sportsmanship

[nickiyoung@mindspring.com (Nicki Young)]

I have recently gotten a friend started in endurance riding. After her
first 25 miler at Hallelujah she was hooked.  We went to a ride this
weedend where she did her second 25 LD.  She is a great rider and is riding
my back-up 50 miler horse so she is doing very well, however she did not
seem very excited after winning this weekend (no she is not racing the
horse - horse has gotten all As on vet card at completion so let's not get
started on that subject again!).  After talking to her I was amazed at some
of the snide comments that were made to her during the ride and at the bad
sportsmanship from a few of the other riders (such things as blocking her
out of the water holes then racing off before her horse could get a drink).
This one bad experience will not turn her off of endurance but I am sure
if it happened enough it would.  I have also had some bad experiences with
being shoved off the trail or blocked out of water etc, and it is not just
"new" people who do this.  With me it was a very well known international
rider who was very unsportsmanlike.  While in my experience 90% of the
riders I have met are very good sports, it only takes a few to turn off new
people to the sport.  If I ever get so competitive that I will not stop to
help someone in need or wait at a water hole then I need to quit this
sport.  Don't know how everyone else feels but one thing that hooked me on
this sport was how nice the riders are.  Hope we all remember to stay that
way.
Nicki and Breathless and Jezzie (I like her mom!)



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