El Dorado Springs POSTPONED

[Iamdanjohnson]

Sometimes the right decision is not the popular decison. The crazy rainfall amounts have much of Galilee flooded. The lower field can not be used for parking. Two creeks are too deep and too fast to cross. MORE series managed last weekend but it was very muddy and there were many reroutes. The rain the last two days have the reroutes and other spots completely under water.

I am very aware of the "reputation" this gives our series but we simply have to do what is right and postpone when it means protecting a property and having it to use in the future.

If you really want to get out and play in this stuff, MHSC is running this weekend down by Sparta, MO.

[grabbingears03]

That was definately the right call. I raced last weekend and was super muddy and had some really deep water sections and with all the rain we got it would be even worse. I will say that every time that I try to race Fm it gets postponed. (I didn't make it to the last race). Still was definately the right call.
-1133

[WireFryer]

Good Call! The Weather Gods are flat-out not liking us this year...

Tim
#785

[jerad741]

thanks for the head up dan we are four hours away and was leaving at 2 today saved use a lot of miles see ya next weekend . oh ya need to get up here and ride the thurman track we are getting close will be a good time . thanks again jerad johnnys cycle your new beta dealer will have them at the track

[cr250rwalker]

Wow imagine that...

[shredder]

Thanks Dan for calling it when you did. We were just getting ready to hit the road. After the rain stops the creeks keep going and the mud hangs around too.
Good call my man.

[DEA]

Cant remember the last time we had this amount of rain / snow outs so early in the season. just meansit might be a little less dusty this summer.

[AStevens]

Good call Dan, but I know you hated to have to make it. Any and all damage after the race would have pointed right to FMHS even if it some of it was from previous events...and this place has pretty high visability from other user groups. Funny, and a bit sad, to see some a$$hat trolling the thread.

[Tank]

Great call Dan!!! I'm sure that if we would have raced, the area would be really rutted up. I'm all for racing, but also to preserve our riding area's for lots of years of racing! Hope it works out for us this next weekend!

[AStevens]

Dan's OP comment and my subsequent, and possible mis-, interpretation of trolling started me thinking about the "reputation" bit that the "Kansas" series has for cancelling for rain/mud. I know some folks from other series seem to like throwing this about as a matter of inter-series rivalry and good-natured ribbing, both of which I can completely understand, but I think that it deserves a closer look.

I dug up some recent cancelled races and found that the mixture of weather, topography, geology, and money is what ends up getting races called off; sometimes at the last minute. The money aspect could be seen as in losses for the series from reduced entries due to the "fun factor" being too low and for the landowner in terms of gate fees and possible land/access damage. In these cases, the race promoters have repeatedly shown good judgement that will allow the race sites to be used for future races and in most cases attempted to divert racers to other series' events on the same weekend that are held in more remote rocky terrain which usually means Southern Central Missouri. One thing that doesn't seem to be added into the equation when judging the reputation for cancelling races, is the higher profile public nature or visibility of some of the places where FMHSC is allowed to race.

El Dorado Springs, MO 28APR2013 Summer Camp/Retreat
Sometimes the right decision is not the popular decison. The crazy rainfall amounts have much of Galilee flooded. The lower field can not be used for parking. Two creeks are too deep and too fast to cross. MORE series managed last weekend but it was very muddy and there were many reroutes. The rain the last two days have the reroutes and other spots completely under water. I am very aware of the "reputation" this gives our series but we simply have to do what is right and postpone when it means protecting a property and having it to use in the future. If you really want to get out and play in this stuff, MHSC is running this weekend down by Sparta, MO.

Collins, MO 07MAR2013 Public Horse Facility
Well I had a lot of time that last postponed weekend and I had 10 miles set up and I was still 2 miles from the end of the loop. It is all still up and all for not. Several things have led to the property owner having to end the race for this weekend. The property turns back to horses now and the only chance of having a make up race will be August and that is a maybe. I have some really sweet plaques that may just have to go out at some other location.
Milford is in two weeks and I would rather shorten the season a bit anyway.
Dont forget Hillbilly GP is racing this weekend if you really need a fix.

In between here somewhere was the Nebraska race on a farm where the parking lot was to have been a plowed field and where said field could have easily become the final resting place for more than one RV.

Sedalia, MO 31MAR2011 Private Working Farm
I just dont know what date will work. Trying to make too many people happy maybe. May 15 is MORE series and May 22 is Spud's race with MHSC. Then we race the next two so right now the first chance is June 12. I am leaning toward that as I dont like Father's Day races and June 19th is that. Then MORE again on the 26th. Waiting for confirmation from the landowner for the 6/12 date. He has pretty much said okay but has some issues to resolve with the cattle. I hate all this wishy washy junk. I dont like to postpone ever but it is the only responsible thing to do. The fun factor needs to stay high. MHSC wouldnt cancel a Sedalia event several years back and the trails are rutted because of it and the parking pasture was absolutely destroyed. The landowner doesnt want to see that happen again, ever!

Prior to this there were some cancelled races at the Milford, KS race site which is a Corps of Engineers managed location and probably the highest profile area from a government regulation standpoint.

I'm sure that some of the promoters and land owners on this forum have some things to add and I hope that they take the time to do so.