National Championships/Tevis/Complaints

["Echo Pompilius" <echo@aug.com>]

    My Name is Echo Pompilius I am a Featherweight from St. Augustine, Florida.  I have been reading all the posts about the championships and about who's trails are harder, who has accomplished more and so on.  I really can't believe what I'm hearing.  Of course no one wants to feel that anyone is making light of their individual achievements and no one should make light of anyone's achievements.  I recently returned from New Mexico where I competed in the National Championship 100.  I placed 2nd in the Feather weight division my time was 14.10.  It was a very challenging Trail and there were many adjustments that I had to make do to Climate, altitude and terrain, which everyone has to make when they leave the conditions that are their (Norm).  Not to mention those little things that pop up like throwing a shoe halfway.  I have ridden in Florida in sand halfway up his cannons in 100% humidity in the heat, I have ridded in Virginia at Cosequin in the moutians in difficult terrain and I have ridden out west with little to no humidity, high altitude and difficult terrain.

    I do not see how anyone can say that there is any one Trail that is the most difficult.  I give the same amount of respect to the trail at the Florida Endurance Classic, The Cosequin Challenge and the National Championships.  Each Trail deserves its own amount of respect, there is no way to compare them to one another they all have there individual challenges and difficulties whether that be climate or terrain or both.

    I have not yet had the opportunity to do the Tevis but would love to when the budget allows. I was born in California and know that not only would it be a challenge but a beautiful ride.  I figure that if you give each trail equal respect your that much closer to ensuring you and your horses safety and well being.

    At the National Championships just like so many other rides I had the opportunity to meet allot of wonderful people.  This is truly on of the best things about our sport I have met some of the best people in the world.  We are all competitors and yet if some one needs a hand there is usually some one who will drop what there doing and help out.  Some times it's just a little thing like a cup of coffee or a shower, but we all know that at a certain moment in time that can mean the world to you.  It makes me very proud to be apart of this sport and be in such great company.

 

                                                                                                                                Happy Trail,

                                                                                                                                Echo Pompilius and Shah