Check it Out!    
RideCamp@endurance.net
[Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]
[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index] [Subject Index]

Re: RC: Fw: Limited Distance Progam suggestion




>> 1.  Eliminate the term "Limited Distance".  Sanction any ride over 25
>miles
>> as an "endurance ride".  Any ride less than 25 miles is a FUN RIDE, not
>> subject to AERC sanction.  A Fun Ride may be held in conjunction with an
>> endurance ride.

There ain't no way that's gonna happen!  Pay attention to the numerous 
posts pointing out what/how AERC defines endurance.  50 miles or more.  Why 
would anybody want to change this?  If somebody wants to ride endurance, 
then they need to enter an endurance ride.  Not change the definition of 
what endurance is.  Lower the standards, in other words.

>> 2.  First ten places (finishing) in each weight division = 50 points.
>All
>> other placing = 25 points.

The reason people are complaining now, is about horses being raced and 
overridden to finish in the front.  Adding points as a reward for top 
tenning is only going to make that worse.  Unless the goal is to see how 
many horses we can kill in a year?

>Finishing parameters should be the same as
>50's
>> and 100's with the exception of the recovery at the finish;  30 minutes.
>> This should apply to any distance less than 50 miles.

It already is this way.

>> 3.  Horse age should be the same as 50's and 100's , 5 years or older.
>> (He believes this creates a good learning atmosphere plus will buy the 4
>> year olds another year.  We will always have "ego racers".

Why do 4 year olds need to have another year?  Both of my horses did 
Limited Distance rides as 4 years old and it didn't cause them any 
harm.  Why would you want to remove a good opportunity for young horses to 
begin to experience all the things they need to learn about when they begin 
doing endurance rides?  This is one of example of what the Limited Distance 
program is so good for---a great place to start green horses.  Not only 
that, but a horse of 5, 6, 7, or even 12 years old can be overridden in a 
25 mile ride.

>> sport, to preserve trails.  The side benefit is to have as many people as
>> possible say "I'm an endurance rider", "I want to help",  "I'll give
>money,
>> time and energy to maintain or obtain trails".

What is wrong with saying that you are a trail rider?  I've got a lot of 
neighbors and friends who will support trails, but have no interest in 
doing any sort of ride over 5 miles in length.   A lot of people who 
currently support AERC and regional organizations do not ride, however they 
contribute quite a lot.  They don't need to be called endurance riders.

>> .......My friend has a point:  Have you ever heard of anyone bragging
>about
>> being a "Limited Distance" rider?

I don't know very many endurance riders who 'brag' about being an endurance 
rider.  I don't get the point here?

> I personally have horses that have
>many
>> hundreds of miles of "limited distance" rides under their belt that have
>> never gotten credit yet I paid my entry fees.

Give the horse a carrot, he doesn't care.  I've got a horse with hundreds 
of miles of endurance rides that has not gotten credit, yet I paid my entry 
fees and membership dues.  Heck, Rocky did 575 miles last year and that 
wasn't good enough even for tenth place in my weight division in my region.

>> in the same program.  We would not have to have separate year-end awards
>> for "limited distance" since points are points, mileage is mileage, and
>> they all count.

See my example above (575 miles, no recognition in 1 ride season)....if you 
put everybody together then there will not be a single rider in this 
country in Limited Distance (under 50 mile rides) receiving any sort of 
credit, recognition, etc.  I don't believe that the LD National Mileage 
Champion did over 575 miles this last season, did she?  Yet she was 
National Champion.  My horse with the measley 575 miles didn't even warrant 
last place in anything.  Just making a comparisson....wouldn't go throwing 
LD riders and Endurance riders into the same category.

I think the current program is a good one.  I think the AERC could try 
harder to educate new riders -- maybe suggest to ride manager's that they 
don't offer top ten or 1st place awards to Limited Distance riders.

While I do understand the reasoning to giving the LD riders regional top 
ten awards...it really isn't going over well with many of the riders that 
regional top ten awards are not given to the 100 mile horses.  Sort of 
seems like a backward incentive - start out in LD, get an award...move up 
to 100's and...get NOTHING.


Happy Trails,

Karen
in NV
& Weaver, 2,480 miles
& Rocky, 1,175 :)
www.greatbasin.net/~sportssaddle


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



    Check it Out!    

Home    Events    Groups    Rider Directory    Market    RideCamp    Stuff

Back to TOC