What About a ROOKIE division to inspire new blood?

Thinking in terms of only a new person in the sport. The requirements being :

An intro ride of 15-20 miles.
An LD of 25-30.
Two back to back LD's
An Endurance ride of 50              DONE IN ONE SEASON

That's five rides officially, done in a season, and someone's smiling face at
the end of the year in the Endurance News with their Movin' On Up Rookie's of
the year awards. The award being a Chevron, or a year end certificate. This
would be a challenging goal. Personally I'd find it extremely motivating having
never reached the pinnacle of 50 miles, yet. The intro ride would pull them
in, the LD's bump them up a notch and build confidence within the sport. Many
people like a challenge, and this looks like a challenge. Of course any
individual could do that on their own, but somehow "recognition" is extremely
motivating to some people, as well as incremental goal setting. To qualify a
person would have to have never completed a 50, and the horse never completed a
50 (new blood in the sport). These challenges could be advertised by current
AERC members downloading flyers and distributing to your local horse clubs,
given out at trail rider horse camps, riding clubs, etc. Ride management could
hold an intro level ride (one leg of the LD) at any ride.  Just give the newbies a ribbon color to follow.
The intro ride would
be recorded as "intro" on the person's record, and mileage starts with the LD.
No dilution of the sport, but a motivating challenge to get that person to reach for Endurance
in a year.  If they did not reach it year one, the challenge remains to try again year two....I'd find that much more motivating than a t-shirt ☺

BTW:  The link on that 1/4 of the ....post below,  I believe is functional now....