Here I present examples of our distance riding organizations’ respective scorecards:
This is Mr Bo’s vet card from an Intro (single loop) ride - for all distances it is the same; there are just extra columns of data added after each loop. You can see it is 100% focused on the horse’s metabolic & dynamic state: is he hydrated, demonstrating normal recoveries from exertion, while remaining sound?
(I don’t have an example of the judging card for Best Condition/Top Ten scoring which is more in depth with analysis of metabolic parameters, any injuries incurred over the course of the ride, weight carried, and time factors. I think it is presumed that in order to ride your equine through “X” distance - whether it’s 25, 50, 75, or 100 miles that the rider must have a certain degree of competence)
And here we have the NATRC scorecard:
In a way, it’s like getting a concentrated riding lesson - and I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I am well aware of my flaws. I’m out there to enjoy the trails, my horse, and fellowship with my friends. I shared this scorecard with Crystal (Silas’ former owner) and she said it was a good score? But in my book 52 ain’t a passing grade - of course I’ve had endurance riders get upset with me for giving their darling a “B” or, God forbid, a “C”! So we’re all competitive folks here.
I’ll ask Sam for a peek at his scorecard next weekend 😉
As I have mentioned, probably ad nauseam, Illinois is the only state to require P.E. in school so it is not a question of will you participate but will you compete. If you show athletic ability, like me and my first husband, you will compete. The first time we encountered each other we were on opposing sides of a team from different towns. We both were described as natural athletes which means you will compete a lot. It left me with a lifelong distaste for competition. I can smell it on people from miles away and, the sad thing for most people is that it often leads to dissatisfaction with yourself and others. We can't all be Micheal Jordan. Playing games of your choice for fun is entertainment. Being required to play games is not for someone like me. I played a lot of types of sports I didn't enjoy much. Thank God there wasn't such thing as girl's football. Almost the only sports I will watch now are ones I didn't compete in or ones I chose to participate in on my own and, my ex was the same. Current husband does not like sports at all, even though he has some skills, and I get it. I completely understand wanting some rules regarding the safety of riders and their horses, otherwise some obsessed creep would push their poor old horse to the point of exhaustion and even death to win a coffee cup. Good grief. Some idiot would think they could mount Man O' War and stay alive. I love horses. I tend to think that the best use of them is finding one that likes to be ridden and have a nice ride with him/her alone or with other horses and riders. Pushing horses beyond their limits, whipping them to the finish line, causing them to have lung hemorrhages, stomach ulcers, be euthanized due to injuries is extremely disturbing to me. Lots of horses love to run, especially with other horses who do. Some even like to be ridden. Why does everything have to be a competition and be graded? I don't like it.
ReplyDeleteI was a fairly athletic individual in my youth; playing basketball, tennis, softball & volleyball (always too slow to run track however)
DeleteOne of my fondest "high school jock" memories was of the Powder Puff (flag) football game we girls played - I was a lineman & succeeded in sacking the QB; nothing like hearing your name announced over the PA system!
I freely admit to my competitive tendencies ;-) Baraquinator shares this trait; it's a shame in a sense that I've always held him back but I could never forgive myself if I got him hurt.
I didn't play tennis, tried it in my 20s, but was a forward playing girl's basketball back when we only played half court. Was the pitcher for girl's softball. Played volleyball. I was at the top of the heap as a sprinter. On and on. Most of my memories are not of the glory of hearing my name called, though I know it was, but of getting injured or failing to meet some other person's expectations. Mostly my boyfriend and sometimes my parents. I have a lot of other things to be proud of that involve my character. You have even more. I saved lives. You still do. Neither of us needs an engraved coffee mug to feel important. We are. I doctor once told my mother that I was one of the most important people for a hundred miles. That only 3 other people could do my job for thousands of people. It never occurred to me until then. See yourself as others see you. As a compassionate human being who has dedicated her life to helping animals stay healthy. I can't think of anyone I admire more than people who attempt to keep other people or animals alive. Who give them comfort. My pets had the best of care because I took them to vets like you. Stop feeling that you are less than. Like you are never good enough. Where does that feeling come from? It needs snuffed out.
DeleteWhat a fascinating sport. My niece and her horse are competing in jumping competitions at the beginner level... some are even costumed rides (they went as Peter Pan and Wendy last year at Halloween, and this year as Pirates). I'm sure that all equine events have SOME element of fitness of the horse involved, but I hadn't really thought of endurance riding as requiring so much. It just makes sense. I had a work mate who did "3 day events", and took dressage lessons with his horse.
ReplyDeleteA different work mate raised dogs and got into the show thing.
But then, how different are any of these things from 4H, where my farm cousins raised and showed sheep and cows?
Life would be so much less fulfilling if we didn't have the connection with our animals!