AERC Championship Format

[renegade12@juno.com]

I am pleased to see the dialogue and sharing of ideas in reference to the
AERC National Championships.  To clarify how these NC competitions work,
I want to explain the history and format to those who are interested.

Since about 1987 AERC has experimented with varying methods to promote a
Championship...mainly by tweaking and torquing the old National Series
Championship.  Unfortunately, the NSC never seemed to capture the
imagination of our membership.  No doubt Susan Brannon (Gipson) pioneered
a wonderful concept in the ROC, but due to many factors, it was envied
but never adopted as an AERC Championship...and now that event has been
retired.  About 5 years ago AERC sponsored the AERC CLASSIC 100 Mile
Ride, but it was dropped after just one year.  Many, I included, felt
that was a mistake.

At the last AERC Midyear Board Meeting it was decided that the timing was
right for AERC to develop a Championship Ride that would require head to
head competition over the same course at the same time. The ROC had been
retired and our NSC was not well received.  Further, we decided that a 50
Mile Championship was a necessity, since the majority of our membership
competes in 50 milers and only a small segment actually competes in
100's.  Thus, we had both distances, on separate days, at the same
location.  To open it up to the membership, we put in very easy
qualifications that anyone could meet with just a little effort.

Additionally, we decided that the National Championship Event would move
around the country every two years.  The New Mexico site will have it one
more year and then it will move to a different location in a different
part of the country.  Already we have several groups bidding to have the
event in 2001/2002, so this will be a reality.  This years event saw all
nine regions of AERC represented and both the 50 and the 100 were very
exciting and competitive.  I believe the format of competing only against
your own weight division was very well received and helped to make it
more exciting as evidenced by the intense competition all the way down
the line of entries.

The AERC Competitions Committee is working on refining the qualification
requirements, as well as developing and refining the overall format.  I
believe next years ride will reflect the dedication of the AERC Board to
making this YOUR RIDE.  No doubt there are many things that can be
improved on, such as more and better promotion from the office -  monthly
articles about the ride -  the ride site, - the trails - listing who has
entered - in addition to providing more information to those who qualify.
 But, in spite of the shortcomings that are inherent in "first time
events",  this year's National Championships proved that AERC has your
interests in mind and can put an event together that brings some of the
best horses/riders together for a friendly but very competitive event. In
the lingo of the truck industry,  AERC put the nuts and bolts together in
a fast track mode, now we need to design the "flashy body".  

Share your ideas with the Board, let us know what you expect from this
event, and keep it alive in public discussion and dialogue.

Randy Eiland 


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