Re: RC: Re: Weighty issue

[jlong@mti.net (Joe Long)]

On Wed, 21 Apr 1999 12:48:13 -0400, Truman Prevatt
<truman.prevatt@netsrq.com> wrote:

>Any organization has to "grow or die".  This is true of the AERC.  One
>way for growth is to have multiple ways to recogonize people for their
>accomplishments. This is the crux of the LD debate and the weight 
>division debate.

There is good growth and bad growth.  I regard weight division
proliferation as bad growth.

I remember the time when we had one National Champion each year.  They
gave a speech at the Convention, and everyone knew their name.  How
many people know the names of the Weight Division Champions for 1998?

>It really doesn't hurt a FW rider for there to be a HW division?  It
>actually would hurt a FW rider for a BC to be given for weight 
>division in rides with sufficient number or riders to support the 
>funding necessary for the prizes?

The more prizes are given out, the less meaningful each becomes.  This
is the route so many breed associations have taken with horse shows,
where there are so many classes that every ranch has a "Champion"
horse or two to advertise.

Where is the pride in being First Heavyweight or even Heavyweight
Champion if all you have to do to win it is show up?  An exaggeration,
yes, but not much of one.

Now, IMO having awards for different KINDS of accomplishments ...
mileage, BC's, Multi-Day, 100 mile ... is good, because it encourages
and recognizes the different ways of competing at long distances.
That is not the same as just adding more divisions to the same
competition so that more people can be "Champions."

-- 

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


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