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AERC Completion Time Rule Feedback



	
Hi Terry, I agree with you on this issue and Heidi.  The rule should stay as is.  Any change as Steph is suggesting would only open more doors for  a lack of clear guidlines and standards in the sport. As Heidi said, bad  things happen to good people (and sometimes even good things happen to bad people) and we all have hard luck some days just as in any sport, but then that's the challenge of it all.( Talk about hard luck, anyone play golf? Try asking for a "mulligan" in a tournament because someone made noise during your backswing.I'm sure there are many other sports we could compare this concept too.)

I certainly would not like to see the rule change to make the 12 hour limit only the ride time and not including the hold.  If that were the case some riders could be out 14 1/2 hours more or less, depending on how long the hold is for the 50. In the Southwest we have rides all year and hence the winter months have little daylight hence if you take the full 12 hours you start and finish is the dark as it is.  This could be a nightmare for ride mangement logistically with vets, volunteers etc, plus concern for many riders riding in the dark on many difficult trails such as many of the MT trails that exist in Arizona where we ride. Managing a ride is a tremendous responsiblity and to make it even harder on rider management would certainly discouage people from taking it on.

Lenthening the completion time would probably encourage riders to do 50s on horses who are less fit. Horses who are not fit to complete a 50 in 12 hours should stay with LD rides until they are capable of moving up.

There are a lot of "rider friendly" rides  which I think is great as long as this  means that the riders are helped and supported by management, volunteers and great vets to assist them compete safely and succeed  within the established rules of the sport.  

Bernita Barfield
Southwind Arabians
Breeding Endurance Horses By Design
Member: Al-Marah Breeders Alliance, LLC



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