November 7, 2014

Please contact the Board of Directors on this issue

A couple of months back at an AERC sanctioned ride a rider entered two horses and rode them both to completion in a 50 mile ride.  (actually two people did it).

The board of directors would like to hear from the membership on their feelings on this issue.

Contact them here. 

My feelings are....

There should be a rule against it because:

  1. The second horse did not have full benefit of the twelve hour ride time, as the first horse used 4.5 hours of it (which is blazing fast).  So it would potentially be a horse welfare issue should the "common folk" (like me) want to attempt such a thing.  Bad idea.
  2. For riders that ride for points, this gives an unfair advantage to a rider by being able to enter the same ride twice!  That is not any kind of even field for the normal competitor.
  3. The history of the sport has been one horse, one trail, one rider.  I like that and feel it should stay that way!
Now I will admit to have done what the ladies did took some grit & some skill.  But my preference is that our sport not become a mass of wild racers to the point you need two horses at once to play, and more horses are put at risk because the horses have respectfully six hours each to finish max, instead of twelve.  That's just wrong.
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7 comments:

  1. lythaNovember 9, 2014 at 11:52 AM

    I don't think it should be allowed, but it's something I would have tried if I'd thought of it first.

    I would have preferred to have a poll taken rather than being disqualified for doing something that was not in the rule book at a NATRC. Before that final ride though, they actually gave me a completion for a ride where I disrespected the essence of CTR by doing a CMO simultaneously (unofficially). So, that was allowed?

    Probably NATRC updated its rule book afterwards regarding draft riders (is that what it's called? Pace rider?)

    CMO changed its rulebook because of me - the 6 hour time limit was instated when my team and I found all objectives in 8 hours, and no other team found all the objectives, but they all came in under 6 hours. That was a big mess!

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  2. All Who WanderNovember 9, 2014 at 12:26 PM

    I personally feel that the women should have their completions and mileages as their was no rule prohibiting what they did. If a rule is in place in the future it will thwart adventurous rabble rowsing :)

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  3. All Who WanderNovember 9, 2014 at 5:24 PM

    Lytha isn't the NACMO rule if you find all the objectives vs the other person doesn't that YOU win even though it took you more time? That is how I won my one and only solo CMO. I persisted in finding that last obstacle.

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  4. lythaNovember 11, 2014 at 9:07 AM

    You're right - plates trump times, but now, inside a max time. You won riding solo? That's impressive!

    CMO is still the most fun ever on horseback.

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  5. All Who WanderNovember 11, 2014 at 12:57 PM

    Not so impressive. Short course, small turnout, someone had to win *LOL* But the plate I got that nobody else did moved me up from second to first even though I was slower.

    And you are right CMO is still the most fun ever on horseback. Fun, challenging, thinking sport, with a dash of speed thrown in. Sadly so far away it might as well cost $300 per entry because I'm 5-7 hours away from the fun. I'd so hoped that I could build some interest down here. We gave a presentation at the largest local saddle club (Marti Caldwell and Dave , I warmed the chair and made the initial contacts) I hung flyers all over heck and creation, posted up on media sites. Even drafted some family to attend. People seem to think it is "too hard" when there is a difference between hard and challenging. I'd hoped to have hosted one down here (which would preclude my riding it) but the park systems have not opened overnight camping yet though it has been promised for two years. I do miss my CMO family. Good people!

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  6. lythaNovember 12, 2014 at 8:11 AM

    Oh, I met an endurance rider who thought CMO was too hard, and I was really surprised to hear it. I know it makes endurance seem easy, but if you ride with an experienced team, it can't be too hard, because they do most of the work for you. So maybe it's about starting out with the right people. And perhaps that was the issue afterall. (OK maps can be rough!)

    Speaking of someone had to win - one year I won the Top Female Single Washington Rider; I got a trophy and a lovely wall plaque. Well, honestly, not many people ride alone, and I loved it so even though I'm not as good as most of the other CMOers, I had a shot at that award.

    As you know, it's not just skill and organization of the team, it's knowing the area. I'd even say familiarity with the area is even better than team skills. It was so wonderful to finally learn the various locations. Hosting a ride at a new location really levelled the playing field! Since I left, there are two new endurance rides that take place at CMO locations - what a trip it would be for me to do endurance on the CMO trails, I'd be tempted to go off trail, just to see if something is still there: )

    I miss my CMO family too, so much. I shall return.

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  7. lythaNovember 12, 2014 at 8:17 AM

    Interesting that the no overnight camping issue is a problem for hosting a ride, that is my problem too. Even if I were brave enough to try to organize a ride, there's no horse camping in Germany that I know of, and to me that's a great portion of the fun.

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