The Limited Distance Committee has been working most of this past year to develop a best condition form that will be used for all limited distance rides. Several different ideas were "field tested" by committee members, either at a current ride or using data from rides they themselves had put on in the past year and plugging that data into various formulae. When it was all said and done and the results compiled, the committee recommended that the current AERC best condition form be used throughout all regions.

There are a number of very valid reasons for this recommendation:

1. The LD Committee verified that the Central, Northwest and Southeast regions already use the current form and are well satisfied with it. We did not feel it was in the best interest of the sport to promote two different forms with five of the nine regions using the current form. Therefore, we are proposing the current AERC best condition form as the best option for the limited distance rider with the least amount of changes necessary. This will also make it easy for ride managers to manage and have one consistent form across all regions for the National Limited Distance Award.

2. Horse welfare was a major driving factor in developing this proposal. A national BC form gives ride managers the opportunity to promote horse welfare by discussing BC issues. Ride managers can use the BC as a tool to educate LD riders on how to properly manage an endurance horse on an LD ride. Ride managers and vets may use the best condition criteria and judging as an excellent way to help educate LD riders and promote the sport.

3. Limited distance riders are the fastest growing group within AERC. The LD Committee wants to promote consistency between LD and the longer distances in AERC and a consistent BC form does just that. Plus, the LD riders want the BC to be offered at each ride as it is in any other distance. While not all LD riders move up to longer distances, a good majority of them do, and a consistent BC form would help make that move smoother.

4. A national LD BC form is needed to have consistency between all groups of riders.

The LD Committee will propose a very simple rule change to be voted upon at the AERC Convention:

Current Rule L9 reads: An award may be available for the horse judged to be in the Best Condition.

Change L9 to read: An award will be available for the horse judged to be in the best condition.

This rule change would be effective at the beginning of the 2005 ride season.

The Limited Distance Committee would like to encourage all ride managers across all regions to use the current best condition form for the 2004 season. Even though this would not be a rule until 2005, this would give the LD Committee the opportunity to gain some feedback before the rule was implemented.

The goal of the LD BC form is to encourage better horse management and horse welfare. We also encourage all LD riders to request that the LD best condition be offered at rides they attend.

The National Limited Distance Best Condition award should be the most coveted award an LD rider could receive. The only way LD riders can do this is by ensuring that the LD BC award is offered at rides they attend. The current BC form appears to be working for limited distance in a number of regionsÑlet's work together to make this successful in all regions for 2004.