National Championship Ride

[DreamWeaver <karen@chaton.gardnerville.nv.us>]

One more suggestion.

When figuring out what qualifications to make for us to qualify, please 
keep in mind that there are lots of us out here who would like to try and 
do both distances (especially if we are having to travel a long 
distance).  So make it possible for us to be able to qualify both a 50 and 
a 100 mile horse.

Maybe base it on lifetime accomplishments, in part - not just entirely on 
what has happened in the current ride season.

You could have something like options available.  Either/or type of scenario.

For instance, your 100 mile horse to qualify must have:

Horse and rider must have 400 miles in the current ride season
1 (or 2?) one day 100's
top ten in your weight division on one ride (or whatever.....)

OR

Horse and rider must have 1000 lifetime miles
including 3 one day 100's (or??)
??  top tens or maybe top 25% of all finishers.....so as not to 
discriminate against riders entering big rides  (or top ten weight division)

Just something like that, so that you'd have a chance to get a newer horse 
ready for the ride if they started the ride season and were preparing for 
it, or give another experienced horse the opportunity to qualify based upon 
previous years experience but without the rider having to prove that the 
horse can do it (cuz it already has, just not in the current ride season).

I am getting the feeling that there is a lot of emphasis on crowning a 
"National Champion", which is great.....but I would like to see more 
encouragement for riders to try and qualify to do a ride like this, to make 
it respectable to have just been able to go and complete the National 
Championship ride (like it is to complete the Tevis), instead of the 
feeling I am getting that this is a ride that is more like the FEI format 
and you must go and race.

I don't like the idea of having to go to specific rides to qualify.  If you 
make it too easy to qualify, then getting to go to the ride isn't very 
impressive, and if you make it too difficult then you won't get enough 
entries.

Happy Trails,

Karen
in NV
& Rocky, 1,745 miles
& Weaver, 2,930 miles


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