Otherwise we will founder on a set of complex rules
that no rider or ride manager can interpret or comprehend.
     Julie Suhr