In the SCA equestrian activites, we are riding to recreate the Middle Ages through several venues.

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These venues include the mounted martial activities and now mounted combat. We do not measure how well we ride by having judges watch our equitation. Similar to the gymkhana people, we compete against each other ; like the team ropers, we compete as teams. The point is that we are competing to win a certain activity and that activity is measured on criteria *which are just as valid but different than equitation*. This does not overlook the fact that a person who is an excellent rider will probably have a better chance of winning than one who does not.

HOWEVER, the best rider (like the best HW fighter) does not always win. Sometimes a darn fine athlete who may not be the best rider does win. Again, this does not diminsh his victory. He won it according to the criteria we set up within our own 30+ years of SCA Regulations and our own SCA Riding Culture. Our EMs are NOT Equitation judges, they are Safety Officers; our ground crew are score keepers NOT judges. Does the HW Marshal judge who is the victor for Crown Tourney by saying which fighter was the best ? No, that is how the winner is selected for modern boxing---by judges

For those of us less inclined to compete in the SCA ,we also perform quadrilles (carousels) and we have mounted quests. Mistress Yasmeena, who is an incredible mounted warrior, has told us about the wonderful Spanish Quadrille she created. Likewise, I created a mounted Quest several years ago in Caid that incorporated using Teams of seven(rider, child, unmounted adult, rapier,archer,HWfighter,and light weapons) to win the Quest. Again, it did not take an excellent Rider of equitation to get the high points for their Team to win. And it does not take equitation excellence to ride in the Quadrilles--thank goodness!

When all is said and done, we all just want to have a fun and relaxing day riding our horses *within the venue we have created in the SCA over the past thirty five years.* In conclusion, the SCA does not measure our riding by the modern standards of equitation. We are here to put on a show of Pageantry for the Populace and bring alive the past. This is done when we ride in our mounted martial activites , quadrilles, and quests. This is how we measure our riding in the SCA--
by our own standards not by modern judges of our equitation.

And I am proud of our Riders and their abilities to win based on the criteria and standards we have set forth for the SCA Equestrian Activities. If someone wants to try to diminish our accomplishments by saying 'we just hang on' well, that is their judgement.

Donwenna

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