Endurance riders have a lot to be proud of about their sport. There are AERC members working every day to improve some aspect of endurance, whether it is by improving a trail, creating a better saddle, investigating the optimum nutrition for long distance competitors, lobbying the legislature for unfettered health care for equestrians, or even just helping a local endurance club with a fundraiser to support these activities.

Every hard-core endurance rider has spent countless hours not just on the trail, but also off the horse, creating or improving the trails. Every one of us has made a much more significant monetary contribution to the veterinary profession than we could have imagined when we started.

Endurance riders go farther faster than any other equestrian sport and as such have a knowledge base that is without equal. Every day endurance riders advance the understanding of horses such that it benefits all equestrians of every discipline and breed.

With notable exceptions for which I am so deeply appreciative, endurance riders tend not to be prolific writers. We spend our spare time in the saddle, not at the computer keyboard. This is how it should be, but endurance riders need to get the word out about all of the great things we are doing.

I am not talking about a front page article in the Times or Post, though we have had some full color coverage in sports and outdoor life sections this year. What I would like to see is more people outside the sport becoming aware of the good things that everyday endurance riders do for the sport, for the horses, and for the neighborhoods they live in. I would like to see every local newspaper carry an article about how local endurance riders have improved their communities.

Newspapers employ reporters to write articles, so you do not need to actually write anything, but you need to make the first introduction. Most news organizations are constantly looking for uplifting topics to balance out the rest of the news. If every member made one call to their local or regional newspapers and magazines, the positive educational opportunities are immense.

Endurance riders are working very hard making things better for our sport, our horses, and our communities. Help spread the word.