At the midyear board meeting, the AERC board approved a motion from the Limited Distance Committee to change the policy so that the riding times of LD riders would be published in Endurance News and on the AERC website. In the past, the LD results only listed the names of the participants and their finishing order. (The finishing times provided and the order was not always accurate and for some still may not be.)

Rule L5.3 states: "Riding time is the time used by competitors to complete the course and reach criteria, excluding all hold times. This is the time used for AERC ride results."

While the majority of the LD Committee feels that this rule requires the ride managers to report the riding time (from the start of the ride to the time the horse reaches criteria at the end, less hold times), some ride managers do not feel that they are required to give this information and will either not list any times or will give every LD rider the same ride time. In those instances, in order for the computer to accept the input of the results, the national office has to assign a riding time (i.e., 5:01, 5:02, 5:03, etc.), which means that in those instances, the riding times and order of completion are not accurate.

The reasons that some of these ride managers do not provide the times are the same reasons that some ride managers do not allow LD riders to show for best condition using the AERC form. Their belief is that by doing so, it promotes speed, racing, etc., and their view is that the LD is only a training ride and nothing should be done to encourage racing.

The majority of the LD Committee does not agree with the theory that accurately reporting and printing the riding times (the finish time being the time the horse reaches criteria) would in any way encourage LD riders to race. We realize that some LD riders will race, and some will not. We do not anticipate that an LD rider who normally did not race would all of a sudden start racing because their riding time was printed.

We feel that in many instances the opposite would occur. In some regions, racing in an LD ride is frowned upon, and to a degree this would hold some riders accountable. One member who I spoke with at the convention indicated that she was looking at a horse to purchase and she was assured by the seller -- who had only done LD rides -- that it had not been raced. She said that because no times were shown anywhere she had no way to verify the sellerÕs claim. Needless to say, she did not purchase the horse.

The LD ride and its definition seems to always stir much controversy. To some it is a training ride and a stepping stone to the longer distances; to some it is an opportunity to start a new horse or bring back an injured equine, and to an ever-growing number of riders, it is the distance of choice. All those things are what limited distance rides should be.

The change to publish the ride times was not a rule change, just a policy change. When this change of publishing the riding times was announced on some of the internet ride lists, there were several commentsÑsome positive by members who were thankful for the opportunity to have this information available. Other comments were concerns that there is now "point chasing" and that AERC would start "giving awards based on those reported finishing times."

I would like to clarify a few things here. Nothing has changed with respect to awards. There are neither present nor anticipated plans to give awards based on placement for LD rides. LD riders get awards for mileage only. The riding time is determined by the time the horse reaches criteria at the end of the ride, and not by crossing a finish line.

Ride managers have the option of giving completion awards any way they chooseÑthey can be given alphabetically, by the order in which the riders entered, or by the order in which their horse reached criteria. At this time, ride managers have the option of allowing LD riders to show for BC using the AERC form, or not, and they also have the option of not providing the riders' riding times in the ride results.

The majority of this committee feels that the members of this organization who pay their dues and support the rides are entitled to have accurate records available of all of their rides, whether they are 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles in length.