AERC is unique in how we define endurance riding, and miles apart from most other endurance organizations around the world. Most endurance organizations build all their rules, regulations and awards around the racing aspect of endurance while AERC has chosen to build around the riding aspect of the sport. Few countries have taken this road but AERC believes this is the correct path for us to travel. I know a rider from overseas who keeps a record of his own horses' miles because his country has no interest in anything except the winning of a race.

Of course we still have horses that come across the finish line in first place and love that part of the sport too but we also keep total mileage over the lifetime of the horse. AERC rides are competitions but we put a lot of emphasis on overall miles and other accomplishments like best condition, older riders, juniors, families and more.

I am glad we have an organization that is interested in this type of record-keeping. This past year AERC received an e-mail from a country that is just getting their endurance riding organized to ask if they could use our rules as a guideline for their organization. They wanted the same philosophies as we have in our organization; they wanted to offer something more than just a race. We hope they will grow into the type of sport that AERC offers here.

"To finish is to win" is a great, all-encompassing motto that many of us, from the first time we heard it, loved it. Even though AERC has had this same motto for decades, over the years, "finishing" has evolved into more than just crossing the finish line with your horse at the end of a ride.

The finishing criteria has been modified and clarified over the years in order to assure our horses' future quality of life. At one time if the horse was just sound at the walk at the finish the horse and rider received a completion or, as our motto states, they would be considered a winner.

After many years having the "sound at a walk" completion criteria it was intensified a little more by changing it to "sound at the trot." But as we became more aware of what it takes to keep a horse safe it was decided that we needed stricter controls for the completion criteria. Our rules now require that in order to complete or finish a ride the horse's condition would be "fit to continue" -- a decision to be made by the veterinarian control judge. This means both metabolically as well as sound at a trot (no greater lameness than a grade two or not consistently lame in a straight line).

We want horses that are healthy at the finish of a ride. We want horses that could continue on with the ride if it were necessary. Most of all, we want the horse to be able to come back to another ride on another day.

Each time you complete an AERC-sanctioned event you are a winner, whether you are the first across the line or the last one to cross. It is wonderful that at every ride we attend all who complete will receive a completion award as is required by AERC rules. Even if the award is just a certificate or a hoof pick, each rider is given some kind of recognition for making it through the ride with a horse that has vetted through and deemed "fit to continue."